Lower Shuckborough

Todays Canals : Oxford, Grand Union/Oxford

Overnight there was quite heavy rain - so Christine reports. Mike is too deaf at night to hear it! The grass was wet but the towpath was not muddy.

There were at one time two bridges between our overnight stop and Marston Doles but at some stage (after the numbering system was established) they were removed. One of them still leaves behind a narrows that is maintained in case stop planks are needed. It is a very long pound! 

Before tackling the locks we filled up with water at the tap just above.

At one time there was a busy wharf above the locks - the main building was once rather splendid, on one side are chapel-like windows but on the other a more industrial look. (Sorry, the camera missed the better side!) It looks as if the site has a number of current uses and that part of the warehouse is now residential (a man in his dressing gown came out and crossed to another part of the site!)

We have not noticed before that there is a date built into the gable end : 1865. The OS map from 1900 shows all of the buildings still standing. Built to Last!

For many years this has been the resting home for old classic vehicles. We are sure that they are cherished but not a lot seems to change,

After the reports on summit pound water level we wanted to see what the top lock here suggested. At first it seems that the current level is well below the main overflow weir but that is very dry and seems to be set for when there is excess water in the pound.

Looking at the gate itself, if the level were much higher then we would all be getting wet feet, crossing the footboard.

After wondering where all the boats had gone in the past week, now we know - they are all here. There was at least one boat coming up at each of the locks except the bottom one. We also had a somewhat trying time as several boaters were not at all well versed in how to negotiate through a lock flight with oncoming boats. Even a bow thruster did not stop one from getting in a muddle.

From Adkins Lock to the bottom all the lock bypasses were running well over the overflow weirs. We wondered if extra water was being run down from the Engine Arm, now a long private mooring, that joins just above this lock.

At the penultimate lock, a single hander came up just as Christine was about to leave and 'parked' right in the middle so close to the lock that it left no room for our boat to exit. Christine had wait whilst the other boat was reversed out of the way, wondering how the other boater had thought that she could get into the lock until it was empty!

The volly at the bottom was not at all as good as the two at Claydon (who were excellent) - she did not seem to have heard of the CaRT catch phrase THRIFT and the instruction, especially in dry periods, not to waste lockfuls of water by drawing in front of an oncoming boat.

Not the best two hours of locking that we have had but by the time we arrived at the bottom there was still enough time to cruise a short distance to find a lunch stop. Just caught a glimpse of Napton Windmill through the trees on the hilltop.

We pulled in to what looked like a good piece of piling, with one other boat already moored there. However, a combination of rather more bend in the line of piles and lack of depth meant that it was a bit more of an effort to get even somewhat close to the bank.

The afternoon was generally pleasant - a few spots of rain but generally grey but not cold. There was a steady stream of oncoming boats - where were they all going to find to moor on the long pound above Napton? At one point, with four closely following boats trying to pass Napton hire base, the front one ran aground and the followers immediately pushed past! We had no choice but to hover patiently - or at least look so!

About five boats looked as it their new hirers were setting in - it is quite a sizeable fleet here now so we hope that the season picks up quickly and that not too many people are put off with the drought problems. Incidentally, we met far more private boats today than hire ones (we expected it the other way around but with several marinas here, bank holiday and school half term we should have anticipated this) Almost always the hirers were pleasant and trying to fit in with the busy flow, even when it was obvious that this was very new to them - all the awkward events were with private owners.

As we approached Napton Junction, where the Grand Union continues of to the left towards Birmingham, we saw a boat hovering in the middle and then reversing at speed. Fortunately this is an unusually wide junction and we avoided a collision. It appeared that they had missed the turning.

Just after passing Lower Shuckborough Church we came up behind a boat going very slowly and we spent a while either at idle speed or in neutral. We were originally looking for an overnight stop about half an hour further on but when we suddenly spotted a very new piece of piling (not on our map) we immediately realised that this was the perfect place to stop! The only issue then was to wait until there was a long enough break in traffic to tie up! (When a boat passes even on tickover, a loose boat is drawn forward and backwards making it difficult to align boat and piling chain. Best to wait until the boat is at rest again)

6.7 Miles - 9 Locks