Visitors stop us canalside through Kings Sutton..

Williamscot to Chisnell Lift Bridge (193), Oxford Canal, 11 miles 8 locks

It was lunchtime before we moved out of Banbury, although we had arrived on Sunday night from Williamscot as there were quite a few bits and bobs to do in the nursery rhyme town.

But Saturday saw the first day in ages that I ventured out on a longish walk across the countryside with Lucy. 

I thought she would be ready as she had done a day on the towpath of over 8 miles a few days ago. But it is the stiles that can be a bother if she can’t get ‘through’ them.  I need not have worried, she pinged over the top of most, there were a couple of very high ones which I gave her a helping hand over.. blimey I could have done with a helping hand over them as well!!

There was a lovely box of apples in the village of Williamscot as I was passing with a big sign “Help yourself!”  Yum, there were all sorts of apples, lovely eaters and cookers, so it was apple crumble for tea on Saturday night!

So this morning after collecting post from the Post Office, a call into Morrisons by the wood yard.  They had some meat and potato pies thank goodness, and they went down well for tea tonight.  Paul Balmer phoned, he had been over to Fenny Compton to see how his new narrowboat is looking a couple of weeks into the fit-out there.. and he and his wife Christine met us on the towpath near Kings Sutton Bridge.. we pulled over for a cuppa and a chat!

The River Cherwell was now running close beside us just the other side of the towpath, and it was at normal levels for this time of year, although last week it did flood after all that heavy rain, and here is the effect of that…

This huge area is covered in water and frequented by swans and seagulls.. glad we weren’t here last week, we would never have got under Nell Bridge.  Between Nell Bridge and Aynho Lock the river runs across the canal, and if it is high then the headroom under Nell Bridge can become very low!!.. But not low today as Moore2Life exits the lock and under the bridge..

It was most amazing at this lock.. over that bridge is a very busy main road, and the towpath changes sides, so after working the lock the crew then have to go up to the road and careful cross it over the bridge and down the other side to meet the emerging boat.  Well Lucy must have remembered it, because no sooner had I arrived in the lock than she jumped on board and laid down in her normal position without even being told to get on the boat!!

This evening we have stopped just the other side of the first lift bridge that we need to lift, Chisnell Lift Bridge, the others have all in in the open position...  in fact it was here on our way to the fens early in the year that Lucy saved the day when No Problem got stuck on the far side of the canal from the towpath.. click here to take a look.. There is no wind here tonight..