2025 Cruising begins Banbury to Birmingham

Sunday 22 June 2025 

We hadn't been put in the boat this year yet. We need to be in Birmingham in early July as we have booked ourselves into another BCNS Explorer Cruise. 

WIth Alex aboard we set off for  Cropredy. The weather was hot and we left in the late afternoon when it had cooled down a bit. We crossed over with Caroline (the saw lady) who was paddle boarding toward Banbury where she had her boat. The pound above Boughton Lock was very low and we had to navigate with great care past the curlew meadow. Te curhlew was not presenting him self today.  This pound has been a problem and later in the month it was closed for a couple of days becasue of low water. 

We arrived at Cropredy Mill 14 day moorings just about dinner time and settled in for the night. We had a salad meal and went to bed.                                                                                                           3.3/4 miles, 3 locks           3 hours

Monday 23 June 2025.

We were up early and The Best Mate opened her birthday cards.   We set off on or way coming up behind a workboat and hopper just after Cropredy Bridge. The workman were kind enought to let us through ahead of them. The trip to Claydon Locks was uneventful and the levels in the pounds were on the weir. However the levels in teh flight were not. Two pounds wer very low. At the middle lock we met a vlockie who set off to the top to let some water doen form the summit level. We achieved Fenny Compton Wharfe at about noon and settled on the first mooring by the pub. After taking on water we reversed back ont this mooring and waited for Supercrew to join us. It was an entertaining afternoon as we washed the boat and watched the boats interchanging at the water point and some attempting to turn. A couple made it! 

We went to the Wharfe Inn for dinner and were pleasantly surprised that this has improved considerably since we last ate there about two years ago.  It was so good that our son wrote a glowing review.

Suepercrew arrived at about 8.00 pm, settled into the boat quickly and  suggested that we use the remining hours of daylight to make up for the waiting time.

We cruised on until sunset and moored for the night just short of The Wedding Bridge. 

                                                                                                                                   8.3/4miles, 9 locks, 5.1/2 hours 

 

Tuesday 24 June 2025

We wer uo early and set off straight away to  navigate the summit level. We arrived at Marston Doles at about 8 am and found that we were not the first boat to go down. The day was heating up fast and hats and suncream were in order. There were no problems with the flight and we had a good road down. The pound between the two Marsotn Doles locks was low but otherwise everythig seemed in good order. We were through the flight by 1030 am and so dropped the small amount of rubbish we had and  continued on to turn at Wigrams onto the Warwick and Birmingham Canal (GUC). Passing through CAlcutt Locks we went on to Stockton Marfina, the hime of Kate Boats. Here we found they were closed! The manageress was very understanding of our need for a pump out and diverted one of her staff to attend to us. Well worth the £25.00. 

We crossed the canal to the Stockton visotor moorings and at lunch inder the shade of the trees. 

Then we navigated the Stockton flight and stopped for Ice Cream at The Two Boats. After a crew conference we decided to go on to work the locks to the bottom level at Radford Semele. 

The next locks were the Bascote Staircase. On arriving here we found that a hire boat had managed to ground between the two locks. "The top lock was full when we started" the shore crew pleaded.  Oh yeah! Lettting down a bit more water floated the boat and they rose up without a problem.  We then navigated the locks without a problem. At the botttom was another hire boat whose skipper was displeased that we had not let it come in to the bottom so that we changed over in the middle. I pointed out the instruction signs where CRT now forbid this practice.

The crew took the remaining locks in their stride and we moored at Radford Bottom Lock No 23 for an on board chicken curry and rice.    

A quick review of teh birdlife seen included the ubiquitous red kite, grey heron, reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting and grey wagtail. Ther is a notable dearth of swallows martins and swifts.        

                                                                                                                   18 miles, 31 locks,    13 bours 

 Wednesday 25th June 2025

We let go at about 6.00am and were soon at Cape Locks to take on WATER.  Having filled we then went on to Hatton Bottom lock. Bottom Lock Dave was not around. No one was around so we set off on our own. At the third lock two volunteer lock keepers appeared and we were assisted until we stopped at Middle Lock for lunch. It was a relaxed ascent and ALex had time to photograph a bush cricket on a lock gate. 

My friend who used to be a taxonomical entymologist  with the British Museum of Natural History comments, "Roesel's Bush-cricket - nice find"

 After lunch we were absolutely surrounded with volunteers. There must have been eight of them and we had more help than we needed. There was an intake of new volunteers training that day!  We deposited what little rubbish had accumulated sonce Napton and contiued on our way to moor at Tom o' the Woods for the nioght. We decided to stop here because we did not have time to finish the Lapworth flight that day. We were glad we did as the pub porovided very good food and we really enjoyed dinner with a bottle of Prosecco that they had on offer. 

                                                                                                                    12 miles, 24 locks       9 hours

Thursady 26th June 2025

An early start again to take the flight by storm. Almost imediately after leaving our overnight mooring I saw a kingfisher. It flew by, did a quick circle, and disappeared over the hedgferow. We like  Lapworth  flight but some of the twists and turns to get into locks are interesting. We did not have to make any complicated change overs with other boats. The top level was shallow and some boaters had difficulty staying afloat when passing moored craft, basically taking too wide a course was hazardous.  Not far past Hockley Heath Drawbridge one boat that grounded refused all offers of assistance. Why? We left him struggling. 

Apparently the environment and habitat is improved by the installation of reed beds. These allegedly provide shelter for birds and voles. Boating visibility certainly isn't high on CRT's agenda.  

We achieved our aim and moored opposite Gas Street Basin. We went to Miller and Carter for a lovely dinner. The staff served us well.

                                                                                                                    18.1/2 miles. 19 locks      9 hours

Friday 27th June 2025.

This morning we took on water at Cambrian Wharf and then moved to a 14 day mooring at Sheepcote Street Visitor Moorings turning at Icknield Loop junction.   The 14 day mooring outside the Roundhouse is prebooked for "historic boats" from March to September on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This was Firiday and it was empty. A complete waste of space.

                                                                                                                      1.1/2 miles,    0 locks,    1  hour 

Outward Bound- Living Life on the Veg

4 June 2018 Cropredy to get us started. No photos and nothing much to report about this leg of our outward journey for the Summer. This was an afternoon trip. We set off at about 4pm. The sun shone most of the way and we finished with a nice meal in the Brazenose Arms before heading back to Banbury for domestic duties.       4.1 miles 3 locks, 2.25 hours.

6 June 2018  This was getting serious. We  got up early and drove to Cropredy where we left the car. Then slipped the mooring at 0615 and cruised in beautiful dry conditions to Fenny Compton Wharf. Getting into Cropredy lock was almost impossible in a 57 ft boat. One needs to line up and drive through a very overgrown thorn tree on entry. We went to the Wharf Inn and passed some time with the bar staff over a refillable Americano with milk. The boating had been uneventful, except for a need to give way at the "tunnel" where the veg has really taken over but we needed to make some progress and fulfill some responsibilities in Banbury. So we phone our favorite car company for a ride to get back to Cropredy. "There in 5 minutes!" the dispatcher informed us. How could this be? We are at least 20minutes form Banbury. But lo and behold the car came an disgorged two ladies who had just come form Banbury A & E> One was all plastered up having broken her wrist. We switched in Water chaplain mode, listened to the tale of woe that has shortened their holiday and prayed for complete healing. Then we got int he taxi and heard another tale of woe about the rigors of fasting during Ramadan in Summer from the driver.                                         6miles; 9 locks; 3.75hours

7 June 2018  Now we went for it. Most of you know that cars and boats do not mix bit sometimes it is necessary  to put a car ahead so that one can get somewhere else. This morning we drove to Fenny Compton and we boarded Sonflower to find that  the water pump was running and the water tank was empty. No particular problem, there is a very handy water point (or two) outside the Wharf Inn. So we mived a couple of boat lengths forward and the Best Mate stepped off the bowdeck of the boat, slipped on slimy wet towpath from the leaky tap and seriously cut and bruised her left shin.

Fenny Compton shin

I moored and examined the damage with thoughts of us making the journey to Banbury A & E. "No, I am alright" she insisted and sent me off in the car to Long Itchington. You see it was Thursday and we had discovered that there is a bus from Long Itchington to Banbury via Fenny Compton on Thursdays. It leaves the Long Itch Diner at 0910.     I duly parked the car out of the way and waited for the bus.  It was a very interesting journey. everybody seemed to know everyone else on the bis and one old chap passed toffees round to everybody including the driver.   It was a real lesson in community! Almost back to the village and the Best Mate Called. The water tank was full and there was a 70 ft boat wanting to use the water point and the winding hole. "I've only got a 20 minute walk, don't stress." I said.  When I got back the boat had decided to move on to the marina and all was calm. The Best Mate had dressed her leg and we were ready to go to Napton.  We lunched at Marston Doles and mused about the loveliness of the top level of this really rurally managed canal. The irises were out, dog roses of pink and white were a glory; the bull rushes were wearing their fluffy covers and the wild flowers were a picture when you could see them past the waist high grass, nettles, cow parsley and thistles. The off side veg is expected to be a little overgrown but the tow paths and lock- sides have had no attention at all. Maybe CRT have made a lucrative deal for the hay.

After lunch we descended the flight.There was a volunteer at  Marston Doles Lock No 16 clearing ivy from a shed wall. He  donned his life saving necklace and operated the off side bottom gate fro which I was grateful as a boat was coming up. We worked down all the other licks with them set against us, following a slow hire boat with four elderly boaters. At lock 9 we were caught in a heavy rain shower and were drenched to the skin before we knew it. When the rain stopped as quickly as it started a volunteer came and did the same for lock 8 as the one at the top lock. After all there was another boat coming in!

We pulled over onto the long term moorings as I had a small job to do for a boater we are assisting that needed a stilson. Unfortunately, my stilson was too small and my inquiries from the CRT Volunteer, who had not yet left because his keyless ignition did not recognise his non-key and the AA were making alternative arrangements in consultation with the manufacturer, informed me that there are no tools of any use about these days.

So all we could do was change our clothes and go to The Folly Inn for the best steak dinner available on the canal.   

After Dinner we toodled along the canal a bit and moored  in the beautiful evening light a little short of Napton Junction                                                                                     11miles, 9 locks , 10 hours

8 June 2018 Not such an early start today. We knew our target so no real pressure. We left our mooring at 0715and dawdled to Calcutt Locks passed the moored boats alongside the reservoir. An early starting hire crew on the "Warwick Ring in a Week" ticket had already worked the licks so we started with "a good road".

                                                         

Sonflower at Calcutt Lock 2

.

Wild Flowers Stockton Flight

 It did not last long as all the boats going our way were docking at Stockton Top Marina for change-over day.

Starting Stockton Lock Flight

We descended Stockton locks on our own until we crossed with at lock 9.
No help after that either as we were following two pairs of working boats! The wild flowers
were really nice and we met dog walkers and other local boaters enjoying the tow-paths.  But we achieved our aim.                                                                              4 miles, 13 locks, 3.3/4 hours

09 June 2018  Back to Long Itchington in the early morning. With some bricks to try to rectify a slight list to port. Today we wanted to get to Warwick to be ready to attack Hatton Flight next week. The veg situation did not improve and we were forced to enter a thicket of willow scrub to pass an oncoming boat. "Worse after the next lock" we were informed by the helmsman. Not after the next ine but a couple further in we could not actually ascertain whether any boats were wanting to come in as the sighting of the canal is totally blocked.

Canal "view" from Fosse Middle lock

I saw what he meant.

The tow path had been mown though!

A mid-day lunch break at The Moorings one of our favorite canal-side lunch venues was in sight.  We both enjoyed the fare and the pale ale from Wye Valley brewery was a delight. The Best Mate calmed herself with a Bombay Sapphire and Fevertree Mediterranean tonic.

That's what boating is about.

We topped off the day with a good mooring at Cape Visitor moorings and seamless bus journey back to Long Itchington and the car. The only drawback was that the Best Mate had forgotten her bus pass. A small price to pay for the wonders of a few days on the canal.       9.5 miles, 13 locks, 6.25 hours

Back in Banbury we had another G & T, put together a "what's in the fridge" curry and retired early.