Thursday 20th March 2014 Oxford Canal Walk Ramble 4.

 

Thursday 20th March 2014 Oxford Canal Walk Ramble 4.

We started from Braunston and walked the 6 miles (7 in total) to Napton Marina, via Gongoozlers Café on the Grand Union Canal.

 

With John, Julie, Sue, Jem, Margaret, Dot (whose dream may be in one of the pictures), Margaret, Hugh and Linda (11 altogether including us), we walked down the grassy slopes from Braunston Church, through fields of sheep with very young, frolicking lambs, to the canal to restart our trek. It was a bright but blowy day weather-wise.

In no time we came to the triangular island covered with flowering daffodils, where the Oxford and Grand Union Canals meet. The towpath goes over two black and white Horseley Ironworks, 15m span bridges that must be some of the most photographed in the UK. It is from here for about 5 miles until Napton Junction, that the waterways of both canals coincide. We walked to just beyond Napton Junction where the Grand Union Canal departed northwards and the Oxford Canal carries on westwards. In fact, some of us walked this route last June as part of the GUC walks and, as then, we visited the Gongoozler’s café aboard a narrowboat moored near to the Stop House, by Braunston’s historic wharf.

Then, when feeling satisfied, we went back to the triangular junction and along the towpath, first going on top of a (straightened) embankment section called Puddle Banks. Most of the time we were walking into the wind which made it feel much colder than the thermometer would suggest.

We saw many primroses, violets, celandines and some coltsfoot growing beside the waterway. It seemed that more boats were ‘on the move’ than on previous walks this year and in the surrounding fields there were plenty of sheep with young (a couple were exploring some gardens on the opposite bank from us!). 

Most of the time the canal is in open countryside, pretty straight and well away from built up areas. We chose a brick bridge with high sides for a place to eat our sandwiches, thinking that somewhere it would be sheltered from the wind. In the end we settled in various different places as the gusting wind seemed to be in all ‘corners’ around the bridge. After reading the metal notice, we were glad we were walking and not on a traction engine (that required permission to cross).

 Striding out again in Warwickshire now, we saw on the opposite bank the village of Lower Shuckburgh, just off the A425 Southam to Daventry road. We could see the small Gothic style church that was built in 1864, replacing a previous one that had been burnt down. St John the Baptist church is unusual as it has a hexagonal tower and Moorish tiles are on the walls inside. Upper Shuckburgh village, once nearby on Beacon Hill is now deserted and only the privately owned Shuckburgh Hall is there. 

After passing under Nimrod Bridge which carries the A425 over the canal we walked up and over the Grand Union Canal by Napton Junction and Wigrams Turn Marina. Then, shortly afterwards we finished our walk at Napton Marina. Here we saw a line of smart dark blue boats lined up in the wharf being prepared for letting out.

Thursday 6th March 2014 Oxford Canal Walk Ramble 3

Thursday 6th March 2014 Oxford Canal Walk Ramble 3.

We started from Clifton Road Bridge No 66 and walked the 8.5 miles to Bridge No. 89 at Braunston.

John, Julie, Sue, Jem, Margaret, Dot, Margaret, Peter and we, 10 altogether,  met up at Clifton Wharf by Bridge No. 66 and started along the towpath, only to find that it was just as muddy as the last time (OxC2 on 22^nd February). The weather in the last twelve days couldn’t have been any drier.

 This section of the Oxford Canal is rural and winding and we saw a few cows, plenty of sheep (some with young lambs), several ponies and a goat in the fields along the way. One feature noticeable, especially towards Braunston, were fields showing a wavy appearance as a result of the medieval ridge and furrow way of cultivation. (Villagers cleared the forests and ploughed parallel strips of land by throwing soil towards the centre, so creating the ridges.) Also, the surrounding landscape, although mostly flat and in some parts water-logged, had several obvious small hills. The canal closely followed the 300’ contour line around these hills and, after the three sets of locks at Hillmorton, the 325’ line. The locks were the first ones we have passed while walking, south, along the Oxford Canal, apart from the stop lock at Hawkesbury Junction (where it joins with the Coventry Canal). Originally the Hillmorton locks were built as single locks but were improved to twin (or pairs) locks with inter-connecting pipes so that water can be conserved. The Oxford Canal, despite being narrow, windy and old, is one of the most popular for boaters now and there can be water shortage problems in the summer months (not today though!). At the locks there is a short arm that is a boatyard used by Grantham Bridge Boat Services and a café (the meeting place for the local Canal Heritage Society) but it wasn’t open when we were there.

 

Approaching the locks and for a long way behind them, we could see a whole array of masts that form Rugby Radio Station. The first of the masts was built in 1926 and they were used for telegraph messages. Later on, the time signals for radio controlled clocks etc were transmitted from here. More recently (in 2004 and 2007) all 12 of the very tall (250m - the tallest structure in the UK in 1985) have been demolished. The site, as it is no longer used, is to be developed.  Plans have been approved that includes 6,200 new houses and associated infrastructure, and work is due to start next year.

 A little way along from the locks the canal changes direction by 90 degrees and two rail bridges cross over. The West Coast mainline railway deviates from the canal route here and the familiar sight and sounds of the Virgin trains leave us.

At this point we stopped to view The Old Royal Oak, an imposing canal side PH that is now a Hungry Horse, on the opposite bank. Signs on the front indicated that Braunston was only 1.75 miles away. We questioned this as we were just getting into our stride! Perhaps we (or they) should go to Specsavers!

 

At Tarry’s Bridge there is the county boundary (from Warwickshire into Northamptonshire) and stables have been converted into a series of pleasant cottages with white doves outside.

 

Along the Barby Straight we stopped for picnic lunch and then made good progress to Braunston. In the afternoon we saw an abandoned 1963 ambulance (that wasn’t white anymore), a trio of chickens playing music, a real Muscovy duck and the ‘Boudicca’ narrowboat for sale (12 years old with bow thruster £63k).
 

We finished just before 3pm and made our way up to the village. The little tearoom specially stayed open for us – maybe we looked in need or was it Ian and Margaret’s powers of persuasion?