Long Itchington to Rugby

Following our last posting, we have ascended two flights of locks on the Grand Union, Stockton Locks and Calcutt. After turning onto the Oxford Canal at Napton Junction, we are now descending again.  The Hillmorton flight of 3 locks have a sign 'welcome to the busiest locks in the County'. The wifi signal and phone have not been very good for the last few days  - hence the late posting.

 

We were lucky as a kind volunteer helped us up the Stockton flight and we were up there in no time at all. 

The Oxford Canal is quite winding initially. As usual you meet boats on bends, bridges and locks!!.  We moored  near Bridge 103 taking a walk on the footpath which led us through some fields of corn to a small village called Flecknoe.

 Some of the fields have been harvested but others are still waiting.  It must be difficult for the farmers with the current unpredictable weather with a mixture of sunshine and downpours!! Harvesting reminds us that its the middle of August already, indeed reading lights now required in the evenings earlier and earlier.

Hillmorton

We  encountered our first queue of boats at  Hillmorton locks (Narrow Locks Again). There is a nice cafe and CRT facilities here.

Medieval ridge and furrow field patterns

North of Braunston you pass through ancient landscape where ridge and furrow field patterns are still evident.  These were created as villagers cleared the forested land and each cultivated their own  strip of land.

Newbold Tunnel

Yesterday, after stocking up at the large Tesco's in Rugby (moorings extremely busy in Rugby), we travelled through Newbold Tunnel which is only 250 yards long.  We had read that lights had been installed in 2005 to create a 'ring of light' on the tunnel wall to attract more people to use the canal - no sign of them now!