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| On lock landing above Somerton Deep Lock |
It was hard to get off the lock landings - but I managed it!
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| Somerton Deep Lock |
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| Somerton Mill Bridge |
I thought I would give him some more practice - so went to work Allen's Lock - one of the easiest on the South Oxford, fingertip control of the paddles almost!
However the bridge below the lock is very narrow and meeting another narrowboat approaching can be tricky!
We arrived at Lower Heyford to find that Oxfordshire Narrowboats were in possession of the canal with 5 hire narrowboats abreast and no room to pass. Fortunately they were able to pull them in a bit, but it was still a very tight squeeze!
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| Aynho Wharf and Oxfordshire Narrowboats from bridge |
We were hoping to meet up with Dusty for diesel, coal and gas - he was no where to be seen! However he was reversing down the line of long term moorers beyond the bridge. We pulled into a just vacated VM - we did a "dance" with the narrowboat leaving it to get in. Very handy to wait for Dusty to return.
Once re fueled we went visiting, via a chat with some of the other boaters there. A cuppa aboard narrowboat Take Five was very welcome. Thanks Mike and Christine - happy cruising! We moved on a little further to moor just before Cleeves Bridge, right by the railway but with a lovely aspect!
The trains did not bother us much at night and we set off fairly early back to a very familiar place!
South Oxford Canal, Aynho to Lower Heyford
5 hours 39 minutes, 6.44 miles, 3 locks
It's a shame that, people often complain about the space normally 8-9 feet yet think nothing of going in a 7 foot lock.
ReplyDeleteAh! But even Millie M would have had to be a bendy narrowboat to get through the gap (not the one in the photo). They had tidied them up by then. Oxfordshire Narrowboats staff acknowledged that it was too narrow for us so they hauled them in.
ReplyDeleteAh, Maffi. Lock sides don't move.
ReplyDelete