A lazy morning as we were in no rush.
We moved the half mile back to the disused wharf where we had been on
Thursday. We had just sorted ourselves
out when a boat pulled up beside us – it was FL! We had sort of been expecting them but
weren’t too sure what they were doing.
Ferndale wasn’t far behind so when everyone was moored up we sat out and
had coffee. We decided to move on as the
others want to get to Aynho for Sunday lunch tomorrow.
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| Our mooring at Pigeons Lock |
Before the quarry we passed Jane’s Tea Garden for the third time
however this time I remembered to take some photos. This is taken from her website “Janes Tea
Garden is the result of the year’s bounty. Everything that can be grown here is
grown here. As smallholders we strive for self-sufficiency. We are proud of everything
we put in front of you. Odd shaped, colourful, delicious, totally organic, rare
breed, produce with absolutely no mileage. What can be better than that? Fruits
and vegetables straight from the garden you sit in! Even the flowers on the
table come straight from Jane's cutting garden.” Sadly she only opens on the first and third
weekends in the month and this weekend is the second.
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| Jane's Tea Garden |
Before we left the quarry the men walked up to see it. It is now an SSI as the Jurassic rocks
provide lots of evidence to tell what the environment would have been like
at the time these rocks formed. It is thought that Kirtlington lay near to the
shore of a small barrier island, in a coastal environment, and would have been
similar to the Florida Everglades today. These conditions attracted many
animals to Kirtlington, and the quarry is famous among geologists for its rich
diversity of fossils. Kirtlington, is most important for its mammal fossils,
and the quarry is the richest mammal-bearing locality of Middle Jurassic age
known anywhere in the world.
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| Kirtlington Quarry |
It was a hot trip with two locks before Lower Heyford and then a long
stretch on tick-over past moored boats.
We did two more locks and I was beginning to wonder if we were ever
going to stop! Ray was looking for a
good internet signal as he needed to do some work and Diane wanted TV
signal! As we rounded a bend just before
Somerton we found the others moored up and waiting.
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| Love it!! |
We were soon sitting out having a beverage of our choice – mine was a
coke before anyone says I bet hers was a white wine. However I did have a wine or two later. Sue was cooking a lamb tagine and there were
wonderful smells emanating from FL. What
made it even better was that she had cooked more than they needed so we all had
lamb tagine – it was really lovely.
Thanks Sue. We sat out until
quite late tucked up in our fleeces.
7.26 miles
4 locks
1 lift bridge
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