CSCC Reports 2011: Oxford - April 2011
 |
After a harsh winter, spring is upon us and touring trips have made a welcome return. On Sunday 2nd April we paddled 15 miles on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire in glorious warm sunshine. Karen, Stewart, Chris, David, Beth, Tom and I launched our Canadian canoes close to the Rock of Gibraltar pub at Enslow. The river had little flow on it for us, but we found frequent obstructions from fallen trees and had fun going under, over and around them. I had to use all my skill to hang onto my treasured Tilley hat and avoid christening my new "old school" £5 e-bay buoyancy aid. Chris picked up an impressive scratch across the face, giving him a rugged Indiana Jones look.
Several more hours of adventurous paddling followed as we carried on towards Oxford in search of dreaming spires. It was difficult to navigate the various channels: we were frequently presented with a choice of routes and careful map reading was required. After lunch, eagle-eyed David spotted that we had actually been paddling upstream. We canoed back the way we had come before discovering that we had gone down the only passable channel. After retracing our steps again, we resorted to a lengthy portage across a field. Tom looks like a husky when he drags his canoe.
All this took time, so once the river widened out we put a bit more effort into our paddling to make sure that we reached the Oxford colleges in daylight. We zipped past the other tourists in their punts. There is a weir in the middle of Oxford and Tom and Stewart and Karen skillfully shot it while the more weary or cowardly paddlers took advantage of the rollers. We were then able to enjoy a good view of the gardens of Magdalen college with their beautiful spring flowers.
 |
 |
Our thanks go to Chris for organising a very enjoyable eight hours on the river!