... and Millie makes three: August 2024

East Street - Oxford (River Thames) – Tuesday 27th August

We had a bit of a lie in this morning as we were expecting a joint Sainsbury’s order between 11am and midday. However I got a phone call at 10am to say he was at the meeting place! I was still in my nighty and I gather Steve was still in his PJs! The driver was a very nice and cheerful man who wheeled all our food over to the boats where we were like a crowd of vultures rummaging through the boxes trying to find out whose was who’s!

We left Bablock and continued down the River. Swinford Meadow had more liveaboards moored there than the other day, so it’s just as well we didn’t want to stop there. King’s lock is the last manual lock and it was self service. Godstow lock was also on self service but there were only buttons to press.

Out of Godstow lock and onto the River at Port Meadow. This time there were cattle on the meadow (and in the river) and Rio was most intrigued.

After Port Meadow the River gets narrow again and you end up between some allotments and back gardens. Osney Bridge is very low but we were able to get under with no problem. One years when we had plants on the roof, we had to take them all off.

We had hoped to moor at East Street but it looked to be full up but as we rounded a motor cruiser there was a 125 foot space and as our two boats total 122 feet we were in!

Opposite us was the old power station which has been derelict ever since we have been going through Oxford, I guess 14 years. At long last they are working on it and it is going to be the Centre of Executive Education which will be run by Said Business School. Wafic Said established the Saïd Foundation in 1982 and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford in 1996 with an initial £20 million donation.

We sat out on the towpath as usual then Richard and Steve cooked our dinners! I took Rio for a short walk down beside the lock and along the River bank. I took this photo from the the weir bridge.

10 miles
4 locks

Abingdon (River Thames) – Wednesday 28th August

We were worried that the building works opposite us might start very early but we were up before they started. We had noticed a dinghy moored up opposite us and this morning it had two very bored looking men sitting there, obviously waiting for one of the workers to fall in the River!

Down through Osney lock and under Folly Bridge. The Head of the River pub looks as if it might have had a bit of a make over.

The liveaboards along the River in Oxford have got worse. It's such a shame.

Iffley Lock and then Sandford lock which has a fall of 9 feet and is the deepest lock upstream of Teddington. It’s origins can be traced back to 1632. Below Sandford lock there used to be a paper mill, narrow boats used to bring coal down from Warwickshire to keep its furnaces going. It was closed in 1982 and is now housing. It's one of the places I really like on the River.

Down through Abingdon lock. Would there be any mooring for us on the meadow? Yes, two nice spaces however there was a wasps nest where we were trying to moor so we crossed over the River and moored on the park side.

There was rather a lot of goose poo around but the geese obviously don’t like the shade and it was relatively clean under a tree.

We walked up to Waitrose to get the things we had forgotten to put on the delivery order! As we walked through the children’s part of the park we had to carry the dogs as they aren’t allowed, however the geese get in there and poo everywhere which is much worse than dogs who have their poo picked up - usually!

We were sitting having a cup of tea when a baby pigeon flew over and sat on the table. Ted was transfixed! Steve picked it up and put it through the fence where we hoped it would be safe.

We had a BBQ and sat out until quite late. This photo is of the Nags Head.

9 miles
4 locks

Just short of Moulsford Railway Bridge (River Thames) – Thursday 29th August

We left Abingdon after filling up with diesel. I do like Abingdon though we didn’t go into the town this time.

Down to Culham lock, which was on self service, where we met six girls (17/18) who were doing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. They were in a dragon type of boat and we heard them coming, singing away, before we could see them! They had left Runnymede on Monday and were paddling up to Abingdon. They had been wild camping on lock islands and didn’t have any support except for someone at the end of a phone. Good for them!!

Clifton lock was a riot of colour. I think the Lockkie’s wife does the garden as she was out there snipping away! The prettiest lock we have come across so far.

Through Days lock and down to Shillingford where we had hoped to moor, but no such luck. After Benson lock it was Wallingford which was also rammed. There is a festival, Bunkfest, there this weekend which is probably why it was busier than usual.

We were getting pretty desperate when we saw the perfect spot, we couldn’t believe our eyes! We had to breast up and the bank was a bit high but it was a good mooring spot. When we looked at the map we realised that we had stayed there before going down stream. When we came back there was a no mooring sign there but there was no sign this time! A great place to get the washing dry!