Living on a Narrowboat
Living on a continuous cruiser on the UK canal system under CRT rules.
Last stop now finished in Heyford. Upper Heyford to be exact.
I’ve been here before in this post
Cruised through Lower Heyford.
It has a terrible mobile signal amongst other things, not, to recommend it.
The Pub I went to a few times last time I was here, (Barley Mow), has gone downhill. Stopped serving food. A ‘wet’ pub nowadays.
Continue reading “Heyford”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.
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.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Mooring in Kidlington”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.
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.
Continue reading “Wolvercote, Oxford to Lechlade”For CRT continuous cruising rules, this is as far as I need to go, which is approximately 26 miles from my starting location which was Varney’s Lock, just above Cropredy.
Seeing as the canal and river trust are breathing down my neck about my movements, I’ve kept them all logged on this little map.
The red ‘P’s denote the movement requirement for a 12 month period by the powers that be.
Seeing as I’m down this way, I’m going to take a little trip along the Thames in the coming weeks…
I made a video this time of my journey down which worked out around 7 miles and took me between three and four hours on the boat.
Click below to have a look…
Continue reading “Allen’s Lock to Enslow”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.
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.
Continue reading “Upper Heyford”
