Previous Year : 1997 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 1999

1998 - The South Oxford Canal.

Crew : John & Chris, Ernie & Jennifer, Pete, Dave, Colin, Stan.

Boat : Faversham

From : Clifton Cruisers , Clifton-on-Dunsmore, Rugby.

Route : Rugby > Braunston > Fenny Compton > Cropredy > Aynho Wharf > Thrupp > Oxford [via Duke's Cut and The Isis] > Upper Heyford > Banbury > Napton > Newbold on Avon > Rugby.

Coverage : 85 Locks and 128 Miles.

Notes : This boat broke down shortly after leaving the boatyard due to an oil leak. We left The Oxford Canal at Duke's Cut Lock and went onto The Thames (or 'The Isis' as it's known around there..) only to get wedged across the river just below Isis Lock.

Saturday 16th May

Afternoon : No one can remember whether we met up in a pub. We left the boatyard mid afternoon, but within a short time the engine had begun to make black smoke and had started to labour. The smoke and the labouring became steadily worse, so we decided to stop and check the weed hatch but found nothing on the prop. Something around the prop would be the most common cause for the engine smoking and labouring. When we decided to continue, we found that the engine would not re-start so we called the boatyard. It transpired that there had been an oil leak, and there was no oil in the engine, hence the labouring and smoke. It had in fact been close to seizure. Narrowboatrepairman duly found the leak, fixed it, refilled the engine with oil and we were off again.

Evening : Braunston. We had arranged to meet up with Stan in The Old Plough in Braunston. Because of the breakdown, we arrived late - in fact we arrived too late to get any food. We also found that Stan himself had not yet arrived either. Stan finally arrived just after last orders and Dave actually gave his beer to Stan who otherwise would not have had any. What a hero !

Sunday 17th May

Lunch : Fenny Compton. We stopped at The Wharf Inn, where we met up with old friends John & Andrea Barlass. The pub was hosting some sort of bikers meet at the time. Andrea agreed to take the car on to Cropredy, while John remained with us on the boat.

Evening : Cropredy. We met up with Andrea again, and we then went to The Red Lion for a meal and some beer. Andrea & John then left us.

Monday 18th May

Lunch : Aynho Wharf. We did not stop at Banbury on the way south. Instead, we passed straight through Banbury and stopped at Aynho Wharf, and went to The Great Western Arms by Aynho Bridge.

Evening : Thrupp. Luckily, we managed to find a space and tie up right outside The Boat Inn at Thrupp. Unfortunately, there were only two helpings of pie left so Stan selflessly changed his order with the immortal words " ..I bet it won't be a proper pie anyway.. " - well it was a proper pie - and probably the best proper pub pie that John & Chris said that they [..but not Stan..] had ever had.

We moored outside The Boat Inn at Thrupp.

Tuesday 19th May

Morning : We left Thrupp and headed for Oxford, but we decided to take The Thames [Isis] route. We left The Oxford Canal via Duke's Cut and went on to The Isis. At the first lock [King's Lock] we had to buy our Thames Licence before we were allowed to proceed any further. With licence displayed, and £25 the poorer we continued down The Isis toward Isis lock and Oxford.

Faversham moored at King's Lock on The Isis (aka The Thames) while Pete & Stan went to buy a Thames Licence.

Lunch : Oxford - eventually. The turn into Isis lock to get back onto The Oxford Canal was both very sharp and easily missed, although it has been improved now. Unfortunately, Stan missed it and only then realised just how very sharp it was. Having missed it, in trying to get round he succeeded in wedging the boat across the river. No amount of power in forward or reverse would move the boat. We were thoroughly stuck, and we only managed to free the boat with the aid of some other local boaters, some spades for digging the bow out, and a lot of straining on ropes and nettled legs. Having spent most of our lunchtime trying to free the boat, we eventually tied up in Oxford. We ended up near the old Morris-Oxford car factory, as there weren't any vacant moorings anywhere nearer to the city centre. The group then split up. Dave, Jenny, Chris, Colin & Ernie went on a walking tour of Oxford while Pete, John & Stan went on a walking tour of The Bookbinders Arms.

Evening : Oxford. We all [except Stan] met up later and went for a meal. This was the Thai restaurant with another unspeakably hot sauce - only because you couldn't speak after trying it.. Despite being warned, we did all try it, and all regretted it.

Wednesday 20th May

Lunch : Upper or Lower Heyford ? There was some patchy fog leaving Oxford. Pete was driving, and admitted to being rather disorientated passing the junction with Duke's cut. At the junction, the canal had opened out a bit just as he ran into a fog bank.. for some time - probably only a few seconds but he said it felt much longer - he was unable to see either the front of the boat or either side of the canal. No one can recall where we stopped at lunchtime, or even if we stopped at all.

Somerton Deep Lock.

It must be warm as even Stan has taken his sweatshirt off...

..now Ernie has no shirt on..

... now they're all at it !

Evening : Banbury. John was desperate for a pint by the time we got to Banbury - perhaps implying that we might not have stopped anywhere at lunchtime. Pete, John & Stan went straight to The Reindeer for a snifter of Hook Norton Old Hooky, which is served straight from the cask in jugs. Meanwhile, everyone else went straight to the curry-house next door. A snifter or three later, Pete, John & Stan rejoined the group in the curry-house. We had a curry along with several bottles of Kingfisher, then returned to The Reindeer where there was now a quiz on. For some inexplicable reason, possibly related to the intake of Old Hooky & Kingfisher, John & Stan finished up standing at the bar dancing & miming to the music, while the rest of us tried our best to ignore them..

Thursday 21st May

Lunch : No one can remember. Could it have been Cropredy again ?

Napton Locks.

Evening : Napton on the Hill. We went to The Folly Inn at Napton. In the past it had had a good reputation for it's pies, but sadly they turned out to be somewhat disappointing on this visit.

Friday 22nd May

Lunch : No one can remember - however, as we went to Newbold in the evening, we would probably have had to go to either Brinklow or Stretton to in order to wind.

Evening : Newbold-on-Avon. We arrived early-ish and had a few pints in both The Boat and The Barley Mow. Pete & Stan went off to explore the old line of the canal and the now disused and bricked-up Newbold Tunnel. Pete thrust his camera into one of the ventilation holes in the tunnel and took a snap, not really expecting very much, but got a superb picture of the inside of the tunnel. We then walked toward the town and went to The Newbold Crown which did remarkably nice meals - unexpectedly good for the type of pub. Pete had chilli peppers stuffed with cheese for a starter.. and very nice they were too, as was the Banks's Mild.

The bricked-up portal of Newbold Tunnel.

When the canal was re-aligned, this old tunnel was abandoned.

The inside of Newbold Tunnel.

Pete put his camera on through one of the ventilation pipes and took a snap. He was not expecting very much but got this rather good photo !

Saturday 23rd May

Morning : We made the short run back to the boatyard, unloaded the boat and went home for another year.

Previous Year : 1997 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 1999