TRIP REPORTS

AUTUMN CRUISING 2006

The Upper Thames to Birmingham

Part 1 — Long Wittenham to Eynsham

Click on a picture to see a bigger version with a caption

We take up the story a few days after the "National", on the MiddleThames, where we had laid over for a few days at The Plough Inn at Long Wittenham.

We set off at 11:20. My original plan was to go upstream a little way to a wider section and turn there, but the combination of wind & current made it easy to turn where we were. When we reached the main river, at first I missed the turn into Clifton lock cut, because it was so sharp I didn’t even see it. Both Clifton and Culham locks were ready for us to go straight in. Above Culham we saw the new Jubilee Junction that will one day be this end of a restored Wilts & Berks Canal. We arrived in Abingdon and moored by what we learnt is called Abbey Meadow Water Park |(we'd previously referred to it as the Rec Ground) at 13:10 , in time for a pub lunch at the Crown & Thistle.

I went back to London on Tuesday morning and came back the same evening, only to go back (to give a talk in Croydon) the following afternoon, after which I stayed in London for Thursday to work at the museum. Wendy chatted up somebody at the Vale of the White Horse district Council office and persuaded them to let us stay a couple of days beyond their 5-day limit. I came back on Friday morning.

On Saturday we were visited by my brother Derek & his wife Phyllis, plus two old family friends Bill & Di Bingham, (Bill had been a colleague of my father’s) and we all had a barbecue lunch. On Sunday I was in London again at the museum.

The start was delayed until 11:30 firstly because the 24-hour cash machine in the town was out of order and the Lloyds one wasn’t available until 09:00. After that, Wendy went to Waitrose for a few goodies. We weren’t sure whether or not Tilly was on board, so did a wash which drove her into view from her cave. There was quite a queue for Abingdon lock, partly because Salter’s passenger boat Goring was in front of us. Then there was another queue for the water point above the lock, but the boat moored inboard of us sportingly let us go ahead of them. Below Sandford lock, Wendy thought she’d picked up some grot on the blade, but when we stopped above the lock, the blade was clean.

Passing through Osney lock, I asked the lock-keeper whether the Waterman’s Arms was still a good pub and was resoundingly informed by not only the lock-keeper but several assembled gongoozlers that it was still a very good pub (although it doesn’t do food on Monday evenings). When we arrived at 16:18, the moorings by the Waterman’s Arms appeared to be full. From the tiller, I called out to Wendy “Look out for anyone we know that we can breast up with". Just as I said it, we both spotted our friends Eric & Sally’s Chérie, which solved that problem. Eric was in the pub garden with other friends of ours, Aileen & Shady (whose boat was moored a few places further along), but Sally was on board and swiftly offered us some refreshment, which we gladly accepted. Wendy ran the engine for the sake of drying this morning washing, and I caught up with several days of the log while the generator was on. Later I visited the pub for a few excellent pints of Morland’s.

Another delayed start (09:58) because of being unsure of Tilly’s whereabouts. We were on our own at the first two locks, then caught up with Aileen & Shady on The Sharp End, who had left Osney a bit before us. The day was grey for quite a lot of the time, but by no means the cold, wet day that had been forecast. The lock gardens were still very pretty. We reached Northmoor lock during the lock-keeper’s lunch break, so Aileen & I worked the lock.

We reached Tadpole bridge at 16:24. The moorings at The Trout were unoccupied, and just long enough for our two boats to moor without breasting, which was fortunate for the cats as our Tilly and Aileen's Oscar were far too ready for a staring match. Just after we tied up we saw what we managed to identify as a baby grass snake swimming in the river. We had drinks on the boat with Aileen & Shady then all went to the pub for an excellent but expensive dinner.

By the time we were ready to move off, Tilly was out & didn't return, so we abandoned our plan to head for Lechlade. We desperately needed a pump-out & decided on an out-and-back run to the top of Rushey lock where there was one. We set off at 13:28 and were back by 14:45, having had the pump-out and also emptied the stand-by Porta-Potti. Then I headed back to London via a taxi to Oxford station.

The cats brought back many hunting trophies to the boat. Wendy lunched at the pub each day (very good) and explored the local villages. Buckland doesn't have a shop, but Bampton has. On Friday the level came up and flooded the landing-path. She saw Aileen & Shady travelling back downstream. Other friends Eric & Sally in Chérie moored with us overnight on Friday, as did Aquila whose dogs played with Chérie's Alfie. On Saturday Eric & Sally headed off to Kelmscot. The water returned to its normal level.

I came back on Monday and we had dinner at the pub. On the way back (having forgotten to bring a torch and with the grass wet with dew), Wendy had a fall and injured her arm. On Tuesday she got a taxi to Witney hospital, where they thought two fingers might be broken, and there was a lot of soft-tissue damage to the arm. They made an appointment for her at the John Radcliffe for Friday afternoon.

Eric & Sally came back and moored up, and they & I had lunch in the pub. After discussing various other possibilities, they offered to help us to Eynsham (on the basis that its easier for 3½ people to move two boats than for 1½ to move one). We set off with them at 15:45 and at 19:15 we tied up about 10 minutes' walk above the Swinford Toll Bridge, where the moorings are free of charge. I walked up to the Talbot to find out about buses and/or taxis and discovered a very good bus service to Oxford. We all had dinner on board Chérie.

I left the boat at about 07:20 to get a bus to Oxford to go to the Museum. I planned recruiting an extra crew member for my return. Wendy walked up into Eynsham village where she found some quite reasonable shopping but no greengrocer. Eric & Sally went for a 6-mile walk. Alfie (their dog) was exhausted. At 16:00 Eric & Sally moved the two boats, breasted up, to a better mooring the other side of the bridge, a good mooring, officially a 24-hour one, within reach of the water point above Eynsham lock. The lock-keeper agreed to Wendy staying over.