Oxford to Cambridge race above Claydon Locks

Monday 17 September 2012

 
The weather has continued to be good with only one heavy rain shower overnight. We have been down to Banbury where we met Simon,Debs and Andy on Sunday for lunch and a short trip down through the town lock to the winding hole to turn the boat and back to Banbury to drop them off. A very pleasant time indeed.
 
We left Banbury at 8am this morning and had a glorious days boating but the wind did pick up a bit in the afternoon. We travelled 7.5 miles and did 12 locks in 6 hours. A lot of boats around but mostly coming down the flight which made our life much easier.
 
Tonight we have moored above Claydon lock flight just before bridge 143. As I was reading in the cratch a rowing eight came past and then stopped by the bridge- you don't see these on the canal at all. They were going by canal and river from Oxford to Cambridge in a week. Although some parts of the canal are to narrow or winding so they break the boat down into sections and move it by road- in particular the top section of the South Oxford from Fenny Compton to Marston Doles.
 
 
The rowing 8 getting caught in the trees

Our mooring for tonight from bridge 143

The local moorhen kept coming on board to look around

and then left as he had come on board.
The ultimate mushroom

Our mooring by Castle Quay shopping centre in Banbury from the footbridge to the carpark.