Hallmark with Maggie on board left Banbury at 8:00am
We had quite a long day ahead of us. There were eight locks to go through before we reached Upper and Lower Heyford where we planned to stop for the night.
Banbury town centre was really quite as we went under the lift bridge and Banbury Lock.
The first part of the day we went under the M40 twice. There was also plenty of lift bridges but all of them were up! Here is the M40 and a bridge just before Grant's Lock. 20th and 18th century bridges alongside each other.
Aynho Wharf is re-markedly intact. In the picture below it nestles behind a large willow.
Its original brick warehouse is home to a shop selling provisions and canal souvenirs to passing boats.
The Great Western Arms is just back from the canal have really great food and the service is remarkable.
There is plenty of canal and railway memorabilla to look at too.
It is a day of memorial locks
At Kings Sutton Lock they have mounted the old village railway station sign on to one of the warehouse buildings by the lock.
You also get a stunning view of the parish church.
Nell Bridge Lock is so close the main road (which runs over the top of the old 18th century bridge) and everything seems so narrow but as always Hallmark just fit through.
Somerton Lock is overlooked by an exceptionally pretty cottage.
Here is Maggie pushing open one of the gates. Hard work!
It is very a very deep lock with a fall of 12 foot. It is the deepest on the Oxford Canal.
It actually vies with Tardebigge on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal as being the deepest narrow chamber on the canal system.
It is just amazing going down as coming up It is so coffin like at the bottom.
At Allen's Lock a British Waterways man is working the lock.
He says there are water level problems below Lower Heyford and he is using the lock to feed and improve the level.
We see the sign for The Barley Mow just after Allen's Lock and Bridge 204 and pull in to a space after a bit of reversing. A meal at the pub is planned for later!
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