Let's go and see what the EA are up to

Wednesday, 09 November 2011 19:03

To see what the Environment Agency were up to at Shifford Lock meant a cruise upstream today.

I love it up here, despite the march of pylons - it is so isolated in boating terms ......

By which I mean that, in contrast to land journeys, all the villages are away from the river. The roads are all "B" roads or farm tracks that lead from village to village and farm to farm. Leaving Shrike Meadow and Farmoor Reservoir behind, the first intimation of habitation is Bablock Hythe. Not a village in the true sense of the word but the land equivalent of a marina.

Bablock Hythe

Every caravan/mobile home was shut up for the winter but they were taking boats out of the water to store on the land.

Thats the way to do it - car pushes boat, much easier to control!

Soon we were at Northmoor Lock which was on self service. John operated the lock and we were soon through. 

Northmoor lock from upstream

The next landmark is Hart's Footbridge, the old site of a weir. The weir was removed in 1880, a year after the bridge was built.

Hart's Footbridge

Passing and noting some rough mooring spots, we came to Newbridge. This historic C13th bridge, a scheduled ancient monument and one of the oldest on the River Thames, has a pub at each end and carries the A415.

The Rose Revived downstream

The Maybush upstream

There have been proposals to build a new bridge upstream as the existing bridge has a weight limit and is particularly weak over one of its 12 arches. The nearby villagers of Standlake oppose the Oxfordshire County Council proposals.  

Above Newbridge, the Thames first flows in a fairly straight westerly direction, but soon we were into a series of tight bends towards Shifford as the river gradually narrows. Shifford Church sits in the middle of a field, well away from the hamlet of the same name.

Shifford Church

River narrows

So we came to Shifford Lock - we could go no further as the EA have taken away the port side bottom lock gate for repair. One of the beams had started to rot and insects had continued the destruction. 

Shifford Lock - no entry

We just had to go and have a look - so we moored on the lock landing and wandered up 

Epiphany on the lock landing, taken from the lock

This lock has a number of interesting features in addition to what is going on at the moment, so to do it justice I shall give it a blog all of its own ........

River Thames, Shrike Meadow to Shifford Lock
2 hours 12 minutes, 7.51 miles, 1 lock