Winter has arrived on t'cut

Monday, 15 November 2010 15:49

But in a warm narrowboat, who cares!

We woke to a frosty morn, ice on the windows and frost on the fields. How lovely it is to be out in the countryside and away from Banbury at last.

Frosty fields by Haynes Lift Bridge (170) and the bridge as we left - quietly, as we now have a "hospital" silencer on the exhaust and notice the difference.

The sun is very low in the sky at this time of the year and dazzled us for most of our cruise. But I am not grumbling as it was a beautiful morning and a great day to move. We only passed two other narrowboats on the move - the bliss of a quiet canal in winter!

The sun ahead as we set off - it was 10.30am ......

We have a smartly painted roof thanks to Tooley's, but you can't see much of it in the photo above - or the lovely blacked hull and gunnels. We also have a couple of "tweaks" internally, but I shall save the details for another day!

We only did two locks (beware not to scratch the new paint Fi!), not because we are out of practice but because we were making for around Nell Bridge. This is almost near enough to the Banbury golf course at Adderbury for John to walk there tomorrow for his golf round with our friend, John.

Twyford Bridge and Wharf were much quieter with most of the moored narrowboats gone. I tried to get a shot of the old lime kilns there but failed. However, the trees were lovely and this is one of the gipsy caravans there and a glorious beech tree.

We arrived at the moorings before Haddons Lift bridge (186), also now empty bar one narrowboat, in time for lunch. We have a TV signal (once John had replaced the broken satellite dish clamp with the suction mount) and a digital radio signal. With not too much noise from the M40, railway and road to Aynho, this'll do nicely!

South Oxford Canal, Haynes Lift Bridge to north of Haddons Lift Bridge

2 hours 19 minutes, 3.67 miles, 2 locks