Well we are finally back on Armadillo. She has been laid up for three weeks at Weltonfield Narrowboats while we were in Morden for the funeral etc. We set off back towards Braunston this forenoon an autumn trip down the South Oxford having been decided upon, every other plan this year has failed to come to fruition, lets see what happens to this one.
The first place of note was Norton Junction
with its old toll house, now, I believe, available as a holiday let.
A short way up the cut were some B.W. mud hoppers, the one on the inside appears to be a cut down working boat, now only about 40ft. long, perhaps a B.C.N. joey boat, anyone any ideas?
If it's true what they say about lots of berries meaning a hard winter then it's time to get the thermals out.
Then comes Braunston Tunnel, 2042 yards long with a lot of wiggles, I reckon they must have been on the ale when they dug this one. It was made particularly interesting by a boat coming the other way with a tunnel light so bright we couldn't see a thing, then he moaned when he took a hit, tough.
We were glad to see this view
although nothing has yet been done about the landslip just at the tunnel mouth.
Down the locks we passed the Lord Nelson, now thankfully open again.
The entrance to the marina used to be the main line of the Oxford canal
and the stop house was the toll house for the two canals. Unfortunately the force of the wind precluded taking photos' as we turned south onto the Oxford as we were being blown all over the shop. We gave up shortly afterwards and moored near Flecknoe, what a pair of wimps I hear you say, spot on, that's us.
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