Thames Boathouses
It is a week since we embarked on the K&A expedition by leaving the Oxford Canal via Isis Lock into the River Thames. At the first Thames lock we have to buy a licence because our BW one does not cover the river. If we buy a one-day licence at £33 we get a second day free - Tesco marketing comes to the Thames! This raises a challenge - can we get to Reading where the K&A starts in two days?

The weather was glorious and we  made it to Shillingford where we moored  on the lawn of Shillingford Bridge Hotel. A lovely location with use of the outside swimming pool and lawns. A well deserved rest was taken after we had recovered from paying the mooring fee of £20. Apparently this is twice last year's price.
The next day we reached Reading and so achieved our goal so the mooring fee was deemed worth it.

This is the first time Gecko has ventured south from Oxford on the Thames but we enjoyed it, especially the unusual buildings, including boathouses which are rare on the canals we usually inhabit.