Autumn Cruise - Day 17

There was rain overnight and the forecast wasn't very promising, but in fact the sun has been out, on and off, all day.  We set off at 8am, and almost immediately went past the Anglo Welsh/Oxford Cruisers base, from where we hired our first boat, a plastic cruiser, some fifteen years ago.  Neither of us recognised anything about it!

It was still early, so we had to work Pinkhill Lock ourselves, the first Thames Lock we've had to do that wasn't electrified.  The paddles are raised with large wheels.

Northmoor Lock was also unmanned, and the wide plastic boat from yesterday was already inside.  As there was no lock keeper around, we thought it unwise to go in with them, so worked them through before going up ourselves.

The bridge at Newbridge is anything but new, dating from the thirteenth century.

The lengths so people will go to to stop people mooring is extraordinary!  In fact, there are pill boxes all along this stretch of the river, and they look very out of place.

There are some very testing bends on this stretch, some go on for such a long time that you expect to meet yourself coming back.  Fortunately, when we met boats they were on the straighter sections.  We got to Radcot Lock at 1pm; the lock keeper came out of his office, flipped the sign to self service, and went to lunch.  We worked through ourselves.  There are a couple of large topiary faces alongside the lock.

The old bridge at Radcot, the oldest on the Thames, is over the original channel, which is now used for moorings.  The bridge in use is narrow and much newer.

We worked Buscott Lock ourselves, and an elderly canoeist came up with us.  His trip for today was 12 miles; in the past he's canoed the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union.

There was a lock keeper at St John's Lock, where Old Father Thames is equipped with a shovel.

We continued to the end of navigation at the Inglesham Round House, where the Thames and Severn Canal used to join.

We turned, and went back through Halfpenny or Lechlade Bridge and moored up opposite the church.  This last part of the Thames is in Gloucestershire, but this bank of the river is the border with Wiltshire.  So with our mooring pins in Wilts, I think that means we've visited ten counties this trip (assuming you count London as a county).

25 miles, 8 locks.  (275 miles, 158 locks)

Autumn Cruise - Day 16

The moorings above Day's Lock are excellent, and we slept well.  When I looked out this morning, the field was full of cows, but a few minutes later they'd all moved on.  We set off just after 8am, on what started as a nice morning but soon clouded up.  There were some very large houses set way back from the river as we passed Burcot, then we reached Clifton Hampden Bridge.

The lock keeper hadn't yet come on duty when we reached Clifton Lock, so I went to press the buttons.  We passed the new junction of the Wilts and Berks Canal (there's not much to see), and then went through Abingdon, which looks lovely from the water.

Abingdon Lock was very noisy; it sounded as though the lock keeper was watching a Grand Prix in his little office, or there was a swam of wasps close by.  In fact, it was a Professional Motocross race taking place a mile or so away at Culham.  As we passed the site, which was full of motor homes, we could see the riders doing spectacular jumps.

The next section of the river is, frankly, the least interesting we've travelled.  There's not much to see, and very little of interest.  Sandford Lock is the deepest on the Thames at 8ft 10in, but was also one of the calmest as we went up.  The lock keeper was being very careful, as we were sharing with a canoeist.

Iffley Lock, on the outskirts of Oxford, is very pretty.

The approach to Oxford is nothing to write home about.  Then the University boat houses appear, followed by Folly Bridge - where you wonder where you're supposed to go.  It becomes more obvious when you get closer.  In the past, I've seen dozens of punts moored the other side of the bridge; today there were none.

Beyond Folly Bridge, Oxford could be any town - there are no dreaming spires to be seen, just houses and a railway bridge.  We shared Osney Lock, which was self service, with a trip boat which seemed to be electrically powered.  Four of those on board were having lunch; the rest appeared to be there just for the ride.

We stopped above the lock for lunch.  Osney Bridge was our first after setting off again, and we took the chimney off as it's the lowest bridge on the Thames, and stops all the gin palaces.

We passed Sheepwash Channel, the entrace to the Oxford Canal.  If you didn't know, you'd never imagine that it led to the canal.

At Port Meadow, we found ourselves involved in a sailing race.  There are a few spires to be seen as you look back towards Oxford, and there are horses and cows grazing on the meadow.  But Adrian had a full time job avoiding the sailing boats.

The Lock Keeper at Godstow Lock told us that the lock in three inches narrower than all the others.  Even so, she managed to fit a wide plastic boat in the lock with us.

Beyond King's Lock (the first which hasn't been powered - the Lock Keeper said he preferred the more reliable manual method), is another entrance to the Oxford Canal, at Duke's Cut.  This one at least has a sign (visible from the other direction), but still doesn't look like much.  But we stayed on the Thames to Eynsham Lock, where are large Dutch barge was coming out of the lock.

We went up, stopped at the water point to fill the tank, then went through the very attractive Swinford Toll Bridge.

With useful info from the Lcok Keeper that the first field beyond the bridge charges £5 a night but further on it's free, we picked a spot in a field of cows.  It's popular round here, with boats at almost every available mooring.  The sun had come out but the wind had also got up, so there was no problem getting to the side.  There's a great view from the side hatch, as there's also the occasional intesresting plane heading into RAF Brize Norton.

25 miles, 9 locks.  (250 miles, 150 locks)

Autumn Cruise - Day 15

The moorings at Sonning Lock are lovely, although they were slightly compromised by what some might call the 'hippy hutch' moored on the other side, which turned on a generator at about 5.30pm, and still had it on at gone 10pm.  We got so used to the noise that we were both asleep before it was turned off.

This morning, it was beautifully still as we set off at 8am, heading into Reading, and passing the entrance to the Kennet and Avon Canal.

We were soon tied up on the moorings outside Tesco in Reading, where we went for shopping.  We'd seen one black swan as we arrived, then a whole family came over.  The young aren't very black!

The approach to Caversham Lock gives a good view of The Blade, a new office building which appears to be mostly empty.

Above the lock, and all through Tilehurst, there were loads of rowers and canoeists.  At one point it looked as though we were under attack.

There was more canoe chaos at Pangbourne, where the Toll Bridge appears to be having work done.

Above the lock, the reach by Beale Park was very atmospheric, particularly as the sky had clouded over.

On the approach to Goring, there's an unusual glass summer house, jutting out over the river.

We stopped for lunch below Goring Lock, in front of a large hotel barge, Louisa, on which the trip we'd just done costs £200 per person (albeit with bucks fizz, lunch, and a cream tea).  Goring Lock was self service, and three boats went up, all crews doing a bit to help.  The next pound is the shortest on the river, and the Cleeve Lock is the shallowest, at just 2ft 3in.  Again, the three boat crews all pressed buttons to work the lock.

Wallingford has a fine bridge and a church with an attractive open spire.

The final lock of the day was Day's Lock, which is approached round a right-angle bend and under a metal bridge.

We'd hoped to moor above the lock, but it looked as though every decent space was taken.  However, Adrian spotted one skipper putting on his tiller and starting to get ready to leave, so I did a quick u-turn and we went into their space as soon as they'd left it.  It's a lovely open spot with views of the Sinodun Hills and across the flood plains.

24 miles, 7 locks.  (225 miles, 141 locks)

Autumn Cruise - Day 14

It was very misty when we woke up this morning, so we had a relaxed start and set off at 9am, when visibility was a bit better.  Even so, it was very atmospheric with the mist rolling off the water and the sun trying to break through.

By the time we got to Marlow Lock the sun was out and the sky was blue.  Leaving the lock the scene was perfect,with the church and the bridge, and some lovely houses.

There are fantastic riverside houses all along the banks, and while Medmenham Abbey is notable there are plenty more along the same lines.

Temple Island marks the start of Henley Reach, where the regatta is held.  There were plenty of rowers out on the water, practising.

Henley Bridge has a couple of arches closed for work.  We weren't sure what they were doing, but each block of stone appears to have been numbered.

We moored for lunch at Henley, just along from the River and Rowing Museum, where the moorings are free between 10am and 3pm; overnight, it costs £9!  When we arrived at Marsh Lock, which has an elaborate network of footbridges over the weir streams, it was on self service.  The lock keeper arrived and took over once three boats were in the lock.

At Lower Shiplake, we spotted a house for sale.  At that price, we'd probably want more than three bedrooms!  Shiplake Lock is another pretty one.  Along the next reach, we spotted Derwent6 moored up, and slowed for a brief chat with Del and Al.  At Sonning Lock, Dogma was coming down.  We stopped just after the lock to buy ice creams from the tea garden.

We moored up just along from the lock and I went for a walk round Sonning, a very pretty village completely clogged by traffic, thanks to the one way Sonning Bridge.  The traffic lights stay red (or green) for ages, so plenty of cars jump the lights when they change.

17 miles, 7 locks.  (201 miles, 134 locks)