Thursday 8 October 2009

A close encounter and a missing tunnel.


Between Claydon and Fenny Compton on the Oxford Canal there are some tight (and shallow) bends, on one of these we suddenly encountered the Narrow Boat Trust, motor and butty, with a load of bagged coal, heading south. A rapid astern was not enough

and the motor ended up on the putty on the outside of the bend, the long shaft was called into action

while the butty took him right up the transom.

After some vigorous poling they were free!!

Fixed smiles were the order of the day

and the pair (Ididn't get the motors name but the butty was Brighton) went off towards Claydon.

Then we came to Fenny Compton tunnel, well it was a tunnel originally but was opened out in the 19th century and is still called a tunnel, confusing or what?

This is tunnel bridge, allright!

The remains of industry, what these were I have no idea but there they are, alongside the cut.

1 comment:

Brian and Diana on NB Harnser said...

The structure is an old coal shute. I had a look round it early this year when the undergrowth was much shorter.
You should pass our boat at the entrance of Napton Engine Arm