Why is it...

...there are more and more things to do at home?
Try as I may, I just cannot get away on Constance. There is too much to do at home. Gardening for one. Then we did go to Bideford for a few days so that we could have a day trip to Lundy.

Anyway, managed to catch a couple of days this week.

I was out of water, had loads to get rid of etc. I stopped at Cropredy wharf and dealt with all the 'necessary'. It was nice to be back on board if only for a short while.

Beautifully Black!

It was an early start from home to get to Banbury for 8a.m. to take Constance out of Tooley's but I made it in time.

Then it was time to let the water in...

Slowly at first

Then the flood as they lift the top board out

Beautiful Iris on the bank



Mother duck with three

And into Tooley's at long last

It seems like ages ago that I booked Constance into Tooley's for a bottom blacking. All the stalling for time, a couple of miles a day, anyway the time has come.

Sign on the road bridge at Twyford Wharf

Made my way from Twyford Wharf up to Tramway, then up through Banbury to the turning point, then down to the Castle Quay shopping centre.

New board to stand on, the old one rotted away!

At the appointed hour, well maybe a little bit earlier, it was time to enter the dry dock facility.

Into Tooley's

 The depth of water over the cill is not great. It was 'full-ahead' and scrape the barnacles off the flat bottom! Even had to take on human ballast in the bow to tip the boat up to get the stern over the bar.

Being secured

Dropping the boards in

Tide going down

Stern view with pressure-washing in progress

Bow view

Lovely week

Judy & I spent a lovely week on Constance. We did not move far. We haven't got far to go. We did 'car & boat leapfrog' each time we moved. I don't know how many times I have now walked the length of the south Oxford Canal, however it is beautiful walking country.

Somerton Deep lock from above

The 'Aah! factor. Mother duck with 12 ducklings

Aynho Wharf

Is this a Banksy? Banbury.

Oxford to Lower Heyford

The weather was set fair for the day. Alison had not been on this canal before so we decided to motor northwards for a bit. We left our lovely mooring adjacent to Hythe Bridge Street.



About as close to Oxford city centre as you can get!

Out of Oxford along past all of the 'Agenda 21' moorings, up through Duke's Lock and on to Kidlington.

Bridge 228 - Yarnton Road Bridge

Yarnton Road Bridge (228) is notoriously low. I always untie the wheelbarrow just in case it hits the underside of the bridge. This time we were OK because we had just filled with water and the bow was low in the water. We passed through Thrupp and Shipton-on-Cherwell.

Shipton Weir Lock

Shipton Weir Lock

Alison had not seen one of these before.


Kidlington to Oxford

Alison joined us at Kidlington for the trip down into Oxford. We went right down to the end of the canal at Hythe Bridge Street. Didn't bargain on picking up a great big fleece lined tartan jacket on the prop but fairly easily removed via the weed hatch.
Whilst in Oxford we went around the castle.

Stood on top of the old keep mound

Took selfies

Saw the inside of the old prison

Saw the old Saxon Church.

The inside of the church

Went up the old Saxon Church Tower and looked at the 'Dreaming Spires'

Oxford rooftops

and 'dreaming spires'

The tower

The old house opposite the tower.

 Then we went back to the boat for a cup of tea.

Heyford to Kidlington

Judy & I came up to Upper Heyford to take Constance down towards Oxford. As you can see we enjoyed some lovely weather. We also had to contend with storm Katie, but by then we were hove-to at Kidlington.

Allen's Lock - Upper Heyford

The cattle had come into the canal to take a drink

 We stopped at Pigeons Lock for lunch and there was a 'tap-tap' on the door. David had cycled up from his home in Oxford to join us. Together we moved south.

Now with two lock operators, down on to the Cherwell

The Cherwell was very well behaved considering the amount of rain we have had through March. Then through Thrupp. With crew the electric lift bridge is easy. We moored up at Kidlington where we could catch buses into and out of Oxford. We had a lovely weekend with David.