On a 57 ft narrow slow boat through Oxford

The preferred speed is 2 mph.The max is 6 mph.       

Your neighbours bawl out, Slow down!!

Total peace and greenery

There is a silence which takes getting used to. There is no noise – no police sirens, no traffic sounds, no city noise. You hear the occasional dog barking, the steady beat of your boat’s engine, and always the perfectly polite greeting of total strangers walking down the towpaths or from their own canal boats whilst you chug by in your 57 footer. At night, the silence is all powerful and you hear the minutest sounds on your own boat. You hear your breathing, the silent lapping of the water against your boat when the wind rises. Canal life is so different from city life and I wonder how residents adapt.. we took a full day to return to our ground reality.

We had a Bank holiday weekend and to avoid staying in London, we went on a long dreamt of pursuit….taking a canal holiday on one of the famous British Waterways Canals… the beauty of Oxford, the competitor of my alma mater,  was the best choice as the Oxford Canal has some really scenic sights.

The Blues - Light vs  Dark! 

The Oxford Canal was built by James Brindley in the 18^thC. Many bridges and locks from that period still remain. The canal follows the contours of the land; giving delightful twists and turns across the gently rolling scenic countryside which in early May is full of flowers with hawthorn, apple and other trees in full bloom. The greenery comes in a multiplicity of varied shades; at one point, I counted over eight shades of green in one area alone.

Narrow boat taking a tight corner

Our Boat Company, College Cruisers, had nine boats varying in size and named after Oxford Colleges - striking in the dark Oxford Blue colours. Traditionally these boats were hired for week long cruises but with the trend in short weekend breaks, hiring Friday to early Monday is trendy at an affordable rate. The owner, wheelchair bound, doesn’t let his impediment hamper his running of the yard.. he maintains a strict vigilant control over staff, boats and visitors alike.

Imagine steering a Cruise liner or a Boeing – you realize what it must be like when you are at the other end of a 57 ft boat. Mike Stanley, a veteran of the canals, inducts us on the ‘Magdalen’- beginning with the cooking gas cylinders and water tank hose upfront. Then, through each of the rooms, beautifully furnished with maximum utilization of space, and finally at the rear, the bilge tanks and how to remove any blockage from the propeller shaft (thank God, as we had an occasion when the rope got stuck and Dilip had to put his hand into freezing water and unravel the rope from the propeller shaft!!)

Finally, the exciting bit of how to use the stick – forward / reverse, left / right. It’s simpler than learning how to drive a car AND you don’t need a license.

The first day saw the magnificent distance of eight miles being covered from Oxford to Thrupp – in all of 4^1/2  hours. We passed huddled groups of residential narrow boats which depending upon the weather look cheerful or gloomy; ranging from fancy well maintained boats to those of hippies with flower pots, baby carriages etc on the rooftops. We even saw one with a toilet bowl full of flowers perched on the roof. Basically life on the canal is an alternative lifestyle as it’s cheaper than land, more personal and definitely at a far slower pace. Winters can be bitterly cold as there is no built up area around to cut the wind which sweeps in. 

Waiting out turn to go through a lock

The Oxford canal has varying widths with specified places for narrow boats to turn. In our trip of 21.5 miles, there are only five turning points. Whatever the width, the canal is so designed to permit only one boat to go through at certain places. It creates a discipline and patience as you await your turn. Generally narrow boats are 6ft 10” wide. The length differs upon the accommodation. The draught is generally 2.5 ft and the depth of the canal is around 4 to 5 ft at the max. So, it’s a genteel way of travelling still practiced in England and becoming popular as you can travel long distances, albeit slowly.

‘Magdalen’ takes upto 8 pax - two single bunk beds converted to double if needed, a double bed, and a sitting room sofa converted to a double bed. Two bathrooms with running hot water + flush toilets, a fridge, a colour TV, central heating and a coal burning fire, a modern four ring gas range oven with all utensils required for cooking. 

You just brought your own food and towels. Everything else provided by the owner. And of course, be ready to keep a vigilant eye out to ensure you don't hit any other boat. 

A line of private boats moored 30 mins away from Oxford!

 We were amazed to learn that all bridges and locks are numbered. The map given to us showed each numbered bridge – fixed or lift type – and the locks. My first thought of a lift bridge was of how simple – strong enough to take a car yet light enough for a man to lift!! 

The first thought is, how is it possible as we are used to heavy large  bridges? in fact, its so simple. 

A Lift Bridge – you pull the chain, sit on the bridge till the boat passes and release the chain!

All you do is pull on a chain, the bridge starts lifting. Its not difficult. Then you sit on the bridge until the boat passes through below you. Reverse order – you slowly get up, hold chain and gently let the bridge down. This was all created in the 18^th C. Today, it would be computer generated with multiple cameras and laws to ensure you did not get hurt or blamed the local council !! Thank God for simplicity.

The Magdalen entering the Somerton Deep Lock – the deepest in UK. See the flowers

Check out the height and narrowness of the lock! 

Every so often, you went through under a bridge or a lift bridge. In all we went through 12 locks and 39 bridges of both types. The locks were a feat of engineering. We were going up river so we experienced the difference as the water level in each lock changed more and more until we reached Somerton Deep Lock, near Aynho village, a distance of 22.5 miles from Oxford. It is the deepest narrow beam chamber on the whole British canal system. As the Canal Companion puts it, the steerer’s eye view of things, when the lock is empty, is reminiscent of an elephant trap – it’s said to be 12 ft deep but felt like 18ft to me!

View from a lock!

Thrupp is very canal oriented – as it has a drawbridge at one end of the well maintained walkway with its small terrace of cottages fronting onto the canal - it is a village street. This area figured in the famous Inspector Morse series on TV. Part of the beauty of tying up by sunset, around 7 pm, is that you get to visit the pubs nearby and try out their local beer and food.

i think the major aspect of the whole trip was going thru the locks carefully without getting stuck or banging the sides of the slow boat along the bank. 

We had brought loads of food; my niece feared that as Jains, they would not get any food at pubs. But as we went for our evening libation, the ladies learnt that pubs offer excellent veg cuisine these days. The Rock of Gibraltar at Enslow, marker bridge # 215, serves excellent Mediterranean food courtesy the Manager from Corfu, Greece, with whom I reminisced about Gerald Durrell and his Strawberry House from My Family and other Animals!  

The Master Chef prepares before the trip!

When it came to it, the chefs could not decide what to cook!!We went to the pub. 

The section between Thrupp and Heyford is remarkably attractive. It drifts through the beautiful scenic landscape of the Cherwell Valley like something from a slow moving piano concerto, weaving romantic melodies with the harmony of birdsong which you hear everywhere. The rhythm and sound of the wind in the reed beds is unforgettable.

During the day, we would take turns steering. One of the ladies even created history by taking us into the mud bank, or should one say clay bank, three times. Essentially it’s a matter of concentration. We all found that if for a second we neglected to look straight as we steered, we would be all over the place as the river meanders and you just have to concentrate whilst driving!! We had to get the boat pulled once and the other times, we just expended energy pushing against the bank using the long poles and pushing the engine into reverse gear. It works but it’s exhausting.

The Magdalene passes through narrowly.

A mile or two south of Northbrook, past Enslow, there is a Roman Way which in the old days connected Cirencester with St Albans. South of this road we went through a dark emerald tunnel of overhanging trees, which have a primeval quality about them. The experience was unworldly.

We found throughout that the railway line is close to the canal. Trains rushed past at different times..they had passed us before we even knew it. Aynho station is closed but go past bridge 188 and see the old signaling yard. Aynho wharf is still attractive with its redbrick buildings now converted to a hire base and canal shop.

Two narrow boats in one lock 

The beauty of this whole journey was that at any time we could get friends to join us as the road access is close to the canal for meeting or car parking. The canals also have their own traditions and old world courtesy system including who overtakes, who goes first on the locks and at what speed you can travel on them. There is order and cleanliness everywhere – each tow path, each lock, each bridge is spotless. The refuse is collected at selected spots, never visible unlike the cities.

The finale was fortuitous. At 8.00 pm at night the ladies discovered that after cooking their nachos and tacos, they had run out of water..,. we had not filled up at Aynho fully as we were running late. What does one do? No option but go home as we needed water desperately and we had to give up the boat by 9.30 am the next day anyway.

 

Rohit's family came to check on his well being.

After 8.00 pm, canal travel is not permitted. We were around 45 minutes away from the boat yard. So, we quickly pulled up the hooks, reined in the ropes and went at 6 mph wherever there were no boats. It was tense as we were also beating the sunset and darkness. The canal has no lights so we kept the curtains open, all the internal tube lights on so as to see the banks clearly. What i call negative lighting ! Whenever we passed parked boats, we’d slow down to 2 mph. No ripples on the canal are permitted. Once or twice we got shouted at. Very bad form ! Finally at 8.35 pm, we reached the yard and tied up. We got water, had dinner and slept. We were lucky as at 4.30 am it started raining. Sorry, pouring down. By 7 am, it was still raining and it was cold. So we were saved the last day’s travel in rainy weather as we came in early and slept in the boat tied up at the yard. A blessing in disguise. A glorious end to a wonderful canal holiday. 

The author on his Canal Boat recce at Oxford.

Capt. Rohit Mehta and crew member

This article is dedicated to my nephew in law Rohit  Mehta, my niece Darshana and their son Shrey who courageously decided to accompany me on this holiday, not knowing where it would lead them, but they enjoyed it eventually. 











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