Date - 27 October 2007 Day - Saturday Start - 9.45 End - Dukes Cut lock 1815
Before we set off this morning at quarter to ten we took the dog for a walk round the disused quarry. there is a walk all the way round the top lip to the north side looking down into the bowl with its flat grassed area. An interpretation board at the entrance on Mill Lane refers to it as Kirtlington Quarry Nature reserve, but I don't think you will find a great deal of nature there as it has a number of walks and picnic areas, its main use appears to be for dog walking and general walking. Maybe nature in the name attracts more funding? We set off on a very quiet canal and didn't see another boat on the move until we arrived at Bakers lock, where one had just locked down, one was coming up, as we went down one moored just below the lock on the Cherwell pulled away in front of us, so when we arrived at Shipton Weir the boat that pulled out was still waiting for the lock and again there was one coming up. Before we entered the lock a forty footer arrive behind us and we let in the lock first and then went in beside them. For those that don't know, although all the locks on the Oxford are narrow, the two where the Cherwell joins the canal are lozenger shape about 25 ft wide but with only a 7 ft gate at each end, a forty foot boat will fir comfortably at the side of the lozenger shape leaving room for a full length boat down the middle. We arrived at the Thrupp visitor moorings at mid day to find they are all listed as private, when I enquired with one of the club members he told me they had changed them all today as on the 1st November they become long term winter moorings. A quick word with John the Commodore assured us we would be fine if we wanted to stay until the 1st. Our reason for stopping so early was that my son, daughter and all there family's were having lunch locally in Kidlington and we were going to join them. We got back to the boat at 4 pm and immediately set off towards Ducks Cut with a very brief stop at the Jolly Boat Man, my son and grandson had bagged a short ride from the moorings to here and my daughter in law was waiting with the car. We continued on to a very noisy mooring just above Dukes Cut Lock arriving in the dark a little after 6 pm. -- Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit this site and help save our waterways http://www.savethewaterways.org.uk/
