A gentler day

Saturday 27^th August; Aynho to Dashwood lock.

I pulled the curtains this morning and was greeted by a beautiful sunny morning lying over the field opposite, rudely interrupted by a goods train clattering along on the far side.  We left at about 9.  The sun was already hot as we passed NB Enigma who we met at the Napton water point and have been passing, or been passed by, every day.  They were on one of the pretty moorings on the way to Chisnell lift bridge.  We arrived at Somerton Deep lock just as a boat was coming into it from below.  When it was our turn, Enigma arrived and we chatted and shared the work as we have done many times. 

A boat was waiting below, luckily for us.  We cruised gently on, passing the lovely meadows where Meg insists we hope to moor on the way back, and passing some beautiful loosestrife on our way to the next lock.

Allen’s lock is one of my favourites.  It’s only a drop of 5’ and has a reliable crop of blackberries at this time of year.  As a boat was waiting for the lock there was only time to pick a small bowlful, but enough for breakfast tomorrow.  The other lovely thing about the lock is the delightful bridge.  I love the colour of the brick and the little ferns growing in cracks in the mortar.  We’ve got a fern like these at home growing between two concrete blocks supporting a water-butt, and it doesn’t get any bigger than these lovely little things.

 

We pulled in for a break before we got to Mill Lift bridge and had an early lunch.  The bridge is now easy-peasy as it was adapted to use the key of power a few years ago –in the past I have had to collar a passer-by to help sit on the beams to hold it open.  When we arrived, a boat was coming through and kindly let us through on their key.  Once through Lower Heyford we were back in open country, with wild hops draping the hedges in places.

We hesitated at Dashwood lock – how much further did we want to go?  Someone had bagged the space before the lock landing but were they staying?  No!  We pulled back and stopped for the night.  We were still tired after yesterday, which had been hot and unrelenting.  We had a cup of tea, I washed a few bits of laundry and Dave listened to the football.  It had cooled down a bit, so I took Meg for a walk below the lock to see if the tree which had been notified on the stoppages email had been cleared.  It had fallen a couple of days ago but, we discovered on talking to a boater coming up Heyford Common lock, the contractors had failed to turn up.  So this morning he and another boater got out their saws and a grappling hook and cleared enough space to get through on the offside.  I found the mess, but it had all been sawn up and cleared off the towpath and the navigation was clear.  There are a lot of elderberries around and we have seen fully ripe examples since we left Calcutt.

Are they usually ripe this early?

Back at the boat, Dave was washing the area below the gunwales where the paintwork was in a bit of a state, rather like a hire boat but without the dents.  Out came the paint and mini-roller and it now looks much better.  As he was doing it a paddleboarder came past with her dog sitting calmly at the front.

A tranquil spot

7½ miles, 3 locks, Mill lift bridge