Michael Tyler

So….

It’s been a wee while since I got here to Kidlington and I know those out there of my readership are baying for new information, so here it is.

The bright lights of Kidlington

When I was navigating down to the Thames, I noticed this spot on the Offside bank.

It’s coming through the village. Unlike the mooring on the CRT side, there is somewhere to park my car, which is obviously a key consideration.

The only other place to park in Kidlington has less than 1 bar reception, which rules it out.

On my way back up I decided to give it a go. I’m not going to give you the exact location. I don’t think I’d gain anything by publicising it, suffice to say, I’m now moored on Cherwell Council land.

Oorrfff moiy laaaaand!

No crazed employees with pitchforks have approached the boat shouting this yet.

They were out with their strimmers the other day. Said nothin.

I can’t say a boat staying would be of much interest generally. As long as your not putting your gear all over their land, there isn’t really much going on to see.

Here’s a pic.

Kidlington

Has 5 pubs. 3 Chinese takeways, a Tesco and a large Sainsburys.

It’s also got a swimming pool and their are buses to Oxford every 20 mins or so. Day and night.

The mobile signal is 4bars 4G, which is on both o2 and three meaning I can take and receive calls and use the internet without any problems at all.

Solar is OK. There’s a lot of tree cover later on in the afternoon, so it’s not magnificent but it’s certainly acceptable. I never have to start my engine.

There’s a Post Office about a 12min walk which has agreed to take my Post Restanté post.

All very cosy.

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Not really Wolvercote, although that’s the nearest village.

It’s actually within the ‘Oxford’ city signs, so, technically, I’m IN Oxford, although it’s about a 30 minute ride on the bike. The cycle path from entering ‘the City’ becomes made up asphalt for the 6 or so miles into town.

Means it’s an easy and pleasant ride. Lot’s of walkers, boaters and cyclists, tourists, locals and families.

I’ve been here now for 2 weeks. I will be leaving today to move closer in to town.

I’m mooring about 1/4 mile from ‘Dukes Cut‘ named after the Duke of Marlborough who commissioned it’s creation in 1789. This is the northernmost entry to the Thames, by-passing Kings Lock.

It’s got solar. It’s got mobile. It’s got parking (for now). The parking is only temporary whilst the landowner is providing access to the navies working on the A44 improvements to store their equipment.

There’s room for 3 boats.

Here’s what it looks like.

Enslow to Wolvercote

Skipping Kidlington, which is the next stop down.

There’s places to stop, but they don’t provide me with three things I need, parking, solar and mobile.

Enslow was a nice stopover. On the edge of a nature reserve.

Spiders like it there too.

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One of two, Upper and Lower. Upper is slightly North. I don’t think it’s anything to do with elevation.

They’re both small villages on the edge of the canal, looking across the flood-planes of the River Cherwell.

Lower Heyford has a marina and railway station.

The mobile signal down there is abysmal, otherwise it might be a desirable place to be.

Upper Heyford Airbase

Both Lower and Upper Heyford are on the edge of an airbase of some strategic importance during the cold war. Heyford Park, or Upper Heyford Airbase.

B52 and U-2 aircraft were stationed here in the period from 1952-1965, when it was used for US reconnaissance.

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Yah.

Moving now into places I’ve not really been before, certainly not without being passenger on the boat.

Somerton Meadows

This place is called. The towpath is indeed one large meadow spanning from the outskirts of Somerton to the River Cherwell.

It’s got a nice iron bridge across the main span of the river. There’s also a mill stream that runs down to North Aston Mill at the other side of the valley.

The field is home to some livestock cattle and the canal is lined with Poplars, Elms, Sycamore and Hawthorne. It’s a nice spot with views right down to the river.

No motorway

It’s the first place since Cropredy where you don’t have the sound of the motorway in the background.

Some places it’s worse. Like pig place or Twyford. Others it’s less present but still there, like Aynho or the last place I was at, Souldern.

Here’s there’s just natural sights and sounds. It’s so refreshing.

The weather

Is a total let-down.

Always windy, it’s been like that for a few years now, in the summer. An almost continuous wind. It was like that, not so much at the height of last summer. But over the summer months, it seems more than usual.

These days it’s almost continuously blustery. To add insult to injury, now it’s raining. Almost on a daily basis.

Cycle for water

I have to cycle to get water. The best place is from this natural spring.

At the top of two steep hills, it’s a good way to get a bit of cardio. I get 5 litres of water and put it in my bag.

It’s better to have fresh water for drinking and cooking.

The stuff out of the water-tank is drinkable. It doesn’t taste as good.

The more water you use. The more you have to move the boat to re-fill the tank, which is an additional side effect.

A lot of people buy bottled water. I don’t really like the plastic waste. Plus it’s a waste of money.

This is spring water which is a nice touch. There’s an inscription on the fountain.

It was built in around 1803 and restored in the millennium.

Yum!

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