We’d enjoyed a peaceful first night’s sleep tucked up in our comfy beds on board Cunningham, our 65ft narrowboat on hire from Drifters Waterways Holidays, Anglo Welsh base in Eynsham.
Up first was David, my husband who performed the daily engine checks which had been demonstrated to us during the previous afternoon’s handover. He then turned the engine on briefly so that there was plenty of hot water for all four of us to have showers by the time we’d got up.
I took on the role of galley maid and rustled up some tasty bacon sandwiches whilst the boys set the table. I was very impressed with the quality of the pots and pans provided and that there was even a large cafetière enabling us to start the day with a pot of fresh coffee.
It was just before 10.00 a.m. when we slipped out of our East Street moorings in Oxford and within five minutes we were entering Osney Lock, another of the Thames self-service button operated ones. After passing through several locks the previous day we were getting accustomed to the procedure and with Simon having joined us the night before, it was easier still.
It took us just 15 minutes to pass through the lock because we didn’t have to close the gates afterwards as there was another boat waiting to come through in the opposite direction.
Our journey then continued in a narrow channel to Folly Bridge. Here the river widens as the Cherwell joins the Thames. The view is the epitome of Oxford: dreaming spires, the Salters Steamer base and university boathouses along Christchurch Meadows.
After the next bend we passed many houseboats of varying sizes, some looking in need of repair. It was so interesting to view Oxford from the perspective of the water.
The Oxford University boathouses continued for quite a stretch, I didn’t have chance to count them all but each of them had their college name and coat of arms displayed above their doors.
This stretch of river was full of bird life; the blue flash of kingfishers along the banks; and the frequent but more sedate presence of herons, cormorants and geese.
A short distance further on we arrived at Iffley Lock which had the prettiest lockkeeper’s cottage we’d seen so far and as we entered the lock several people gathered round to watch. I’m not sure if they were hoping for a little drama but we got through without incident. There was another Anglo Welsh boat already in the lock coming the other way so we didn’t need to open the lock gates enabling us to pass through slightly faster.
A lock keeper was supposed to be on duty but as no-one was there, we operated the auto press button lock ourselves.
Just beyond the lock we secured the boat on bollards and took the opportunity of stretching our legs by strolling around the lock. An information board indicated that Iffley Lock was one of the first three locks to be built on the Thames way back in 1632. When the current lock was re-built it was opened by Lord Desborough and this was commemorated by a small stone arched bridge and landing stage to one side of the lock.
Back on the boat we were soon on our way again glimpsing some very desirable riverside properties with their large gardens sloping down to the water’s edge. I’ve no idea how much they would cost, but I think most of us would need to win the lottery to be able to afford one of those!
Dark clouds threatened and it rained for the next 20 minutes or so as our journey took us through open countryside for the next few miles. Sandford Lock then came into view which was labelled self-service but actually had a lock-keeper on duty. We spotted a gorgeous riverside pub there so made a note of it as a possible stopping point on our way back. Despite the lock being manned it still took us half an hour to pass through but it didn’t matter as we’d come to realise that boating is all about taking it easy and not rushing around.
At Abingdon we moored just above the lock to offload the rubbish and replenish our water supplies – a process which seemed to take forever as the flow from the tap was very slow.
We then moved a short distance downstream, securing the boat by hammering in metal pegs whilst we looked around the town. Abingdon is an attractive town and we combined our sightseeing stop with a chance to stock up on provisions in Waitrose. On the way back we noticed logs for sale so bought a bagful so we could light our onboard wood burning stove.
Abingdon is definitely worth a look around with it’s market square surrounded by a range of small shops and cafes. To one end stands the impressive County Hall, a splendid Baroque building erected in the late 17th century. It formerly housed a courtroom upstairs with a market taking place beneath its large arches.
Nowadays it’s home to the town’s museum. We didn’t have time for a look around though as we wanted to travel a little further downstream whilst it was still light.
Back on board, we untied the ropes and set off again. Shortly afterwards we turned into a narrow channel towards Culham Lock. Here we found a lock-keeper in attendance and as he had seen our boat approaching, had opened the lock gates in readiness so that we could go straight in. We were through the lock within eight minutes, our speediest of the trip so far.
It was then on to Clifton, our final lock of the day, arriving there at 5.25 p.m. and getting through 30 minutes later. It took so long because we couldn’t get the automatic buttons to work at this self-service lock but eventually we managed to get the temperamental gates to open allowing us to go through.
We moored slightly further on, close to an attractive red brick bridge complete with six arches. The bridge, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott c864 is said to resemble the medieval bridge at Abi south of Nantes in France. It actually took us quite a while to find a suitable mooring as there wasn’t one big enough to accommodate our boat so we ended up turning the boat around (not an easy task at 65ft long) and tying up further back against the bank using pegs for the second time of the day.
I wasn’t looking forward to getting off as there was a bit of a gap between the bank and the boat which we’d left on purpose as we didn’t want to get stuck in the reeds as the water levels were quite low. With a push from one son and a pull from the other I made it safely across and it was worth the effort as we spent the evening in the Barley Mow, a characterful pub complete with thatched roof.
It seemed quite busy for a Wednesday night but despite not ringing ahead we were shown to a nice big table in a cosy alcove. There was a good choice on the menu and my garlic mushrooms and steak and ale pie were just what I needed on a cool autumn evening.
As we followed the towpath back to the boat it was completely dark and we needed to use torches to find our way. After my problems getting off the boat, it seemed much easier getting back on, aided by a push off the bank from one son and a pull on board from the other.
After popping the heating on we lit the wood-burning stove with the kindling and logs we’d bought earlier. The fire soon got going and it felt lovely and cosy sitting around the warm glow of the stove with a glass of wine before bedtime. The end of a lovely day of boating on the Thames.
If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:
A day in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Odiham and the Basingstoke Canal
Love Travelling Blog 
Leave a comment