The Thames Ring
Locked
|
Since a couple of people were interested this seemed the best area of the Forum to post brief updates of my self imposed challenge.
The Thames Ring is the circuit created by the Thames, the Oxford canal and the Grand Union canal. Since I live near Banbury which is on the Oxford canal my trip round the ring started near there at Enslow at 4pm on Thursday 5th June. I am doing the trip in Zelva. For anyone who hasn't seen her she's a rather odd looking craft driven by a Hobie Mirage Drive (pedals) and equipped for camping aboard. In brief bulletins then the trip so far took me from Enslow, down through Oxford and onto the Thames. The Thursday night found me moored up a little way below Sandford lock. Friday I continued down to Beale arriving just before beer o'clock. Saturday I enjoyed the show and, having found someone to let me out of the lake, I set off again about 6 pm to get a few miles in before dark. That night I slept below Sonning lock and Sunday I made it down to Chertsey (after time out for a shower at Boveney lock.) Today, Monday, I've made it down the rest of the Thames and started back up the Grand Union. I'm moored not far from Uxbridge. I can hear traffic in the distance and know there's urban sprawl all around but the location feels tranquil and remote. Still don't know if I can make Banbury before my deadline of next Saturday but my legs are getting stronger and I'm slightly ahead of schedule at the moment. A lot of locks to come though. No pics. There's a limit to what I'm capable of posting from an iPhone. |
|
|
Tuesday evening and progress has slowed dramatically. Just made it past Hemel Hempstead (lock 63.).
Would be 24 miles and 40 locks if I was to make where I hoped to by tomorrow evening. Taking 15 mins per lock. Mileage becomes irrelevant. Will be 10 hours just for locks! Would help if there were others travelling on the canal to share the work but it's very quiet. Not sure I'll finish the ring this trip so I'll aim to enjoy myself and see how far I get. Looking forward to leaving London's commuter belt behind in the morning. Canal still feels remote but urban sounds intrude. |
|
|
Wednesday was all about locks. First lock was number 63 and I finished the day after passing through lock 27 just past Leighton Buzzard.
Just over 60 miles and 45 locks to actually arrive back in Banbury. Not going to achieve that in two days! I'll see where I get to today and then set my final target for Friday. |
|
|
Thursday was more about distance with a few locks and the UK canal systems longest tunnel.
Was interesting passing close to the centre of Milton Keynes without really being aware of the great lump of "new town". The canal has retained it's privacy. Stoke Bruerne was a nice little place well supplied with pubs, an interesting canal museum and, most importantly, a shop on the side of the canal selling great ice cream... I'd been promising myself one for days and this was the first place I was able to get one. Blissworth tunnel was not pleasant. I went through in the evening when there was less likely to be anyone else on the canal. Safer, but lonely, dark and beset by the scary noise of gushing water as it entered from culverts and through the roof. A very long mile and a half or so! Fortunately no oncoming boats until I was just exiting the tunnel. Stopped the night near the Marina at Upper Heyford. I had to be home for a family occasion on Friday evening so there was no way I would complete the trip this time. Teaming up with a nice guy travelling solo in his narrow boat I ascended a seven lock flight, tailed him through the Braunston tunnel (felt safer, particularly with several boats passing in the opposite direction) and descended the seven locks to Braunston. Around 4 pm I arrived at the foot of the Napton flight of locks right by the Folly Inn and a convenient place to pull out and load up the trailer. Leaves just a days pedalling to do sometime. Or maybe I'll take a kayak and save a lot of time by portaging the locks! Great trip, long days provoked by three factors: First the dawn chorus at 04.30 meaning I might as well be on the way around 06.00, second the hands free pedalling which means I tend to just keep going while eating lunch etc. Finally travelling alone, while it allows conversations with many very friendly strangers, means there's no reason to stop and enjoy the company of companions, so I just kept going till 21.00 each day. No substitute for a joining a proper HBBR raid though. |
|
|
Splendid. Well done Timmo. Sounds like some long days, not unlike like ours. We arrived back at Bristol yesterday afternoon. I'll report more later, but a parasol fitting would have been useful when padding in the summer!
PP On Sat, Jun 14, 2014 at 8:38 AM, Timmo [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote: Thursday was more about distance with a few locks and the UK canal systems longest tunnel. |
|
|
Well done on making Bristol in a record time. Agree on benefits of parasol, I used a lot of factor 50!
Tim. On 14 Jun 2014, at 09:09, Randonneur [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:
|
|
|
In reply to this post by Randonneur
Hear, hear. Well done, Timmo.
I don't like the sound of that tunnel much. How are the knees and the Mirage drive holding up? Sorry I didn't see much of you at Beale. Hopefully catch up with you soon. Kind regards Adrian |
|
|
In reply to this post by Timmo
A summer of canals and the Continent
Small, Medium and Tremendous! CW |
«
Return to General Discussion
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |