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shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Shadowed Eyes
@shadowedeyes.bsky.social
300 followers 23 following 600 posts
Boatlife, Canals, Heritage...
...plus a bit of Gloucester Heritage (https://gloucester500.co.uk)
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shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Shadowed Eyes @shadowedeyes.bsky.social · Nov 26
River Cherwell, aka Oxford Canal, photographed in October 2022 less than two weeks into the new boatlife and just a few days before boatlife reality struck and a stuck starter motor left me stranded in the Oxfordshire boonies for eight days.
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat #boatlife #OxfordCanal
Autumnal, warm-tinted image of the canalised River Cherwell with a narrowboat moored near a bridge over the river and the Oxford Canal continuing round right.
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Bright little oasis of vital supplies and technical expertise on the North Oxford Canal.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a small, rural, canal-side wharf lit at night
November 10, 2025 at 9:54 AM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
c.1774-vintage original and now truncated line of the Oxford Canal disappears under an iron bridge built c.1834, when the canal here was straightened to better compete with the Grand Union for Midlands–London traffic.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a pair of canal bridges at sun down, with autumnal trees painted gold by the setting sun. An iron-railing bridge carries the towpath over the original line of the canal that bent sharply right and is now just a short arm. Beyond that, an arched, brick bridge carries a road over the straightened section of canal that eliminated the bend of the original canal, thus shortening the route.
November 8, 2025 at 10:11 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Autumn. Dusk. North Oxford Canal.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of two narrowboats moored on a sinuous stretch of canal lined with trees in their autumn regalia under a darkening sky.
November 2, 2025 at 11:28 AM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Hillmorton Boat Services tucked down an arm off the North Oxford Canal between the locks, on what looks from old maps to be the site of former Oxford Canal Company workshops.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a short arm off the North Oxford Canal, the entrance spanned by an arched brick bridge, with narrowboats moored on the arm and a crane and some service buildings peaking up from behind large bushes.
October 27, 2025 at 2:41 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Grand Union at Daventry, just before Braunston Tunnel. Very pretty, but all those leaves in the canal meant constant anxious blipping of reverse to clear them from the prop while going through the tunnel 🥵
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a canal lined with colourful trees in autumn.
October 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Extended and in part drought-enforced stay on the Grand Union finally comes to an end as me and m' little boat-home turn onto the North Oxford. Forecast indicates a fair chunk of that drought will be fixed tomorrow ☔☔☔
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a narrowboat travelling down a canal against a backdrop of a gently rising field in which sheep are grazing, lined on the far side by autumnal trees with the spire of All Saints Church rising into a moody sky.
October 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
NB Trout, built 1931 for Fellows, Morton & Clayton, breasted up on the Grand Union with its butty, Norah, built 1930 for London Midland and Scottish Railway. The pair are now home to Daisy's Bakin Butty floating cafe 🍰
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a pair of historic working narrowboats breasted together at the side of a wide canal lined on each side by trees in their colourful autumn regalia
October 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Cleared the Buckby locks, thanks to vlockies and a couple on a hire boat who clearly knew what they were doing, so it is in theory, with only a bit of careful timing around planned stoppages, open waters for the winter😊
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of narrowboats moored at the side of a wide canal on a soggy grey day made colourful by trees resplendent in their autumnal finery lining each side of the canal.
October 19, 2025 at 5:52 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Bridgeless bridge hole on the Grand Union (used to be bridge 30, so bridge numbering here is a tad discontiguous now). 'Tis the season of colourful trees and, therefore, constant clearing of leaves from my leaf magnet prop 😠
#boatlife
#ukcanals #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a canal lined on each side by trees in their autumnal finery. In the middle distance the canal narrows where a now missing swing bridge once spanned the canal. Through the gap can be seen a white, two-storey canal-side residence.
October 16, 2025 at 6:28 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/4
Canalside cottages opposite the Boat Inn, top lock at Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union. Inn appears to predate the canal, having been built in the 18th century, whilst the canal followed at the turn of the century
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of historic canal-side brick and stone buildings lit at night. On each side of the canal, above a functioning lock next to a decommissioned lock, there is a narrowboat moored.
October 13, 2025 at 7:13 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Crept into my fourth year of liveaboard continuous cruising last week. Nights drawing in now, fourth winter approaches.

Pic: The very splendid Ashby Canal last April, before drought confined me to the Grand Union

#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a blue narrowboat approaching along a canal against a backdrop of leafless trees lit by a setting sun on a cloudless spring day
September 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/3
In 1793, digging began on the c.90-mile Grand Junction Canal (now part of the Grand Union) at both northern and southern ends. Seven years later, the two stretches met at this bridge in Cosgrove.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of an unusually ornate and decorative canal bridge built from dressed limestone.
September 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/8
Abandoned lock on the original cut of the Grand Union, one of eight built 1800 to cross the River Great Ouse while the embankment that crosses it today (rising ground background left) was being built.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canalheritage #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a pair of old lock gates stuck open with the lock chamber beyond, viewed from the former canal bed which is now dry and overgrown.
September 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Until the narrative becomes "this would be a disaster for the Government" and "decline of infrastructure due to lack of funding", the future for our inland waterways looks grim 🙁
#ukcanals
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
nabo-official.bsky.social NABO @nabo-official.bsky.social · Sep 2
Unprecedented drought or not this would be PR disaster for CRT. For yrs #boaters have witnessed decline of infrastructure due to lack of expenditure on #ukcanals The drought has only accelerated rate of demise. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Interview here at 1.50:00 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Banbury canal dry dock may be forced to close after 250 years
Tooley's Boatyard says it has lost 80% of business after dry weather closed its section of canal.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
August reservoir holdings report is out
canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-t...
Five reservoir groups are at historical lowest, while those supplying the K&A, GU sth, Lanc, Chesterfield, Grantham, BCN and S&W are still more than half full
#boatlife
#ukcanals
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Reservoir watch | Managing our water
This is the best place to find out the latest information about Canal & River Trust’s reservoirs.
canalrivertrust.org.uk
August 30, 2025 at 8:15 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Motor Nuneaton and butty Brighton, built 1936 for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company to carry cargo between the London ports and the midlands, now owned by the Narrow Boat Trust www.narrowboattrust.org.uk
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a pair of old working narrowboats breasted up as they exit a lock
August 25, 2025 at 7:04 AM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Followed this hire boat pair as they shared the locks at Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union. Such a pleasure to hear them happily swapping stories about their adventures and brief encounters touching ground in low water.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a pair of narrowboats with the same blue, red and yellow colour scheme travelling together towards a lock entrance partially obscured by a willow tree, watched by customers sat outside a canal-side pub under a blue summer sky.
August 24, 2025 at 1:17 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/8
Side ponds at Stoke Bruerne bottom lock on the Grand Union. Designed to save water, they were decommissioned mid-20th century when pumps were installed to send water back to the top of the lock flight.
#boatlife #heritage
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a canal lock side pond, with the lock it served the other side of the fence. A single-storey, brick former horse stable block can be seen in the background left. On the far side of the lock stands painted, two-storey, semi-detached canal cottages and, obscured by foliage, a small terrace of two-storey, brick former canal cottages and toll house.
August 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
End of an overcast, rainless day in the boonies on the Grand Union. Not quite the solar rich day followed by a night of much needed biblical rain that would be the preferred weather scenario, but hey ho, it is what it is.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a narrowboat moored against the towpath in an isolated rural location under a wispy cloud sky turned orange by the setting sun.
August 16, 2025 at 8:01 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
My attempt to escape the south east in slow motion has hit a slight problem. Looks like the network between where I am and Birmingham will be closed by the end of the month, and I'm not going to risk making a run for it.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Traditional working narrowboat emerging from a lock, watched over by a small former church, with the white, former lock-keeper's cottage in the background.
August 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Distinctive Dutch barge moored on the Grand Union Canal. Over 100 years old, it once served the Dutch postal service.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a recently repainted Dutch barge with sailing mast lowered over the cabin, moored on the offside of a wide canal opposite a modern narrowboat.
August 9, 2025 at 8:56 AM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/x
Wolverton aqueduct on the Grand Union, built 1811 to replace an aqueduct built shoddily in 1805 and catastrophic in its demise in 1808. One of the 46 scheduled monuments in the care of the Canal & River Trust.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a narrowboat on an iron-trough aqueduct with grey brick abutments and a central masonry pier.
August 8, 2025 at 12:18 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
Bit of movement, bit of colour on the Grand Union at sun down.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a narrowboat, slightly blurred as it travels along the canal under a cloudy sky coloured on the horizon by the setting sun
August 1, 2025 at 8:54 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
🧵1/11
The challenges facing the CRT's boater satisfaction rating...

The balance beam on one of the two bottom gates of Fenny Stratford Lock on the Grand Union was found lying on the ground last Monday. The other end of the beam, where the two gates meet, had splintered away from the gate.
#ukcanals
Photo of a wide beam lock. To the left, the approach is lined with a terrace of light brick cottages, the nearest with a small garden in bloom. To the right, next to the lock, are the white former-lock keeper's cottage and, beyond, a brick pump house.
July 31, 2025 at 11:07 PM
shadowedeyes.bsky.social
225-year-old lock on the Grand Union at Stoke Hammond, with slightly younger former lock keeper's cottage to right, former pumping station to left and, between lock and pump house, long-since filled in narrow lock.
#boatlife
#ukcanals #canal #narrowboat
#KeepCanalsAlive #FundBritainsWaterways
Photo of a narrowboat entering a wide lock taken from the bridge that spans the canal below the lock. Looking on to the lock to the right stands the two-storey, white, former lock-keeper's cottage. A wider expanse to the left of the lock between lock and towpath is where a second narrow lock once was but is now filled in. On the other side of the towpath stands the single-storey brick-built former pumping station.
July 27, 2025 at 11:14 AM