On Sunday 16th July we left Cropredy and found a number of boats going south and a few short queues at locks (up to three boats) as we worked our way south through Banbury. However, the town was quiet on a Sunday morning. We had a short wait at Banbury Lock whilst an elderly lady made he way across the lift bridge to her sheltered home on the other side of the canal.
Banbury centre
Crossing the canal
At Somerton Deep Lock we chatted to the owners of the lock cottage about their lifestyle; living in a isolated house with no mains electricity, no mains water and no road access. Their five year-old daughter travels to her local primary school by boat. They have developed some inventive methods for water use and rely on generators for power.
Somerton Deep Lock and Cottage
Leaving the lock
Lock cottage transport
After some more locks , as Person puts it "spaced at annoying intervals" we made Lower Heyford by the evening where we found a very convenient mooring close to the railway station. The only problem was we had discovered a 3G black spot and no web access. Because we were trying to arrange some complex travel arrangements for our visitors on the Monday it was a little unnerving but it turned out that moving just two boat lengths south gave us full 3G and 4G access and I need not have worried.
