Downhill to Cropredy.

It seemed very quiet last night and also this morning with only a couple of boats passing before we got under way.

We had a very pleasant mooring last night with a lovely view through the hedge

Macy enjoyed a walk up the tow path and a hunt around the hedgerows. I'm not sure if it is because she is getting older, 9 now, but she hasn't come back with any presents for us at all. Mind you last year in total she only caught two shrews and one mouse so she isn't a No.1 predator, she does enjoy the hunt through.

There was nobody on the water point at Fenny Compton so we stopped to top up and to drop off the rubbish in the bins at the bottom of the pub car park. It always seems to be awkward here as there just isn't enough room for two boats on the two taps, especially if facing the wrong ways for the taps and as the bridges and water point are on a bit of a bend and a quite narrow spot it can be a bit of a jam. Not today though.

The approach to the Fenny Compton 'Tunnel' seems to be more narrow than the 'tunnel' itself due to the tree growth. The tunnel can only just have been a few feet below the surface and as it was a bottle neck they decided to open it up and this was completed in 1868. It is still a bit of a bottle neck today though.

This is boundary lift bridge. It was open but we waited for the boat to come through first. It is called the Boundary Bridge as it is just about on the boarder between Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

The water from Boddington Reservoir enters the canal at the next bridge. It is a shame that it isn't the creamy beer that Melanie Sykes used to advertise. (Am I showing my age?)

I don't expect that 'KYLE' has been invited back to the Open Day at Poynton this year.

First lock of the day, Claydon Top Lock and the very quaint house beside it. From here we met a constant stream of boats coming up. I did ask if there had been an outbreak of plague or something as they seemed to be deserting the south. I think there were over a dozen we passed. Slow going up the locks, but good for us.

The undulating countryside looks to be good walking territory and a part that doesn't see too many tourists I should think. Lots of little villages and people just getting on with life.

There is a lovely collection of buildings at Clattercote Wharf and some nice boats too. Mind you I have never seen much work going on here.

There seemed to be a bit of a queue above Cropredy Lock. One just leaving and three looking to go in. We thought we would take the opportunity to go and get some milk so just put the centre rope on. By the time I had started walking the two ahead of us had moored up! When I got back we decided to have our lunch before heading off again. We didn't go too far after the village and clear of most of the boats. I find the village moorings quite oppressive really. We moored up with a good open view to the west a little before Slat Mill Lock. There is the beautiful cry of curlews from the meadow across from us.

By the time we had moored and had a cup of tea the oil had cooled a little and I set to doing the overdue oil change. I had spoken to Tooley's Yard and they had suggested pouring a little oil into the sump pump to help it to get suction. It worked fine and I was annoyed with myself as we used to have to do this with salvage pumps etc when I was at sea. All was completed before the slight rain started.