Anything new on the way downstream to Sandford?

Sunday, 13 November 2011 19:33

Cruising downstream to Sandford Lock from Osney Lock on a sunny winter's day was a real pleasure. There are other narrowboats (even a hire boat) moving on the River Thames and later we saw more... and a cruiser. The rowers were out too. Walkers and fishermen were taking advantage of a spring-like day.

Narrowboat Anapai is a hire boat

So what else did I spot that I have not blogged about yet? .....

At Osney Lock the Lock Keeper was on duty and saw us through with a cheery "what wonderful weather" - as well as collecting our mooring fee. A passer-by remarked that this time last year we were having ice and snow. They also asked the usual questions, but in a different way! The lady said we obviously lived aboard as the boat was so shiny - ha! "What fuel do you use?". Did she mean for propulsion or for heating? I gave her the "lowdown". 

Edgar Wilson memorial beside Osney Railway Bridge

Finally I managed to get a shot of this - the obelisk which commemorates the bravery of Edgar Wilson, a 21 year old assistant at Luffs Chemist on Cornmarket. Seeing two boy fishermen in trouble in the river, he jumped in and saved them. A poor swimmer, he himself was then in difficulty and despite attempts to save him he drowned. When his body was found, it appeared that a fishing line had wrapped around his wrist pinning his arm to his trousers with the hook. What a sad story.

We took the right channel at Folly Bridge, following the old lock cut rather than using the old weir site, now a wide channel under Folly Bridge. 

Emerging from the old lock site

Christ Church reach below Folly Bridge only had a few rowers but we were amused by this method of study.

Have laptop, will lie down

We wondered where all the rowers were, as the Oxford University Boat Houses appeared deserted. We soon found them down river, all coming from Longbridges Boathouse and the City of Oxford Rowing Club below Donnington Bridge. 

Corpus Christi College Barge

What a place to watch the rowing from: the owners of the College Barge were having alfresco brunch whilst they watched.  This is just like it used to be, when the barge was moored at Christ Church Meadow along with the other college barges. They acted as club houses and viewing places: much more exciting than the current boat houses and more to my liking!

At Iffley Lock there were the usual gongoozlers feeding the ducks and geese - what a mess the birds leave. The "Mathematical Bridge" below the lock was built in 1923 when the lock area was reconstructed and a new lock built to the south. The old lock is now the weir and the boat slide and rollers are above the Mathematical Bridge. The bridge is supposedly a tribute to Queen's Bridge over the River Cam in Cambridge, designed by William Etheridge.

Mathematical Bridge

So we came to Sandford Lock - our chosen stopping place. Regular readers will know it is a favourite mooring for us. As there is very little "stream" on the Thames at the moment we did not turn to moor into it, so have a different view from our bows.  We can just see the lock and the pub.

Moored above Sandford Lock 

River Thames, Osney to Sandford
1 hour 17 minutes, 3.92 miles, 2 locks