Day68 Friday- I found the dot in the sky so thst Anne can watch the England game whilst I update the blog.
To date we have now done 329 miles, 248 locks, 48 swing/lift bridges , I have found 16 cappuccino places and 6 events.
The trip back up the Thames has taken 5 nights and the weather has been good to us again although there has been that chilly wind at times. The wildlife has again been excellent with buzzards, red kites, various unidentified raptors and kingfishers. We stopped in mid river to watch one fishing for about 5 minutes - it was brilliant.
Tomorrow we go the final 4 miles to Oxford and then go onto the Oxford canal to do the part through Oxford that we haven't done before. We have always bypassed it via Dukes Cut and the Thames. We really need to do it to tick it off the list. It will be slow with many moored boats and more lift bridges.
We are moored above Sandford lock which is the deepest above Teddington and 3MIAB
went past.
Radley College Rowing Club.
BB moored amongst the "tuppaware" at Abingdon in brilliant warm sunshine. A very friendly boat town.
Salters still operate ferry services along the river in their elegant boats. One of them approaching Abingdon bridge going downriver to Wallingford.
Coming into Abingdon .
We had been recommended to stop above Days lock by Mike and Dini. This is our mooring from which it was a 25 minute walk into Dorchester on Thames- which was well worth the effort it was lovely.
Dorchester Abbey built in 1140 which has a great tea room run by volunteers who serve the most lovely home made cakes- they made £16000 last year which went to local charities.
Rotton Row Dorchester.
A view towards Castle Hill from our mooring above Days Lock.
We moored below Goring lock which has a huge weir arrangement.
Whilst we were moored at Beale Park we took the opportunity to go round the bird sanctuary which was set up by Gilbert Beale who died in 1967 age 99. It is really worth a visit as there are some real surprises, I really like owls and their collection did not disappoint.
A spectacled owl- good name.
I cannot remember the breed but the face and look is just wonderfull.
There is also a great model ship collection of which this is but a small sample.
