Big news: there was rain overnight. It actually sounded quite heavy on the roof, but when I checked the government rainfall website, I found there’s a gauge at St John’s Lock and it had recorded just 0.45mm — so that won’t have done much to ease the drought. This morning was pretty grey and a bit windy, but still quite warm. At about 9 we pushed off the bow, let what flow there was take it round, and soon we were heading down to St John’s Lock. The keeper there was the relief guy we’d seen at Pinkhill Lock the other day, and he said he’d listened to a few episodes of the podcast and liked them. He grew up around Towcester, so the very first one about Stoke Bruerne struck a chord. We were soon down the lock and going round the bends to get to Buscot Lock.
When we got to Buscot the sign said self service, so Adrian went to fill the lock (it being bang on 10am). Then a lock keeper appeared, and immediately accused us of refusing to pay for our mooring there the other night. Adrian said that wasn’t true and explained that firstly the lockie on that day had said there was no charge because of the restrictions, and secondly that the lockie keeper at St John’s had been unable to take card payments anyway. While not aggressive, the lock keeper was very confrontational and kept repeating that we’d refused to pay. He reckoned management had changed their minds about the free moorings — which is all well and good but there are ways of communicating that, and accusing people of refusing to pay is not the way. It transpired he was unable to take payments either, so we said we’d sort it out at the next lock. The lock keeper then refused to work the lock saying that as we’d arrived on self service it was staying that way, and stalked off. Below Buscot we went under the footbridge which had a neat little boat club alongside.
Just beyond Kelmscott there are two great big tree branches in the water. The other day we had to slalom through them, but today there was at least a gap in the middle.
At Eaton Hastings, there’s a very nice house. I also took a photo of it in 2020, but then it had a sort of lean-to which has been replaced by the lovely wood extension.
We got to Grafton Lock at about 11.10, and the lock keeper called out that the next locking would be a half past. So I pulled the boat back to the water point and got the tank filling, while Adrian went to see the lock keeper about paying for the mooring at Buscot, and the one the previous night at Shifford. He knew about the situation, but acknowledged that things weren’t handled particularly well. He was professional and friendly throughout, could take card payments (in fact, was cashless) and gave mooring tickets for each night. By the time he was getting the lock ready the water was full; the tap had amazing pressure, but also spurted water everywhere from the connector. We were joined in the lock by a cruiser out on day hire from above Buscot Lock. We carried on through Radcot Bridge and moored up — were a little way out from the edge at the bow and a long way out at the stern.
After lunch, Macc and I went for a walk to have a look at the old Radcot Bridge, which goes over a backwater. To get there we had to cross a rather rickety bridge over the backwater, and past the bell tents of Swan Island Glamping. They’ve updated them since we came past a couple of years ago, and they still have the old style tents on their website.
The old bridge is best viewed from the camp site car park. It has even smaller arches than the newer bridge, so you can see why it’s not used any more.
The camp site has its own shop based in a pill box, although it wasn’t open today. In fact the whole site was quite quiet, in contrast to when we passed at the weekend.
The field were moored on has a herd of cattle in it. During the afternoon a few of them came to investigate, then as soon as they arrive the whole lot moves off again. They must walk a long way in a day.
Also the afternoon we have filled in the complaint form on the Environment Agency website, highlighting the inconsistent positions of various lock keepers and the attitude of a couple of them. It also seems odd that they charge £11.50 a night on the quiet part of the Thames, but at busy Goring for example you get 24 hours free and then it’s £5.50 a night for up to two more nights. It makes no sense. And at Goring there are signs to that effect all along the moorings, while on the moorings up here there’s nothing — and the website just says that there are charges at some locations, but doesn’t say which ones on how much.
7 miles, 3 locks, free mooring (but £23 added to the total for Shifford and Buscot Locks). (120 miles, 45 locks, £157.50)