Spring is here!

Over the Easter weekend, we had a walk around the Napton area. It was so lovely to see the trees budding, the daffodils in bloom and the gorgeous lambs in the field. 

Some boats on the move again

At last! The locks opened in the Napton area at the weekend, but water levels in the reservoir remain very low.  

Although the locks have limited opening times, it was great to see boats cruising again, many  heading for their home moorings before the Winter Stoppages begin.

We have opted to stay in the marina over the winter period rather than risking heading back North. We are looking forward to some new adventures in this area.

Unfortunately,  we have some very sad news... our darling little Patterdale Terrier, Nugget, walked over rainbow Bridge last month, aged 16. She absolutely loved being on the waterways and sitting in her favourite spot on the stern, looking out and sniffing along the way.

Thank you for giving us many years of laughter, companionship and love Nugget; you were one in a million and we miss you very much. ❤️

Marooned at Napton Junction

'Locks closed' signs seem to be becoming a more frequent sight on the inland waterways due to the dry summer this year.

Early July, we booked in at Napton Marina due to home commitments and as CRT had  introduced restricted opening hours on the locks to preserve water.  We had assumed that by now, there would have been enough rainfall for us to set off on the last leg of our journey back to our home moorings in Shardlow.

However, since then, it has actually worsened and the locks on our return journey are now closed. Even if the locks were open, Coventina is currently sat on the bottom in the marina, so we are unable to move anywhere for the time being.

Thankfully, Napton on the Hill and the surrounding area is lovely and we are enjoying exploring this wonderful part of the country.

Nearby is Dog Lane Fishery with a very clean, well organised caravan and camping site, a fishing lake and a great little cafe (The Tea Shed) that serve drinks and delicious breakfasts and sandwiches👍😋.

Also in the village is the post office/village stores/cafe.  It is very well presented and has a wide variety of foods/gifts/cards etc including hot take out food. The ovens go on at 5.30am every morning to bake their own bread and croissants! We can confirm the food is yummy 😋.  We really admire the dedication and hard work of the staff, as they are open 7 days a week from 8am.

There is also a cidery in the village which we are hoping to visit and sample their wares on our extended stay. 

Bottom of Napton Locks

The end of our adventure on the Thames - Sonning to Oxford

Leaving Sonning, we continued cruising upstream towards Reading, calling at the large Tesco's on the way and filling up with fuel at Caversham Boat services, a friendly boatyard and reasonably priced diesel 👍

Caversham Boat Services

Luckily that evening, we managed to get the last mooring spot at Pangbourne.  😀

The following day we cruised onwards through Goring Lock, Cleeve Lock and through to Wallingford.  It was another scorching day and once again, we were lucky and found a mooring in the shade.  Wallingford is a delightful historic market town with plenty of shops/restaurants and a Waitrose.

We enjoyed lunch at a lovely homely cafe, 'Bean and Brew'.  In the evening after school, the local children had a fantastic time cooling off in the Thames as it was such a balmy evening.

The following day found us mooring on the river bank in a secluded spot just after Abingdon. Nice and shady on yet another extra warm day!

We had a lovely cruise on our final day on the Thames, witnessing a boat race, saw some wonderful wildlife and taking in the colourful artwork on the bridges whilst passing through.

 

To sum up we have had a fantastic time on the River Thames, just a little disappointed that we didn't make it through to Brentford, as initially planned.  At times, despite the Thames being quiet, there is both a lack of moorings and a lack of clear signage for services/moorings etc  (bring your binoculars - the writing is tiny), however, on the whole, the lock keepers have been great and the volunteers fantastic as always, it has been a wonderful experience. 

After ascending Isis lock, Coventina once again joined the South Oxford Canal. Initially, the canal seems so narrow and so slow - but ahhh - bliss!

About turn? due to closure of Clitheroe Lock no 99

Our plan this year was to cruise the River Thames for a couple of weeks from Oxford to Brentford and then cruise the Grand Union Canal back North to the River Trent. Unfortunately, due to a damaged Cill at Clitheroe Lock  (just after you leave the Thames at Brentford) it has been closed for emergency repair and the only other way is to downstream on the tidal Thames all the way to Limehouse 😟 - which is not recommended!! We made a phone call to CRT to check for updates re progression of the works, but unfortunately there was no more information available at that time.  So, after much deliberation over a pint or two and a meal at The King & Castle Wetherspoons in Windsor, we decided to turn around the following day. 

The following morning, we began our return journey upstream towards  the Oxford Canal. At least we will see the River Thames from a different perspective.   We headed to Marlow - once again, the moorings are limited but due to kind boaters on narrow boats 'Midnight' and 'Kyle', we managed to squeeze in.

Marlow

Marlow is a lovely market town, the only thing that blights it is the traffic on the main high street, but there are plenty of shops/cafes/restaurants etc and a handy Sainsbury's Local.  The following day we cruised through Henley.  All the rowing lanes, marquees, stalls etc were set up and finishing touches were being made for the regatta next week.

The rowers were out in force practising and it was great to see.👍  Whilst we were cruising through Henley, an update regarding Clitheroe lock appeared in our inbox.  Oh NO! we cried, is the lock going to be open imminently???  have we turned round in error?😟.... er no, just an update to say work is ongoing replacing the entire Cill and a further update is due on 4th July.  Due to our commitments, we cannot hang around, so luckily it looks like we have made the correct decision.  

St Andrew's Church, Sonning

Cruising upstream the following day, we moored at Sonning, where a couple of famous names have homes; Jimmy Page and George and Amal Clooney.  We had a walk around the village and had a look in the church.  What a stunning historic church it is.  There is a plaque naming the vicars of Sonning and it was really interesting to see the first entry was 1222.

  

 

River Thames - Henley-on-Thames to Windsor

Having left Henley at 8.15am, what a pleasure to see numerous rowing crews in training for the forth coming Henley Regatta (1st week in July). 

Just before Hurley Lock you can see the Chalk cliffs on your left before a turn to the right for the Lock.

Chalk cliffs - Hurley

There are bulk water, elsan facilities and rubbish just above Hurley lock.  We moored  for the evening at the bottom of Temple Lock on the EA moorings, which were a bit overgrown, but offered shade and it was a  perfect spot to watch the many rowing crews working hard while we enjoyed the evening sun and a glass of beer.

The following day we cruised past Bishop Abbey and the National Sports Centre amongst plenty more keen rowers.

All Saints Church - Bisham

We cruised through Marlow followed by Cookham Lock where we met the friendly lock keeper and his lovely dog.  There is bulk water above the lock and an elsan point and rubbish facilities here.

Marlow bridge and All Saints Church

Cruising onwards to Maidenhead, we moored on the visitor moorings.  It is approximately a 20-30 min walk to shops, so after stocking up with provisions, we set off again hoping to moor at the EA moorings before Boveney Lock.  Unfortunately these are limited and they were all full, so we turned around and eventually managed to find a place to moor on the river banking. 

Windsor

The following morning, we cruised through to Windsor and following advice from other boaters blogs/YouTube (thank you Foxes!), we moored in Bath Island inlet.  It is much calmer here rather than on the river as there are lots of trip boats and small day/hourly hire boats which cause a lot of wash. The charge is £10 per night payable to the 'water bailiff' whom patrol regularly in their little powered dingy. 

There is a full size replica of a Hawker Hurricane just next to the mooring which is a great memorial to Windsor resident Sir Sydney Camm CBE FRAeS.

Replica of a Hawker Hurricane - Windsor 

Windsor is great with plenty to see and do and it was delightful to explore this wonderful town with so much royal history. We were fortunate to watch changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle, this takes place at 11am within the Castle grounds, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For £36 each, why not 'dress to impress' and indulge in afternoon tea at The Ivy overlooking Windsor Castle? 

Changing of the Guard - Windsor Castle

In the evening, we walked over Windsor bridge, along Eton High Street towards the famous Eton College with the wonderful antiquated shops/tailors and buildings.

Eton School Hall and Library

River Thames - Goring to Henley-on-Thames

After leaving the visitor moorings at Goring, we had a short cruise through to Pangbourne.  Luckily there was one space available on the Council moorings, ideal adjacent to a wonderful recreation area and only a 15 minute walk into Pangbourne. Our Patterdale Terrier, Nugget, thought it was great!

We had a look around the village which has, plenty of shops, cafes and quite a few restaurants.  After a tasty lunch in a cafe, we stocked up with food at the large Co-op and with books from the charity shops.

In the evening, we sat out and enjoyed a curry from the takeaway in the village.

The following day, we cruised through to Reading.  On the way, we saw this postbox on the riverside, railway wall. Not too sure who could make use of this!!! 😂

You have to be mindful of other river craft at all times, large or small.

In Reading downstream from Caversham Lock, round the bend and on the right hand side are some moorings for a 24hr Tesco supermarket. Just a 2min walk allows for extra stocks, including heavy bulk items E.G. Beer and Wine.  Moving on we moored on pleasant moorings just above Sonning Lock.  

The following day, we were up early and down the lock - a note for boaters - before Shiplake Lock on your right hand side (not well signposted), there is a mooring for elsan, pump out and bulk water. Descending Shiplake Lock we cruised onwards towards Henley-on-Thames. The properties are truly amazing not to mention the variety of boats too.  After  mooring on the Environment Agency moorings and paying the £15 24hr fee, we explored Henley.  Fantastic 👍 and we enjoyed a tasty lunch in the historic Anchor Inn with a pint of Brackspear Gold 4%!

Setting up for Regatta Week