"Left at the junction"

As we have breakfast, some four narrowboats pass us in the direction of the Napton Flight (nine locks) which reopens at 9.30. With about eight boats ahead of us, it's nearer 11am when we start the flight.

We are surprised how quickly we're completing these locks, but there's a strong wind mainly behind us from the south and west, which briefly becomes almost gale-force, blowing all the autumnal leaves from a bankside tree over Pelangi. After several consecutive warm, sunny days we've just enjoyed on the Oxford, today some heavy, though thankfully brief, showers are making everything and everyone very wet; the crew of the boat ahead of us decide to moor up, but we carry on - we want to at least make Napton Junction before we moor up for the night.
Then, at the flight's very bottom lock... Surprise! - CRT Maintenance are in evidence, along with a very welcome lock-volunteer who helps us through and points to where the Elsan disposal point is!

Now it's just two miles to the junction of the narrow Oxford and the wide Grand Union canals. Jo reminds Chris in advance that "we're turning left there", as straight ahead lies Braunston on the Grand Union Canal to London; and just before Braunston the turning for the remaining northern section of the Oxford, towards Coventry.
At last, with the large Wigrams Turn Marina entrance on our right, the signpost to Warwick comes into view. Our hard-left turn here heralds the end of our navigating the Oxford - a challenging waterway, but one that took us beside the River Cherwell from the city of Oxford, through to Banbury and the wonderful countryside of North Oxfordshire. Anyone with a narrowboat would surely want to visit this canal!Read more