River Thames

Abingdon to Oxford

May 2002


Leaving Abingdon to the North is a very pretty stretch of river. Our narrowboat, Helva, is kept on the Thames with home moorings at Abingdon. The fields beside the river are summer home to very many geese, mostly Canada Geese.
Left: Nuneham House, Nuneham Courtenay. I read somewhere that the original builder of this house had the village of Nuneham Courtenay moved because it was spoiling his view of the river.

Right: I don't know the purpose of this odd isolated structure in the grounds of Nuneham house. I think of it as some kind of folly, but it may have been built with a more serious purpose.

A Salter's trip boat that plies the river between Oxford and Abingdon through the summer months. Below: Iffley Lock. This is the first lock downstream of Oxford city. The old stone bridge spans what was once a ramp for taking punts between the river levels.
The river reach immediately below Oxford city is often very crowded, being used by rowers for practice, punters, hire boats manned by tourists for whom this is (apparently) their first experience in charge of a river craft, and general river traffic.

Right: some of the Oxford college boat houses.

The Head of the River pub, by Folly Bridge. The Fuller's London Pride Ale is reputed to be very good.

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