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Day 7 - The Loch Weir Keeper
We headed off about 8:30 this morning towards Cricklade. Google Maps said it was 56kms away. The forecast was for a top of 28C, it's starting to feel a bit like summer.
I was navigating today and started following the route which was anything but inspiring. We were on an "A" road with lots of traffic and very little to enjoy in the way of scenery. We stopped a short way out of Oxford to look at options and decided to go down a small lane and reach Crickdale via some minor roads. It would be longer but hopefully more enjoyable. We were instantly rewarded. Hiding just off the main road was a Toll Bridge over the Thames (bicycles were free) and as we glanced right we caught sight of a loch. We circled around to the loch which revealed an idyllic little oasis in the sun. Nick was the Loch Weir Keeper. He was responsible for opening and closing the loch for all vessels during opening hours. He lived onsite in a home provided by the company operating the locks. What a great job! While we were chatting, a boat did come
into the loch. It was a couple on a narrow boat. They spent 6 months of the year travelling on the rivers and canals of England and Wales. The lock was filled from the weir and Nick opened the gates and out they floated with the lock gates closed behind them.
We also saw some swimmers in front of the loch. Nick said technically they weren't allowed there but he turned a blind eye. We then had a lovely chat with Kath, Stanley and friends. They were all long distance swimmers. Kath is training for a 10km race later in Summer. Stanley, an Oxford Professor was the 14th person to swim the length of the Thames (though not all at once).
As is usually the case, people ask us where we're going and since we're still travelling west, their foreheads crease and they say something like, "You do realise your're heading in the wrong direction?" We're about to circle back towards the east so at least we'll now be heading towards our goal.
We spent 45 minutes at the lock before getting back on the bikes and were treated to more of the back lanes of England
full of character and charm. We passed through many small villages (Cheers Farm, New Farm, Pusey, Eaton Castle (which didn't have a castle) just to name a few) and most have no petrol stations or grocery stores and only a few have Pubs. I'm not sure how the infrastructure works for the littler villages but they obviously get by. We didn't go through the Cottswolds but we still did see a number of cottages with thick thatched roofs.
We had lunch at The Woodman's Inn. They had a good menu but we were after something that wouldn't leave us feeling bloated. Sandwiches with salad and chips. Well, not too bloated anyway. What a welcome and filling stop it was as the day became hotter.
We headed off for the afternoon section to Crickdale. Jeff had been hearing a rubbing sound on his bike. We pulled over a number of times but couldn't work it out. We continued riding when we heard metal dropping from his bike!! Thankfully it was only the remnants of the broken kick stand from earlier. That rubbing noise continued and we pulled over again. Jeff stood the bike up and his new kickstand buckled
under the weight and snapped in two. I didn't know whether to laugh or or offer condolenses. After the cursing stopped, Jeff laughed which meant I could too! Hard to get a good kickstand in this country. Well at least we found the rubbing noise was coming from a tie on one of the rear panniers.
We got into Crickdale at a very reasonable time, just after 3pm. The White Hart Hotel is actually a pub with rooms upstairs. That should take care of where we eat tonight.
Tomorrow we are off to the town of Bath. We've heard a lot about it so we're both looking forward to seeing some of the sites when we ge there. What happens after Bath is still a little up in the air so we have some decisions to make.
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