Tag: travel
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Northampton – 4 miles and 17 locks -is it worth it?
According to a volunteer lock keeper, absolutely not. My verdict? Absolutely yes. They didn’t build a canal with a 13-lock flight for nothing, so it’s worth exploring what’s at the end of it. An article in the Northampton Mercury from 10 August 1761 records that “no less than 38 barges laden with coals and other…
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This is what it’s all about
Slow travel along hedgerows sweet with may, lambs bleating in the fields, the first ducklings in the water, swans and geese nesting, the first swifts and swallows, and pretty good weather. As usual, we stopped to explore local landmarks and industrial archaeology. After Napton top lock, there is a feeder arm that leads to a…
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Some people’s behaviour can put a damper on the whole day.
As we were leaving Claydon, we had another boat in front of us, so we resigned ourselves to cruising in convoy. We slowed down a little to create space between us, but there was another boat behind us, which made it quite clear that they wanted to overtake. There really wasn’t any point, as we…
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What’s wrong with Banbury?
I love old towns, especially thriving old towns. Sadly, Banbury isn’t one of them – thriving I mean. Yes, there is industry, and yes, there is the historic boat yard and the new shopping centre and development along the canal. But the shopping centre is full of empty retail units and the canal-side development is…
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Not the Oxford canal again, we thought
Oxford is our home, so to get to anywhere we haven’t been before, we need to take the Oxford canal as far as Napton. Over the past six years we’ve done that stretch over and over again. It gets a bit boring, taking the same route, but guess what? Open your eyes and even a…
Towpaths and Turnpikes 