We have done a long day today — possibly the longest day ever on this boat, but we are now back on schedule. All the locks on this stretch are on drought restrictions, so we at least wanted to make sure we were at the first one, Culham Lock, by opening time at 9.30. So we left our mooring at 8.45, and immediately went under Abingdon Bridge.
We didn’t spot any sign of the fallen tree at Culham Lock Cut, except for the work boat being moored there, with what looked like a fairly modest amount of branches in it.
We’d arrived at 9.20 and there was already a boat going down. But the lock keeper said she’d just sort a few things out and then she’d put us through. We were joined by a narrowboat whose steerer said he’d just lost power (probably his Morse control cable going), and who it then transpired had no Thames licence and didn’t intend to buy one. A cruiser also came down with us. Once down the lock we met a boat coming through the bridge, and then out on the main river passed a bit Dutch Barge. A little further on, the cruiser from the lock overtook us.
At Clifton Lock, the cruiser hadn’t bothered to wait for us and was going down the lock which was on self service. But there was a boat to come up, so Adrian pressed the buttons for them and then we went down. This is the lock with the enthusiastic gardener, and there’s a parade of wheelbarrows at the lock entrance.
Clifton Hampden Bridge is still having work done.
The lock keepers at Day’s Lock asked us to wait a few minutes, so Macc went out for a wee. Then the unlicensed boat turned up, which the lockies had already had a text about. He’s apparently told the lockies keeper at Culham that he’d sort it out at the next lock, once his power problem had been sorted out. The wind was very strong at times, and he got blown away from the lock landing and onto the far bank. When the lock was ready, we went in but he still seemed a bit stuck, so the lockies just closed the gates and worked us down. He did appear to make it over to the lock landing, but whether he bought a licence or not, we don’t know. Below the lock, Macc came out for a look.
On the big bend a Shillingford, it’s compulsory to take a photo of Shillingford Court. But I think I prefer the house next door, an S-shaped grey number.
At Benson, there was a lot of activity at the Le Boat hire base. Last time we passed they had no boats in at all, but today there were eleven, with several of them being handed over to holidaymakers.
We arrived at Benson Lock where the lock keeper said there was a painting raft in the lock, getting weeds out of the lock wall. She said she’d bring him up slowly, then we could go in one side and the raft would stay the other. In the event, a Le Boat turned up so the raft came out to fit us both in. For some reason, Macc got very upset by something as we waited and barked and barked, which is unusual for him. He carried on all through the locking and out the other side. We were now on the longest reach between locks on the Thames. Below the lock there’s a garden with a pill box in it, that’s been skilfully painted.
It was gone 1pm, so we decided we’d stop in Wallingford to have lunch and to give Macc a walk, to calm him down a bit. There was no space on the low side, so we ended up on the high wall again, which is a bit of the pain. Macc actually had two walks, one either side of his lunch, and seemed to be back to his usual self. We set off again just before 2; part from having to do the Brentford to Teddington transit in the afternoon, I can’t think of another time when weave set off again after lunch. This time, Wallingford Bridge was the first landmark.
At Moulsford, the Beetle and Wedge was doing a roaring bank holiday trade, with a live singer in the garden. It was loud from the river, so surely too loud to have lunch to.
We’d had jackets on and off all day so far, as in between the sunny spells it had either tried to rain, or had actually rained. But now the sun really came out and the temperature shot up. Just before Cleeve Lock there’s a modern shiny boat house.
We arrived at Cleeve Lock spot on 3pm, so went straight down. The reach between Cleeve and Goring Locks in the shortest on the river, and as we approached Goring Lock the gates opened, a boat came out, we went in, and the other boat turned around and came back down again. As we left the lock there was quite an audience on the bridge.
The moorings looked busy, but with space at the far end on the high wall. But it turned out there was a bit of space on the lower walled section, so in order to have the bow against that we went past and turned around. The wall also kinks in here so the stern is a couple of feet out, and the boat ahead is a huge purple Dutch barge called The Lady Crumpton, which makes us look very small.
It was 3.45 when we were all tied up, so a long day by our usual standards. On the way up, we did the same distance over two days. But as I say, we’re now back where we should be to get to Teddington on time.
18 miles, 6 locks, free mooring. (27 miles, 11 locks)
Sorry to hear Macc was upset by something. Does Macc still worry when one of you gets off to work a lock or does he realise you will come back now?
Hi Paul, we think it might have been the squeaking lock gates that upset him. There might even be frequencies that he can hear that we can’t. He’s not as bad when one of us gets off the boat, but he really prefers to have a sleep while we’re travelling!