Return to Oxford

There is only one way from Lechlade by boat and that is back down the river to Oxford so this posting mainly covers new bits we've explored on our way downstream.

This is the only problem with mooring at Lechlade! A herd of cows share the field with the moored boats and they often get a tad too interested in the mooring ropes and anything they can chew on the boats. The strap of our cratch cover is no longer quite as neat and straight as it was!

On Saturday (1st August) we decided to go for a bike ride and passed this splendid forest of teasel plants.

We cycled to the Cotswold Water Park part of which was a nature reserve but most of it proved to be a housing development of posh and probably expensive but very ugly square houses round old gravel pits. After that the ride got better and this photo is in the village of Whelford. The river is the Coln which joins the Thames at Inglesham just above Lechlade.

The next village on our ride was Kempsford which has this intriguing church with a central tower.

This is the view inside the tower with lovely painting on the ceiling lit by the large windows.

Last time we came to Lechlade we hired a double canoe and followed the Thames upstream, fighting our way under and over fallen trees and other obstacles. We reached this bridge, Hannington Bridge, and then turned round. It's much easier by bike, though the wind was a bit lively against us on some stretches.

On our way back we visited Inglesham Church. This is now preserved by the Churches Conservation Charity and has some multilayered wall paintings, fine box pews and the bracket for an hour glass which was used to time the sermons.

On Sunday we had a bit of a lazy day doing two short walks and a bit of shopping in Lechlade. This view of Lechlade Church is taken from near St John's Lock which is the last one on the Thames at this end.

Shelley visited Lechlade in 1815 having rowed from Windsor with 3 others and wrote his 'Stanzas in a summer churchyard' here. This plaque records the fact and is displayed on the wall of the churchyard.

On Monday we left Lechlade but did not go far, mooring at Kelmscott where this photo was taken. Kelmscott Manor was bought by William Morris and he and friends were also rowers and used to row up here from London. William and Jane Morris did a lot of good works in the village and these houses were built by Jane. The plaque depicts William Morris in the garden of the manor.

From Kelmscott, after a good meal at the Plough, we walked to Buscot Park, a National Trust property, the house still being lived in by Lord Faringdon. The gardens were magnificent and included these reproductions of some of the terracotta warriors.

Buscot Park house is built right on the top of a hill and the gardens extend over a series of valleys giving splendid vistas like this one across a valley to mock waterfalls in the distance.

Here is the house which was not open to the public when we visited. you can see for miles over the Thames Valley and,when we returned to our boat we found we could see the top of the house from the back deck.

In the grounds is this so-called 'Rolling Bridge'. Again the public are not allowed to cross it but we understood that if you wish to cross you have first to pull the bridge towards you and then walk onto it, pulling it over to the other side.

These very large sycamore seeds rotate in the wind.

This was called the 'swing garden' and had four of these large swing seats around a central flower bed. There were lots of these focal points in the garden with paths connecting them all.

On Tuesday we carried on downstream, mooring at Northmoor Lock so that we could walk into the village of Appleton. We have been passing a lot of these brilliant yellow flowers lately and made use of the app on Ian's phone to identify them. They are Common Fleabane.

Appleton has some lovely old cottages.

Last night (Wednesday 5th August) we moored near Swinford Toll Bridge shown here and had a short walk as well as touching up paint on Leo in a very strong breeze. The red buoys mark shallows in the river. You have to remember to go to the left of these when going downstream.

We passed this decorated houseboat today close to where the Duke's Cut links the river with the Oxford Canal.

And just to the left here under the arched metal bridge is the Sheepwash Channel which also links to the Oxford Canal and is where we emerged onto the Thames just over a week ago.

So that seems a sensible point to stop. From here on we are on new ground (or should that be water?), at least for this year. So we'll talk about that in the next posting in a few days time.