Going downhill towards the Thames via Banbury

We are moored tonight (Wednesday 22nd) just south of Banbury heading for Oxford. It has been a few days since we crossed the summit level of the Oxford Canal and we are now descending gradually towards the Thames Valley.

The summit level of the canal is very twisty and on the southern section just before the descent towards Oxford there are a couple of feeders that supply the canal with water from nearby reservoirs. Every time that a boat crosses the summit it takes two lockfuls of water - one on the way up and one on the way down - and this water has to come from somewhere. The picture shows the towpath crossing the feeder from Boddington Reservoir. What is noticeable is how clear is the water coming in compared with what is already in the canal.

Eventually on Monday we came to a queue of boats waiting to descend the five Claydon locks that lead down off the summit level.

We dropped down 2 locks and then moored to wait for the arrival of our son David, shown in the photo with Helen. David came to visit us for a couple of enjoyable days and he brought the sunshine with him.

Note the plastic duck with ribbon on the bollard. We have a collection of plastic ducks on Leo each of which has been rescued from a canal or river. This particular duck was rescued in 2012 from this very lock - Cropredy Lock. As a result we always give him an option to go back in this lock when we are passing. As on previous occasions he decided to stay with us.

As you can see David is still smiling after helping us down the locks to Cropredy.

This unusual narrowboat is called Sue Perb and is owned by two ladies who have written a number of articles for Waterways World, describing themselves as the Windlasses. We've seen the boat before on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Burnley but this is the first time they were onboard and we were able to say hello.

Here is an unusual way to fill the canal!

This is Hardwick Lock on the way from Cropredy to Banbury. David is on the right and helping with the lock.

And here we are in the centre of Banbury. We moored just outside the centre at Spiceball Park and walked in. You can see a new building surrounded by scaffolding. There are two large redevelopment sites either side of the canal. The sunken boat on the left is an old wooden narrowboat that is waiting to be restored by Tooley's Boatyard. Tooley's is famous as the place where Cressy was altered to become a cruising boat for LTC Rolt one of two pioneers who together started the process of saving the canals for leisure use.

Banbury is an historic market town with some fine buildings and was the childhood home of a friend of ours. This picture shows the Banbury Cross from the nursery rhyme, though in fact the cross is a Victorian replacement of the original.

And here is the "fine lady upon a white horse". A rather fine bronze representation with some interesting extra features to look for, like the butterfly on the flower garland around her head.

Banbury has a number of spandrels - iron sculptures above some of the narrow lanes. Usually these are arches joined to the buildings either side, but this one was only fixed on one side. It is one of four on Butchers Row showing local trades and celebrating Banbury as an important market town. This one has three animals hanging from rings are a sheep, a pig and a cow and could be for a farmer or a butcher.

This early Victorian building advertising its wares has been recently restored.

We said goodbye to David yesterday so today (Wednesday) we carried on with just the two of us. After a hard morning's shopping we took Leo through the centre of town and in the picture we are waiting to go down Banbury Lock.

After a morning session shopping in Banbury we left the town after lunch and enjoyed a good view of tedding and baling in the fields outside the town.

South of Banbury there are lots and lots of lifting bridges like this one. Fortunately they are mainly left in the open position for boats so don't have to be raised to go under them. You might wonder how a pedestrian closes the bridge if they are on the side away from the pivot. Generally, but not always, there is a rope or chain hanging down to enable the user to pull the bridge down to use. They are finely balanced and not to hard to move.

This is Kings Sutton Lock which at 10 feet 8 inches is the deepest we've met so far. Unfortunately the bottom gates leaked so badly that we had great difficulty in getting the lock to fill to let us in even with the top paddles fully open. Two athletic canoeists turned up and helped us get the gates open for which we were very grateful. We are moored below the lock tonight. Apart from the noise of the M40 this is a pleasant and remote mooring with views of cows opposite.

Apart from round Banbury the Oxford Canal is very rural and pleasant and we are enjoying a spell of fine summer weather, so all is definitely well with us. The next few days will see us gradually dropping down the valley of the River Cherwell towards the Thames.