Oxford to Braunston on the Oxford Canal, 2015
June 30 – July 5, 2015.
July 5: Braunston
July 4: The Folly Bridge, Napton
July 3: Cropredy
July 2: Twyford Bridge
June 30: Thrupp
June 30 – July 5, 2015.
July 5: Braunston
July 4: The Folly Bridge, Napton
July 3: Cropredy
July 2: Twyford Bridge
June 30: Thrupp
September 02-06, 2014.
Just a short journey to take advantage of the fine early September weather.
Although I’ve made the trip twice before, travelling north from Oxford to Braunston, this is the first time I’ve travelled south on the South Oxford Canal.
Water Buffalo grazing in Napton on the Oxford Canal
July 16 – August 02, 2014.
Having only 2 weeks until I meet a friend and his daughter, Peter and Myah, at Ellesmere on the Llangollen Canal, I thought I’d better make a start. I made it to Newbold-on-Avon which is on the fringe of Rugby and 11.25 miles and 3 locks (Hillmorton Locks) from Braunston. It’s also, more-or-less, halfway to Hawkesbury Junction the end of the Oxford Canal where it joins the Coventry Canal.
My second day out and my aim was to make it at least onto the Coventry Canal, approximately 11.5 miles and just 1 lock – the stop lock a Hawkesbury Junction. Setting off from Newbold the canal took me through Newbold Tunnel which at only 250 yards in length is a relaxing cruise underground compared with the Braunston Tunnel for example. Passing by Brinklow and Ansty Villages and under the M6 and M69 motorways it took me approximately 4.5 hours to reach Hawkesbury junction and pass through the stop lock to join the Coventry Canal.
The Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction. The Engine House used to pump water from a well into the canal.
After a short break for lunch I continued up the Coventry Canal travelling a further 7.5 miles passing by Bedworth, Marston Junction- the entry to the Ashby Canal and through Nuneaton to finally tie up for the day just beyond Wood Bridge (27) about 3 miles from Atherstone.
This is my first time on the Coventry Canal, and it’ll my first time on the canals I’ll now travel on to Llangollen. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Coventry Canal, both by the countryside and condition of the canal and the locks which is good. So far, apart from the 3 Hillmorton locks and the Hawkesbury stop lock, my journey has been lock free. Today, my third, is to be different. Through Hartshill the canal winds through the countryside and past what were once quarries and slag heaps but you’d hardly guess as they’ve all been landscaped and blend into the landscape. Continuing on, approaching Atherstone where the Atherstone locks have to be negotiated – 11 in total spread over approximately 2 miles. Once through the Atherstone locks it’s a lock free cruise for approximately 8 miles before the 2 locks at Glascote are reached just before Fazeley Junction. Continuing on from Fazeley Junction the canal becomes the Birmingham & Fazeley with bridges having names rather than numbers. There are no locks on this section between Fazeley Junction and Fradley Junction. Once the canal reaches Whittington Brook it becomes the Coventry Canal, and the bridges are again numbered until it reaches it’s terminus at Fradley Junction. I didn’t make it that far and moored for the night at a village called Hopwas about 2.5 miles from Fazeley Junction on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.
Setting off the next morning from Hopwas, it was Saturday and raining, however, the rain was forecast to stop for several hours approximately an hour after I set off so that was okay as I would dry off in the sun. The rain did stop but for only a short period from when it alternated between heavy and torrential. It was a wet day. Soaked through I made it onto the Trent & Mersey Canal at Fradley Junction and my first locks for the day.
The M6 motorway running parallel to The Staffordshite & Worcestershire Canal between Otherton Lock and Rodbaston Lock
Shropie Fly Boat Saturn moored at Audlem Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal for the Historic Narrow Boats Gathering July 26-27
The return journey: August 04 – 15, 2014
This is the planned route for my next journey from Braunston to Llangollen:
Places on route:
June 21 – 24, 2014.
Starting the day on the Thames in Oxford at Osney Bridge we took the Sheepwash Channel and turned onto the Oxford Canal at Isis Lock. Dave was back as crew for the day and our target was Lower Heyford nearly 14 miles and 10 locks away.
The Oxford Canal is not for people who are in a hurry. It’s narrow locks that can take only one boat almost inevitably mean that sooner or later you will find yourself queuing to go through them. Despite this, we made Lower Heyford, where Dave could catch the train back to London, comfortably after stopping for lunch and a pint in Thrupp.
This isn’t the first time I’ve travelled up the south Oxford Canal from Oxford to Braunston and consequently I had a plan of where I wanted to stop at the end of each day’s cruising. Leaving Lower Heyford the following morning my planned destination was Kings Sutton, or more accurately, the moorings at Twyford Bridge opposite Twyford Wharf.
On a very hot day, that took in Somerton Deep Lock, where I had an accident last year (my gear cable snapped!), it took me longer than expected to make Twyford Bridge due to queuing at the locks. I was lucky to secure the last space to tie up for the night.
I was away from Twyford Bridge early the next morning in order to get through lift bridge 144 in the centre Banbury before the town became busy. The bridge is operated with your lock windlass. This I managed and I reached my next destination Cropredy at mid-day, just in time to visit the Red Lion for a bit of lunch. Unfortunately, it being Monday, the day they don’t serve food, I had to make do with a drop of lunch 😉
After an easy day yesterday I left Cropredy with the intention of reaching the moorings just round the corner from Napton Bottom Lock. To do this I had negotiate 17 locks in total that included 2 lock flights – Claydon 5 locks and Napton 7 locks – as well as 3 locks leading up to the Claydon flight and 2 further locks at Napton leading down to the Napton flight. The gap between the first 8 locks and the 9 Napton locks is big and involves several hours of lock free cruising – plenty of time to recover for the Napton flight. I managed to make Napton as planned but unfortunately all the mooring spaces were taken. Rather than tie up in the middle of nowhere, I was looking forward to a couple of pints after a long hard day, I decided to press on to Braunston another lock free 7 miles. By the time I reached Braunston I’d been on the go for 12 hours.