Early start, and HS2

Saturday 6^th July; Napton flight to below Claydon locks

Well, so much for planning.  The general idea was to start early to beat the heat and get a head start on the boats below the flight.  Ha! Not only was it cool and cloudy, sometimes wet, all day, but by the time we cast off at 7.30 the third boat was just passing!  As we left the mooring we could see another crew arriving at the lock below.  But with so many boats on the way up, we could all help each other.  The boats in front and behind had both started at about 6 am from the bottom so our ‘early’ 7.30 seems rather wimpish now!

The water buffalo were a bit further up the flight, though not in the mood to pose for a photo.  Apparently last year they got into the canal and the farmer had the devil of a job to get them back on land.

At the top lock we met the first of the boats coming down.  Connaught Classic racing cars, on the nasty bend above the lock, had a new addition to their collection.  Surely this never raced?

Racing Bubble Car?

Further along, the boat moored in the field is getting gradually hidden from the canal.  They have a few sheep but they are not making much impression on this field!

A little further on is a peaceful camp-site – complete with what looks suspiciously like a hot-tub.

And then, in the quietest, most remote stretch of the South Oxford, we came across scenes of destruction.  HS2 is due to sweep through the area and the first swathes of countryside are being obliterated.

 

It is only going to get worse.  Footpaths have been closed

and although the diggers haven’t got this far along yet, the land is not being cultivated this year.  Temporarily good for wildlife, I suppose.

I hope the embankments and cuttings will all have meadows sown or trees planted.  

Having had such an early start, we decided to press on to Fenny for lunch, and moored at the Wharf – next to ….

How dare they pinch our name?  Actually we think it is older than our Chuffed.  It certainly less pretty.  We saw them once on the K and A years ago. 

It was still only midday, so I went up to the Co-op in the village – a bit of a route march now, as we passed our folding bike on to someone else, as it got in the way and was very heavy to manoeuvre from the well deck.  It will suit a Calcutt marina-dweller very well though, as they won’t have to keep it folded up on their boat.  It started drizzling as I returned, then it rained quite steadily for an hour so we waited before setting off again.  I wanted to call into the chandlery so walked on while Dave got going.  There are a few residential moorings further along with a nice line in plant pots.

In the chandlery I bought an early birthday present for Dave – a 4-hole windlass with a whizzy handle, like mine, and a new cladding pin to replace the one that unaccountably got mislaid on our last trip.  I think some vegetation clearance has finally happened on the ex-tunnel.

We were soon at Claydon locks, unfortunately behind other boats, though we were able to start down soon enough.  The new toy was tested satisfactorily.

With a crew of two on the boat behind, who closed up for us, enabling me to go on and help the boat in front, we were soon down the flight.  There was nobody coming up till we left the last lock, where we found Duke and Duchess hotel boats waiting.

They left Banbury yesterday and expect to make Stratford in 8 days!  Hard work when you are towing a butty, though their guests apparently enjoyed helping - though not when it's raining, as it was when we passed.  The intermittent drizzle had started again and continued as we moored on the long stretch below the locks.  It’s very quiet but rather gloomy under the trees when it’s so cloudy and dull.

12½ miles, 10 locks.