A calm evening but a noisy awakening in Oxford

Monday, 31 October 2011 21:12

We enjoyed watching the rowers on the River Thames at Christ Church Meadow

This was the evening activity

However in the morning it was not so enjoyable .....

7.10 was the time - but we stayed under the covers for a bit trying to forget the shouts from the bank and the rocking of the boat. When we looked out the river was populated by rowers as far as the eye could see!

View from porthole

How keen they are - wait until it gets below freezing, we have a spell of rain or they just get fed up with getting up so early! 

Rowers as far as the eye could see

By 8am only the die-hard experienced rowers were to be seen. We set off up river at about 9.30 and not a rowing boat to be seen, only the moored Salters Pleasure boats at Folly Island. On the left is the old lock cut - now a navigable cut through. 

Salters at Folly Island

We chose to go right of Folly Island towards Folly Bridge - all was very quiet except the traffic over the bridge. This section was once the weir pool for the lock - it does feel rather like a basin with a bridge over it. At this hour no one is at the Head of River pub so we were deprived of gongoozlers!

Folly Bridge (various other names for this bridge are Grand Pont, South Bridge, Friars Bridge or Hinksey Bridge)

There is so much interesting history packed into this little area it would take all day to write about it. If you are interested follow the above link and this one to Bacon's Folly which is on Folly Island above the bridge.

Turning the sharp corner right from Folly Bridge (i.e. from what was once the weir!) we entered the cut that leads to Osney.

The Old Oxford Navigation leaves above the footbridge, now known as Castle Mill weir stream. It is navigable for punts and canoes but does not really go anywhere now, but used to go to Medley Bridge (another old site of a lock and weir). The cut we travelled was apparently dug out by the Monks of Osney. The two waterways make St Georges and Osney Islands, but it is hard to see them, let alone imagine what it must have been like back then.

The trees were splendid in their autumn colours, I will let the photos of this section speak for themselves.

Near Osney Rail Bridges

Entrance to Osney Marina

Lock ahoy!

Although Osney Lock said "self service", the relief Lock Keeper was around so locked us through. He was not expecting to be busy with boats so was doing other jobs around the lock.

In Osney Lock

Above the lock the moorings were free, apart from one narrowboat - a local one that we saw on our way downstream. He had been with us at Christ Church overnight!

Osney moorings (first night free, then £5/night)

We moored near Osney Bridge - John was to meet our passenger from the train before we set off again to Godstow. Once Tim was aboard we had this low bridge to get through.

Osney Bridge

What would need to come off the roof? ......

River Thames, Christ Church Meadow to Osney moorings
0 hours 37 minutes, 1.23 miles, 1 lock