Round Trip from Folly Bridge, Osney Lock, turn right at Four Rivers, second left into Isis Lock,
(big lock key required - ask any narrow boat), up the Oxford Canal, through Wolvercote Lock,
left into Duke's Cut and its lock, right, right, and then left on Thames into King's Lock, Godstow Lock,
(the Trout or the Perch? decisions decisions!),
Port Meadow, Medley, and back to Four Rivers, Osney Lock and to Folly Bridge.
Drag MagicMap above and explore the route.
Don't choose a windy day for the section above Kings Lock!
You do need a lock key - but Narrow Boat folk are sometimes friendly ...
These sections are all covered elsewhere:
Folly Bridge
Bacon's Folly;
Oxford Footbridge;
Osney Footbridge;
Osney Railway Bridges;
Four Rivers.
1893: Ravenstein, The Oarsman's and Angler's map -
A branch stream leads to the Oxford canal, by which, for a small sum, steam launches and other craft up to 7ft beam may reach the Thames again above King's Weir, avoiding the intervening difficulties of the river.
The canal was supported by Oxford clergy and academics, who could see the benefit of cheap coal from the midlands.
But what is hard to understand today is that what the canal brought was cheap coal from London! The river was so much harder to navigate and more expensive that this canal from the north was actually a cheaper route!
1842: Plan of Castle Mill Boatyard and St Barnabas Church -
Map of Castlemill Boatyard, 1842?
A Towpath Walk In Oxford by Mark Davies and Catherine Robinson, 2003 -
Castlemill Boatyard comprises the very first wharf to be established in Jericho,
set up by Henry Ward, a member of a successful and philanthropic Oxford family of
coalmerchants, boatowners, and boatbuilders in the early 19th century.
Ward is described as a 'Jericho Boatbuilder' in Pigot's Directory for 1842 -
but may well have operated for some years prior to this.
The Ward family still owned
most of the land here when St Barnabas' Church was built (1869), and as well as providing
the land for the church's construction, the Wards also provided the site for Jericho's
first school in 1856.
Later on, in 1927, it was this site which enabled the Oxford Canal Company
(the pre-World War Two forerunner to BW) to begin its strategic withdrawal from the
centre of Oxford, on the basis that the Jericho wharves were by then considered ample
alternative accommodation ... for delivery and stacking of all goods carried on the Canal'.
Post-World War Two, the Jericho wharves contributed to the salvation of a canal threatened
by closure, through providing a base for the embryonic leisure trade - including the
hire fleet of British Waterways itself - which has grown to become one of the mainstays
of the inland waterways in general.
1875: Castlemill Boatyard and St Barnabas, Jericho, Henry Taunt -
Castlemill Boatyard and St Barnabas, Jericho, Taunt, 1875
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT1657
1972: Castlemill Boatyard and St Barnabas, Jericho, Malcolm Graham -
Castlemill Boatyard and St Barnabas, Jericho, Malcolm Graham 1972
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; D205209a
Closed boatyard and St Barnabas, 2007
The Castlemill Boatyard site is now being
developed.
An initial sketch -
Development in place of Castlemill Boatyard?
College Cruisers: East bank
College Cruisers 2007
Mount Place Footbridge
Mount Place Footbridge 2007
Walton Well Road Bridge
Bridge 242
Walton Well Road Bridge 2007
Walton or Bruman's Well -
.Still remembered in the name of Walton Well Road, and having on its site a fountain, erected in 1885 by the liberality of Alderman Ward. The inscription is as follows: 1885. Drink and think of Him who is the fountain of life. With the consent of the lords of the manor, this drinking-fountain is erected by Mr. William Ward, to mark the site of a celebrated spring, known as Walton Well, adjacent to the ancient fordway into Colt Meadow, now called Walton Ford.
Building works
Aristotle Bridge, Aristotle Lane Bridge, 240
Aristotle Lane Bridge, 2007
Aristotle's Well -
ARISTOTLE'S Well is not far from Elmer's (and Wolward's) Well in the north suburbs,
neare or in the fields of Walnercote or Ulgars--or Algar's Cote.
It was anciently
(as by some now) called Brumman's Well, together with that at Walton, because Brumman le Rich
or de Walton lived and owned lands about the said wells, most, if not all, of which he
gave by the favour of Robert D'oilly, his lord and master, who came into England with
the Conqueror, to St. George's College in the Castell at his first foundation, A.D. 1074.
After his time, if not, be likely, before, it was christened by the name of Aristotle's Well,
because that it was then - as now 'tis - frequented in the summer season by our Peripateticks.
In the present summer (1888) it was built over by the garden wall of a house erected on the
south of the road leading to the canal bridge.
Survey of the Antiquities of the City of Oxford, composed in 1661-66 by Anthony Wood,
edited by Andrew Clark, M.A., vol. i., 1889; Oxford Historical Soc., pp. 353, 354.
Frenchay Road Bridge, Bridge 239, constructed in 1895-8
Frenchay Road Bridge
Bridge, 2007
Frenchay Road Bridge
Bridge 239, 2007
St Edward's Lift Bridge, Bridge 238. A pedestrian lifting bridge
St Edward's Lift Bridge 2007
Narrows but no bridge
Railway Bridge
Bridge 237
Railway Bridge 2007
Left bank allotments
Balls Bridge, Bridge 236
Bridge 237?
Balls Bridge 2007
Godstow Road Footbridge?
Godstow Road Bridge
Bridge 235
Godstow Road Bridge 2007
Wolvercote Lock, immediately above Godstow Road Bridge
Wolvercote Lock 2007
Wolvercote Lock 2007
Perry's Lift Bridge
Bridge 234. A pedestrian lifting bridge
Lift Bridge 2007
Wolvercote A34 Western Bypass Bridge
A34 Western Bypass Bridge 2007
2008: The Bridge is being replaced. Highways Agency newsletter, May 2008 -
The construction process will take approximately two years and we aim to complete the project in the
Summer of 2010.
Why are we replacing the Viaduct?
The viaduct was built in the early 1960s and mainly due to salt laden water leaking through the deck
joints, the viaduct has deteriorated. We have carried out work to repair the viaduct in recent
years, but in the long term it is better value for money to replace the viaduct rather than having to
keep carrying out repairs.
Project Timetable:
Stage 1 Construct the temporary Southbound bridge deck to the east of the existing structure.
Stage 2 Demolish the existing Northbound bridge deck and rebuild.
Stage 3 Demolish the existing Southbound bridge deck and rebuild.
Stage 4 Slide the temporary Southbound bridge deck into its permanent location.
Stage 5 Demolish the temporary Southbound piers and North abutment.
Lift Bridge, Bridge 233, immediately above A34 bridge
Lifting Bridge 233, 2007
A40 Northern By Pass Road Bridge (Wolvercote Canal Bridge)
A40 Northern Bypass Bridge 2007
For pages about boating from Cambridge to Oxford (210 miles, 115 locks!) click here
Junction with Duke's Cut
Junction with Duke's Cut, 2007
Lock Keeper's House, Dukes Lock, Oxford Canal, by Michele Field -
Lock Keeper's House, Dukes Lock, Oxford Canal, by Michele Field
Oxford Canal Towpath Bridge over Duke's Cut entry, bridge 232. Exactly three miles from Isis Lock
Towpath Bridge over Duke's Cut, bridge 232, 2007
Railway Bridge over Lock
Duke's Cut Lock, Lock 44A
Duke's Cut Lock and Railway bridge, 2007
Note that no provision has been made for crossing the upper gate.
It can of course be done with care!
So, single handed, going towards the Thames, stop on the left below the lock.
A40 Bridge, On Duke's Cut
A40 Bridge over Duke's Cut, 2007
The towpath under the bridge was flooded and between it and the lock the LEFT bank (facing the Thames) was leaking badly into a ditch. Maybe the Thames was a little high - but it looked normal to me.
In 1789 George Spencer, Duke of Marlborough, built a short length of canal north of
Wolvercote, later known as Duke's Cut, to connect the river Thames with the Oxford Canal.
He tried to sell the cut to the canal company, and in 1792 conveyed it in trust to
the Vice-Chancellor and the Mayor of Oxford.
Junction of Duke's Cut with Wolvercote Mill Stream
Going from Oxford Canal to Thames: turn right.
Going from Thames to Oxford Canal: turn left.
Sign Post Duke's Cut, 2007
Junction of Wolvercote Mill Stream and Kings Weir Stream
At above junction: Going from Oxford Canal to Thames: turn right.
Going from Thames to Oxford Canal: turn left.
This next section through open water meadows is very exposed to the wind
(he says ruefully. No photo - I was too busy!)
The LEFT bank (ie left going upstream towards the Thames) is the King's Lock Island (No camping?).
Junction with Thames
Upstream on the Thames is straight on (next sections
River Evenlode,
Eynsham Lock)
Downstream to the left is the cut to King's Lock
King's Lock
Western Bypass Road Bridge
Godstow Bridge
Godstow Lock
The Trout
Port Meadow
The Perch
Medley Footbridge
Four Rivers
and so home ...