Thornden Wood

Grenham Bay

Back to the marina

... and typically, after a trouble free reverse onto the pontoon, there was nobody around to see it.

Wormleighton to Braunston

A warmer but rainy morning saw us on the way to Marston Doles, which was deserted.  We met boats in most of the locks and made it to the Folly in time for lunch, before deciding to go on to Braunston for the night.

Recycling at Cropredy

Nice to see some recycling facilities at the services at Cropredy this morning, but unfortunately they were full and further bottles were piled around the base of the bins.  What usually happens next is that the recycling facilities are removed, unfortunately.

The overnight frost had coated everything in white, and the mooring ropes were stiff.  Everything soon thawed though in the bright sunshine that stayed with us until lunchtime.  There were only a few boats going through the Claydon flight, as we are out of phase with the hire boats returning to their bases for the weekend.

Back through Banbury on a windy, chilly day, and up to Cropredy for the night.  It was amazingly quiet overnight on the mooring opposite the canoe club, at least until the Great Tits woke up and started shouting at first light! 

We were glad to find a spot last night in the rain where we could get the boat in to the side.  A further benefit was that it was firmly aground at the bow so even speeding boats hardly moved us.  It did take a bit of work to get back afloat in the morning though.

Fortunately the heavy rain forecast for the day stayed to the north of us, and we had just a couple of blustery showers on the way back from turning below Somerton Deep Lock.  A word of warning though - the winding point  marked in our aged Nicholson's guide would probably be no use to boats longer then 60 feet.  It is also very narrow, and not all that obvious on approach.  There seems to be a better one, though not marked in the guide, above Somerton Deep.  

Edited to add: I've just checked in the Waterscape Boater's Guide, and the only winding point marked is for 60' above the lock.