We decided to spend the day at Cropredy and as always we try to support the local shops as well as the coal/diesel boats. They are always handy for basics such as milk ,bread ,butter and of course the odd bottle of wine if we are running short. Cropredy has a very good shop which is located near to the services so is handy if you are passing through the village.
After leaving the shop we walked up to the Church and had to walk up this path to get there.It’s an Ancient pathway leading from the church and I have no idea why it’s called Hell Hole. Maybe if you were buried in the Churchyard and you didn’t fit in you would be sent down this path. If anyone knows the real reason for the name I would love to know what it means.
Unfortunately we couldn’t have a look in the church as they are carrying out repairs, but it gave Carolyn the chance to spend a bit longer looking for my possible final resting place in the churchyard.
This is one of the older parts of the village with thatched cottages and a very handy pub called The Red Lion. We were going to go in to the pub for something to eat but after looking at some of the reviews on Trip advisor we decided against it.
Looking back towards Cropredy lock and then further on towards our mooring.
Now for a bit of a rant… This is what always puts us off mooring here in Cropredy. There are House’s all over the network which back onto a canal ,but this is one of the few places where the residents that live opposite the moorings seem to have a problem with boater’s. At the end of the day the canal was here hundreds of years before the house’s were built and they must have realised what living next to a canal with moorings would mean when they bought their house’s, unless they were stupid . 99.9% of boaters do not run their engine unless they have to as obviously it cost’s money ,so the engines are only run until the batteries are fully charged. And if the residents think anyone is going to move in the middle of the day to below the lock to charge their batteries they must be round the twist. It’s very rare that we ever encounter another boat running their engine after 8pm and before 8am and in most cases boater’s themselves will have a word with the offending boater, at least I will, although Carolyn tries to stop me. Come on Cropredy get rid of those uninviting signs and instead welcome boats to your lovely village.
Anyway tomorrow we will pull pins early and head in to Banbury and hopefully pick up our favourite mooring just before Tom Rolt bridge.
Happy Days
Red Lion, always seems to be shut or booked solid whenever I have passed, admittedly usually around summer. But have never felt a welcoming atmosphere. As for the residents, they really can' t complain about responsible boaters, who are considerate of others. Unfortunately, I guess that during summer, and especially during the festival in August, they get swamped by visitors who may not be as, er.... Sensitive to the concerns of others whilst seeking their own enjoyment? Meanwhile, I hope your travels continue to be enjoyable and keep blogging.
ReplyDeleteHi Jack , good to hear from you . We both very much like Croperdy and have never had a problem ourselves with any of the residents and always found them very friendly. We said we will try the other pub sometime which I think is the Braesnose or something like that. Now in Banbury and Carolyn is in her element with the Spiceball centre for all of her workouts and not to mention all the shops..
DeleteExcellent. Banbury is one of our favourite places. Can' t get closer to the shops. The Brasenose in Cropredy is not bad, worth a try if you return that way. Or are you off down the Thames? Either way, enjoy, as I'm sure you will.
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