Marston Doles

Today's Canals - Grand Union, Oxford

After a little early mist had dispersed the morning was bright and sunny, albeit with quite a chilly breeze. It was not until mid morning before we were underway.

Almost immediately we passed the entrance to Nelson's Arm. For several years after the arm had been restored there was a business offering training courses on boat handling but that closed a year or two back. 

However, a new business - called Podtastic - has been started with holiday accommodation including three camping pods. Although their website indicates that they were booked last week, we could see no-one there and all are available in the next couple of weeks. Any takers?

We passed the moorings which seems to specialise in providing a base for heritage boats.

There are three marina entrances just before Calcutt Locks. Fortunately at the first, the boat coming out had a good lookout posted so we did not have to avoid a collision! We were almopst6 distracted by the wonderful display of daffodils or narcissi.

Calcutt Bottom Lock and we were still on our own going up, although this was the start of a steady stream of boats coming down. We pulled onto the service wharf between the middle and top locks to fill our diesel tank. As always found the staff very helpful and friendly, ready to chat. All of their hire boats were out except for one that is in for repair and another that was about to be taken over by the next set of hirers. We were told that this is the 50th year of their hire business. Must be getting something right!

As we left the services, another boat was just coming up the middle lock so we were able to share the last one.

Not much of a problem for us but traffic was building and as we pulled away from the lock there was a queue of five waiting to go down.

Only a short run to Napton Junction where our most recent lock partners turned towards Braunston whilst we headed down the southern Oxford.

Passing Napton Marine where there is another substantial hire fleet, a good proportion of them seemed to be tied up and we only saw one or two passing us in the last few days.

Just before Brickyard Bridge we took a lunch break on a good mooring spot. Soon after resuming our journey we rounded Napton Hill and managed one of out better views of the famous windmill on the top.

At the bottom of the flight we again paused, firstly for the water point which proved rather slow and we gave up after almost half an hour before we were quite full, We then crossed to the other side for a quick dash to the elsan unit.

We had help up the first lock but this was a permanent staff member rather than a volunteer and he did not stray from the bottom lock. We suspect he was here for purposes other than helping boaters! Still, he was cheerful and chatty and helped un on our way.

Although the traffic had abated over lunch, it resumed down the flight with a vengeance. A boat was in or just leaving at seven of the remaining eight locks.

The sunshine of the earlier part of the day was gradually being replaced by dull, grey skies, gathering for the projected rain tomorrow. 

Finally we arrived at the top of Marston Doles. We had to wait for a boat to come down and as we came up we saw that there were two or three boats waiting to follow on down. Most of the boaters this afternoon were quite cheerful but some were rather disappointed not to have achieved their goal because of the limited availability of Broadmoor Lock. 

We went only as far as it was necessary to moor easily - all of the mooring alongside the top lock was already taken. By now the sky was really grey!

7.6 Miles - 12 Locks