We were at the Museum shortly after it opened at 1000. The entrance is in Castle Wharf Shopping centre and then you pass over the canal on an enclosed bridge to the main building. On the bridge are story boards explaining the canal etc but there are no artifacts representing the canal though. The main museum is well laid out and has descriptive words about the relatively few exhibits. The story takes you through the life of Banbury from start to today. For example who knew that Bird's Custard was made in Banbury, and may still be. We spent the best part of two hours there before going for a few fresh bits.
There was a bit of a queue at the lock and it turns out that there was a problem with the bottom gates as the top of them had toed in. There was a C&RT keeper there keeping his eye on the proceedings. As the water point at the bottom was free we pulled over there to fill up and dump the rubbish. By the time we had finished we moved over and were soon up the lock.
Just by the Town Hall we saw this post bow. I have never seen this type of box previously. The uniform penny post was started up around the country in 1840. This box was one of the experimental ones to confirm designs and has been in constant use since 1856. I like the vertical slot.
There was a bit of a queue at the lock and it turns out that there was a problem with the bottom gates as the top of them had toed in. There was a C&RT keeper there keeping his eye on the proceedings. As the water point at the bottom was free we pulled over there to fill up and dump the rubbish. By the time we had finished we moved over and were soon up the lock.
I have no idea why anybody thought that this was a good thing to do with Tooley's Historic Boat Yard. There are tours that can be undertaken but surely there was a better way to cover it so that it was still visible for those passing on the tow path and the canal. I suppose that it is still better than pulling it down and filling in the dry dock, but only just!
Above the lock the moorings were very busy. I would certainly moor below the lock the next time we pass as it is much quieter and not so hemmed in either.
The Lock cottage at Bourton Lock has no access or garden but seems a shame that nobody is living there.
As I walked up to Slat Mill Lock I was amazed to see a mink skipping down the lock tail at the other end. I thought that glimpse would be it but after it had disappeared under the foot boards, but no it came out with another and they didn't seem too bothered with me at the other end of the lock.
They were obviously two very young ones as it was only when I got much closer that they disappeared. When I went to open the paddles lo and behold one of them was still there. It didn't want to move but when the water started coming in it moved to the other side of the lock.
Standing in the recess of the foot boards the mink was still curious before swimming off up the canal. Quite a privileged really and I'm glad the Helen got to see them too.
We couldn't decide whether to moor before Cropredy but decided to continue on and passed the lines of moored boats, some long term moorers and some visitors for the Festival next weekend. The 24hr moorings were suspiciously full though. We pottered on until just before Broadmoor Lock and pulled in for the night. Lots of hire boats came after us.
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