The journey has been planned, 114 miles, 6 furlongs and 77 locks, there are 28 bridges, 4 small aqueducts, 2 tunnels and a partridge in a pear tree, and here it is.
We are leaving Crick on Friday early evening, through Crick tunnel and towards the Watford Staircase.
Then on to Norton Junction, there we join the Grand Union Canal, Main Line, on towards Braunston.
From Braunston we go on towards Flecknoe and then on to the Oxford section of the Grand Union Canal where we bear left on to the Oxford Canal Southern Section - Main Line through Napton Locks, Marston Doles Locks and on to Fenny Compton.
Next we get to Cropredy then Little Bourton and then to Banbury, on to The Pig Place and after that we cross the River Cherwell.
On to Somerton deep lock, Heyford village after which we may look for Jane's Enchanted Tea Garden, then to Thrupp and Annie's Tea Gardens, we will not stop at any of the tea gardens but it's nice to look out for them.
Then Kidlington lock an Wolvercote Junction where we travel along Dukes Cut on to the Thames and Isis Lock, Oxford City Centre is about half a mile from Folly Bridge.
Next is Abingdon , Culham, Clifton, Shillingford, Benson, Wallingford, Goring, Beale Park where our boat was first shown on Beale Lake at the yearly boat show.
From there it's Whitchurch, Mapledurham, Purley, Tilehurst, Caversham, Pipers Island, Fry's Island and then past Heron Island where we turn on to the River Kennet and through Reading town centre, there are traffic lights on the river through the Oracle.
On to the final stretch, Southcote, Burghfield, Theale, Sulhampstead, Ufton, Padworth and finally Aldermaston.
11 comments:
Sounds challenging and wonderful all rolled into one. Have you moved aboard full time now, renting your house out in case you need it in the future?
Wow, that's some journey.
Joan (Wales)
I thought living on a canal boat life slowed ?!
It will take us about ten days to do the trip, we will move aboard fully a couple of weeks after we get her home.
We have a tenant lined up so we need to empty the house on our return.
Do you have a fee to pay for each stop? Hope the weather is kind for you.
It is free to moor on the canal, last Easter on the canal we had sleet.
Sounds wonderful,life at 4mph. something we would have loved to have done. They say it takes 3 years to see the whole network, perhaps more now bits are being re opened.
We did the South Oxford in a very dry year and the water was so low it caused big problems. Enjoy
And once at Aldermaston, will you march? Sorry, couldn't resist that! I suppose there are people younger than myself, though, who don't know about the Aldermaston marches!
Reading all that, Hester, is sounds like some kind of magical game, especially the Tea Gardens. Surely a board (not 'bored'!) game could be made out of journeying on the waterways of the UK? How to get from A to B etc, either the fastest way (few locks) or the shortest way (several locks)? But how exciting for you, I hope you have lovely weather. And all at 4 mph! Wonderful!
Margaret P
I live opposite the canal in Banbury, I will give you a wave, does your boat have a name?
WOW! That is some journey. Good luck to you both - I hope it is uneventful and even a bit restful - you both deserve it. Have fun!
Good lord...you'll have muscles like Hercules with all those locks! x
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