Dredging, stones and bones

Wednesday 10^th July; Thrupp to Oxford

Another warm day and an early start, well before 9.  With no shopping required, we went straight past Kidlington and on to Roundhams’s Lock.  When we went to empty it, we discovered that one paddle is not fully usable – the white post that supports the rack and the winding spindle thing had been removed and the spindle was right above the paddle gear.  I couldn’t operate it safely, as I couldn't reach, balance and wind the stiff gear at the same time.  Dave isn’t so short and is stronger, though even he discovered it’s not safe to operate till the lock is half empty and the paddle is not so stiff.

We carried on in lovely weather towards Duke’s lock.  Meg said she was really enjoying herself today, but could she have a bit more attention please?

But I was thinking glum thoughts about the horribly awkward Drinkwater’s Lift Bridge.  The lock holding it closed is key-operated, but with a very specific technique to it involving leaning with your whole weight on the lock assembly so that the key will turn.  But what a lovely surprise!  A delightful young man was in charge.   He has a holiday job as a banksman before he starts a Master’s in classical composition (he plays classical guitar)   A dredger was hard at work below the lock – yippee! 

We didn’t mind waiting 10 minutes, especially as the young man would do the bridge for us! 

Below the bridge, the dredger operator was sluicing the mud off his dredger deck as we passed.  It’s a messy job.

We stopped for water at the rather slow water point above the lock.  We have started to top up whenever it’s convenient, rather than when we think we are getting a bit low, so it didn’t take too long.  Shelton, the share boat that we have been passing and re-passing, went by.  They are spending a couple of days on the Thames, so went down Duke’s Cut.  At the lock itself, there were two CRT chaps working boats down – they were having a break from spreading the sludge onto the farmland.

The farmer is paid for the loss of crop while the spreading takes place, and gets the benefit of the extra fertiliser from the canal.  The South Oxford is unpolluted, so can be spread on farmland, and is apparently very rich in nutrients.  Before it is spread, it is screened and all the stones and other debris are removed.  There is a proper term for this lumpy stuff which we can’t now recall.  The stones and bits of brick are sent off to be crushed and re-used wherever you might want hardcore.  But they also dredge up useful ‘heritage’ items like coping stones, which are salvaged to repair other structures.

The lift bridge under the big A-road bridge had been left open, so we didn't close it (2 boats seem to live inder the road bridge on the offside), then the last one had just been raised and we were waved through.  We hung about for the other boat to go through, before pulling back to the convenient Elsan point. Now we're all set for a couple of days in Oxford.

NB Muddy Waters, of story-book fame, was moored on the approaches to Oxford.  We’ve not read the books, but are familiar with the titles through the boating press.

There was plenty of room to moor in the shade opposite Jericho Wharf.  The hoardings, with their delightful-sounding intentions, have been there now for many years.  What an inappropriate name for the Structural Engineer firm …

The graffiti tag above was rather more appropriate

We were comfortably moored for an early lunch, then left Meg in the now-cool boat and set off for the Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums, neither of which we have visited before.  What fabulous places!  Dodos, dinosaurs, fossils, all sorts of skeletons and stuffed creatures.  Wonderful.  Upstairs there is a beehive and a live insect display, which we didn't realise till much later - naxt time, maybe.  A selection of images now – it was difficult to take some photos because the beautiful glazed roof rather confused the focusing.

Dodo

sabre-tooth tiger skull

Iguanodon 'hand'

T rex against that amazing roof - can you see his tiny little arms at the bottom of the picture?

Giant tortoise

As we went through into the Pitt Rivers museum, Charles Darwin looked down at us rather sadly – or was he just a bit bored by standing there for so long?

The Pitt Rivers museum is all about human social history and is a treasure trove of artefacts, all arranged by subject rather than date or the societies involved.  It all made for another fascinating hour or so.  The lighting is very subdued to protect the exhibits, and you can borrow torches and magnifying glasses if you want!  But the lighting doesn’t make for good photos.  Again, a selection.

Inuit anorak - water and windproof -  made of seal intestines

One of the boat display cabinets

Shrunken head

There was a panel telling you how the heads of enemies were shrunk as trophies – I always wondered how they shrunk the skulls!  Well, they didn’t – skull and brains were removed and skin was then preserved, shrunken and dried using hot pebbles, as boiling to clean it would cause the hair to drop out.  The dried skin was stuffed with stones and other materials to create the facial features. 

Imposing frontage of the Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums

We walked back to the boat by a different route, passing the Radcliffe Camera and Bodleian library.  We haven’t visited those yet, but that will be for the future.

Radcliffe Camera

We walked back to the footbridge and down to the Old Bookbinders in Jericho for a pint.  The outside tables were all occupied, so we sat inside where dogs are so welcome that ‘would she like a biscuit’ is almost the first thing they say.  We booked a table for tomorrow night.

6 miles, 4 locks, 4 lift bridges, all opened for us or already open.