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Month: August 2019

Mooring in Flecknoe

Mooring in Flecknoe

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Now in Rugby district of Warwickshire.

Initially tried staying in a previous location close to the Flecknoe station road. There were so many boaters there, and the mobile signal wasn’t that great.

I decided to re-trace my steps a little, which involved turning the boat around.

Oxford Canal like the M1

Turning the boat around turned out to be no joke.

The traffic on the Oxford canal is like the M1. Just so many boats, in either direction.

Usually, I can just nip the boat around, no problems, as long as the canal is wide enough.

Unfortunately, it was slightly windy, and that, added to the sheer number of boats moving made it difficult to do anything that wouldn’t involve blocking the canal for the moving traffic.

In the end, I had to go right the way down to Lower Shuckborough, which is about 2 miles away. Then come back.

The mobile signal is better here. It doesn’t drop out.

There are fewer other boaters. It’s closer walk to the car.

A bit more out in the wilds. Which suits me better.

  • Moonlight view over Flecknoe

Locking restrictions

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Braunston - Grand Union Oxford Branch
Old Braunston Town

Old Braunston Town

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Where East meets West…. Midlands.

I can walk to Warwickshire and back again in about 8 minutes. The county-line is a stream that runs down the hill behind Braunston playing fields into the canal.

Braunston

Has a history as a boating town. It was once served by two railway lines. One station close to the marina in Wolfhamcote, and the other about a mile up the road in Willoughby.

Braunston Pump House
Braunston Pump House

It’s somewhere I’ve moored a few times over the years.

Facilities include:-

  • 4 pubs. The Nelson, The Wheatsheef, The Plough, The Boat
  • 3 Chandlers of sorts. Midlands Chandlers, Braunston Marina Chandlers, Tradline (rope and fender).
  • Butcher.
  • Post Office & Convenience store.
  • Hairdresser.
  • Fish and chip shop.
  • Knick & knack and icecream shop.
  • Broadband that works. At different speeds depending on where you moor up.
  • and other numerous other small business concerns around the local environs.

Due to this, and it’s location on the convergence of the Oxford and the Grand Union main line make it a favorite stopover for boaters, even if it is just for one or two nights.

The Stop House Braunston
The Stop House Braunston

The stop house is the toll house for the canal in the area. It now houses a small canal museum.

Also, it’s home to the CRT East Midlands enforcement crew.

Last year I dropped in here and picked up a Cruising Record, a log of all the locations that the CRT had logged for my vessel.

Oxford Branch

Like on the underground Oxford Circus.

Not really though…

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