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Napton Marina to Cropredy by narrowboat

It is 17 miles and 17 locks from Napton Marina to Cropredy, about 9 hours 2 minutes of cruising, comfortably done in 2 days at 6 hours a day. The route is checked against live closure notices - 5 active stoppages currently affect its waterways, and the plan below works around or waits out what it can (last checked 21 Oct 2026).

17 miles
17 locks
9 h 2 min cruising
2 days at 6 h/day

Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.

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The South Oxford is the network’s favourite contour canal, and this stretch is its heart. From Napton Marina the route climbs the Napton flight beneath the windmill, wriggles along the lonely summit past Fenny Compton’s deep cutting, then drops through the Claydon flight to Cropredy, the canalside village made famous by its folk festival. Slow, rural and utterly charming.

The route in words

Waterways on this route, in order:

  • Napton flight (lock flight, 7 locks)
  • Claydon flight (lock flight, 5 locks)
  • Prescote flight (lock flight, 3 locks)

The route works 1 movable (swing or lift) bridge.

Day by day

  1. Day 1
    13.12 mi 9 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Mooring
  2. Day 2
    3.61 mi 8 locks 3 h 2 min arrive ~11:02

Live closures on this route

Most planners list stoppages and leave you to plot around them. Canal Nav checks every live notice and plans this route around anything blocking - automatically, each time it is recalculated.

14 live notices on this route's waterways (last checked 21 Oct 2026, 11:30). The live map routes around anything blocking.

Coming back the other way

The return from Cropredy to Napton Marina covers the same water, the same 17 miles and 17 locks, again over about 2 days - only the overnight moorings shift.

Reverse day-by-day plan
  1. Day 1: 13.12 mi, 9 locks
  2. Day 2: 3.61 mi, 8 locks
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Start and finish

Napton Marina

Where this cruise sets off.

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Cropredy

Journey's end.

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Cruising rings touching this route

  • Warwickshire Ring 104 miles, 118 locks - a signposted circuit you can join from this route

Plan it properly

Distances and times are planning estimates (last computed 6 Aug 2026). Always check live closures on the map before setting off.

Cruising Napton Marina way? Plan it in minutes.

Turn-by-turn routing with live closures, lock counts and day planning - free.

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