Waterways of Oxford

Oxford brings to mind ancient colleges, dreaming spires, and what remains of an old medieval city. Before I moved here my impression of Oxford did not include rivers, canals, and waterways.  I now know that life in Oxford has long revolved - and evolved - around its waterways - as a means of transport, a source of power and food and, in this last century, the focus of sport and leisure activities. 

Oxford is very much defined by it's waterways.  Two rivers converge in Oxford, The River Thames and it’s tributary the River Cherwell.  In ancient times river crossing points were vital and recorded in such place names as Oxenford ( where an ox could cross), and Swinford (where pigs could cross).  Hence even Oxford’s name comes from it’s former relationship to it’s rivers.  

\

Historically cartographers have insisted that the river Thames was correctly named the River Isis from its source until Dorchester-on-Thames, where the river meets the River Thames and becomes the "Thame-isis" (from which the Latin name Tamesis is derived), subsequently abbreviated to Thames and in Oxford, Isis.  To this day Oxford still refers to it's river at the Isis.  This causes so end of confusion as people look for three rivers: the Thames, the Cherwell and the Isis.

The Oxford Canal stretches a distance of 77 miles from Oxford to the outskirts of Coventry. It is one of the earliest canals created in the UK and it was built to bring coal from the Coventry coalfields to Oxford and the River Thames. It opened in sections between 1774 and 1790.

Today the waterways are no longer used for commerce. They are a hugely popular route for boaters and narrowboats (houseboats designed for the UK canals), as well as walkers and bikers. On a summer evening on the Thames/Isis or any of the canals, you can see just about any type of boat imaginable, except sail boats.   

The River Cherwell is a major tributary of the Thames/Isis. It is known as the place for punting in Oxford. It flows from North Oxfordshire, almost the length of the Oxford Canal and sometimes becoming incorporated in the canal itself. The Cherwell starts north of Banbury and joins the Isis just below Christchurch Meadow in Oxford.

The Cherwell Boathouse

The Cherwell at Magdalen Bridge - a popular place for punting.

The Oxford Canal is beloved by walkers, cyclists, and anglers and is home to a large boating community. At the same time, for many in Oxford the Canal remains an undiscovered waterway since it is a bit away from the center of the city. That is in part what I love about it.  It's a favorite place of mine to go walking any time of year. 

narrowboat  -  noun   -  BRITISH  

1.    a canal boat less than 7 ft (2.1 metres) wide with a maximum length of 70 ft (21.3 metres) and steered with a tiller rather than a wheel.

While there are many different styles and sizes of narrowboat, they all usually fall into one of three types that are determined by the shape or features of the back deck. I've been told that they are easy to steer and control, and with a little bit of practice most people can get the hang of it after a couple of hours.

This is a small Thames canal just off Donnington Bridge Road.

Crew practicing on the Isis just below the Godstow lock on Port Meadow

The River Thames or Isis at Port Meadow. This is one of my favorite river bank walks.

The Bridge near the Perch

The Trout in Wolvercote

Boats near Castle Mill Stream

The Thames at Osney Island

Osney Island

Osney Lock

In one mile-long walk, the Thames/Isis can go from looking like a scene from the movie The African Queen

...to a bird sanctuary

... to something that looks like the developing world. I love the variety one can see from the banks of the Thames/Isis near Oxford.

Kayaking at Iffley Lock

Sanford Lock 

The Kings Arms at Sanford Lock 

\

The Isis at Iffley

The boat houses along the Isis, just downriver from the Folly Bridge

The Isis at Folly Bridge

I've come to truly appreciate and love the waterways of Oxford. I even think it would be fun to hire a narrowboat and explore the canals north and west of Oxford. At the very least, I hope to walk the Thames path and the canal path as far as I can. It's another world from what we see from the roads and land-locked paths.