September Cruise: Day 9

We were glad we lit the fire yesterday evening because it was a cold night — there was even a touch of frost on the cratch cover this morning.  The rising sun and the mist swirling on the water made it an idyllic mooring.

We had more trouble starting the engine this morning, but for some reason it got going after about 20 minutes of faffing about.  Once under way, Adrian started searching for somewhere we could get a new starter battery from.  After a few calls, a garage in Lechlade said they could get one in a couple of hours, so we altered our plans slightly and made Lechlade our destination for the day.  First landmark of the day was Newbridge.

Shifford Lock was next, and the lockie yesterday had warned us it was deep and had powerful paddles, so someone would need to be at the bow.  So we adopted a new approach at unmanned uphill locks: I would tie up the stern then move to the bow and hold the rope there while Adrian did the paddles.  It worked much better than trying to use a centre line.  The next bridge, Tadpole Bridge, has a much bigger arch than Newbridge.

When we got to Rushey Lock, there were two lock keepers on duty which made things much easier.  The skies on the reach above the lock look huge.

Radcot Lock had a very chatty lock keeper on.  Radcot Bridge has clearly been hit by a vehicle, as there are bits missing, and barriers all along.

At Grafton Lock, we liked this sign.

Two more locks took us to Lechlade, where we moored on the meadow and walked into town to find the garage.  It has a Bentley in reception.

We paid for the battery, and asked if they had a trolly we could borrow to get it back to the boat.  Instead, they said they’d give us a lift — and even apologised for only being able to get to the bridge and not closer.  Getting the old starter battery out proved a bit tricky, but then the new one slotted in, and the engine started first time.  Let’s hope it does the same in the morning, which is when we’ve been having trouble.  We also need to go back into town for some food shopping.

16 miles, 6 locks.  (110 miles, 70 locks)

Rediscovery Cruise: Day 9

Today started off quite bright but soon clouded over, and a fresh breeze meant it felt quite chilly at times.  With a shorter distance to cover today, we didn’t set off until gone 9.  There were more sharp bends to negotiate.

Radcot Lock was on self service.  By Radcot Bridge there’s a glamping site with some very impressive teepees, which judging by the chimney must each have a stove.

The site also has smart looking shower blocks, there’s a motor home section, and a cafe.  The pub on the other side of the bridge has a wood fired pizza trailer outside.  Grafton Lock was also on self service, and as we went up three boats arrived at the top to come down.  They all seemed to be together, and two of them took on water at the water point while we ascended.  As we also wanted to stop for water, mostly to put the washing machine on again, I came out of the lock, lingered while two boats went into the lock, then reversed back to the water point.  The third boat was big enough that it needed to lock down on its own.  There are some very pretty houses further along at Eaton Hastings.

As we passed Eaton Footbridge, a cruiser was just preparing to set off from the club moorings there, and it caught us up by the time we got to Buscot Lock so we went up together.  They went ahead to prepare the next lock, while Adrian closed the gates and emptied the lock; we’d been wondering why there are signs saying the locks have to be left empty, and the lock keeper at the next lock explained that it’s to prevent the growth of algae on the steps and lock sides.  After Buscot lock there some of the most extreme bends on the river.  At one point, you find yourself facing the lock again.  By the time we got to St John’s Lock, the lock keeper was just opening the gates and waved us in.  Cruisers prefer to have steel boats like our in the lock when they come in, rather than have eighteen tonnes of metal boat coming up behind them.

Once up the lock, we moored on the field before Ha’penny or Lechlade Bridge and had lunch.  Last time we came up here we continued right along to the last navigable point at the Roundhouse at Inglesham.  Turning around is tight there, and the river is very low at the moment, so we decided to walk up there instead.  I think it was a good decision, as the water is very shallow.

I’d wanted to see if we could see the first lock on the Thames and Severn Canal, which is being restored by the Cotswold Canal Trust, but it seems to be on private land next to the Roundhouse.  We then walked into town and did some shopping at the very nice butcher’s, and the relatively well stocked Londis.  There are roadworks in town, creating a huge queue of traffic.  The bridge has a little toll house on one end.

9 miles, 4 locks.  (104 miles, 67 locks)

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)