Claydon

With the spring and summer climate being what it was this year in southern England, many navigable waterways saw their water-levels decline and decline. This required some to introduce urgent remedial measures as the 'official' drought year wore on.

Two places that we know of on the Oxford Canal have had time restrictions placed on their navigation. The one we've been moored before, overnight, is the Claydon Flight of five locks, which will reopen at 9.30am. We're not sure how this might help reduce pressure on water supplies to the upper pounds, unless it somehow deters people from coming out in their boats?
We are soon on our way up the flight and find, at the third lock, a helpful and pleasant CRT volunteer manning the lock. He has his own stone-built lock-keeper's shelter and is keeping a count of boats both ascending - as we are - and descending. He provides useful tips to Chris on how the professional boaters used to position their narrowboat in the lock to minimise sudden movement as the pressure of water is let in through the sluices. We like learning about this industrial history; and it's practical application for people who've been getting it all wrong!

The top lock of Claydon marks the start, for us, of the Oxford's ten miles long top pound, which is proving to be slow progress due to its shallow depth. The only time we've experienced navigating shallower water was on bits of the Shroppie (Shropshire Canal) and the Llangollen Canal in 2017.
After a few miles into the top pound and we come to Fenny Compton Wharf which, along with a shop, post office and cafe, has a chandlery, which we've been on the lookout for. Tooley's in Banbury had run out of chimney cowls - we lost ours overboard from an overhanging tree on the lower Oxford - but this chandlery has just what we're after.
We continue now on the contour-hugging snakey trail of the top pound which, if the crow flew it, would be three miles, but which for us is triple the distance! With our eyes closed we could tell we're at the exposed top of the canal, it's so windy up here. There is a very extensive area of earth-moving and great mountains of soil piled each side of the canal for a couple of miles, but we've no idea or clues as to what's it's all for. Soon though we're approaching the second of the canal's timed restrictions - the Napton Flight of nine locks. We must Moor here overnight behind at least six other boats that arrived ahead of us. The 'big descent' awaits; it's all of 50 feet!Läs mer