Lechlade (River Thames) – Monday 27th July

A grey day with showers and windy.

We left our mooring and headed upstream.  I put a load of washing on and then noticed that the electricity had gone off.  Richard couldn’t see anything wrong so he changed from the big inverter (which we need for the washing machine, microwave etc.) to the everyday small one so at least we had electricity but the machine was full of water.  There was nothing more he could do without going down into the engine bay.

After Shifford Lock the Thames starts to wriggle its way through the countryside.  Some of the S bends are very tight.  I took over the helm while Richard was having lunch and it certainly challenged my helming skills – sadly he took the tiller back just when I was beginning to enjoy myself – don’t think he trusted me :-(  Fortunately this part of the Thames is very quiet and there are very few boats around so we were able to cut corners!

 

Radcot Bridge

 Radcot Bridge is often claimed as the "oldest bridge on the Thames", having been built, with pointed arches of Taynton stone, around 1200. The Cistercian monks of St Mary at Cîteaux in Normandy were granted land for the purpose by King John. Much of the structure was broken down during the famous battle which took place here in 1387, although it was reconstructed six years later. The bridge was again severely damaged during the Wars of the Roses, and was largely rebuilt as it appears today, with a flattened centre arch.

Old Father Thames

The wind started to get up so I brought the cauldrons from the roof into the cratch and before we left St. John’s Lock I moved the troughs as well.  I’m glad I did as once we turned the corner after the lock the wind howled across the field and I’m sure it would have knocked the plants over.

  

Lechlade Bridge

We moored up behind Ferndale and then joined the others in the pub.  I had planned on cooking something out of the freezer in the microwave for dinner but with no large inverter that wasn’t going to happen so we ate in the pub.  It was then a quick foray to the Londis in town and back to Mary H.

22.52 miles

8 locks