Oxford Canal has 46 locks and 199 recorded mooring sites (74 with a published Canal & River Trust time limit), plus 58 water points. There are currently 24 active navigation closures on this waterway.
Locks
46
Mooring sites
199
Timed moorings
74
Water points
58
Active navigation closures
Lock 39 Pigeons lock to lock 38 Northbrook Lock
Sun, Jul 12
Lock 25 Cropredy
Mon, Nov 2 → Fri, Dec 18
Between Lock 32 Nell Bridge Lock and Lock 33 Aynho Weir Lock
Mon, Jul 13
Foxes Lift Bridge No 171, Canal Lane, Bodicote
Mon, Jun 29
Braunston CSF- next to Midland Chandlers
Mon, Jul 13
Bridge 24, Nettlehill Bridge, Coventry
Tue, Jul 7
Between Bridge 102 and Bridge 101, Flecknoe
Fri, Sep 18
Towpath between Bridge 112 and Bridge 113, Napton
Mon, Aug 24 → Mon, Oct 26
Towpath Restriction - Oxford Canal, bridge 236 balls bridge and bridge 235, wolvercote
Mon, Jul 27
Bridge 210, Northbrook Bridge
Thu, Jul 9
Lock 42, Roundham Lock - Offside Ground Paddle
Fri, Mar 20
Boughton Road CSF
Mon, Mar 2
Hillmorton Lock Flight
Tue, Jul 28
Managing the Safe Movement of Wide-Beam Boats, North Oxford Canal
Tue, Feb 16
Bridge 128 Willison's Bridge, Wormleighton
Mon, Nov 2 → Fri, Mar 12
Towpath Between Bridges 127 and 128, Oxford Canal near Wormleighton, Warwickshire
Thu, May 1 → Sun, Jan 31
Hawkesbury CSF
Fri, Jul 18
Napton Lock 8 to Marston Doles Lock 16
Sun, Aug 9
Navigation Closure South Oxford Canal – From Claydon Top Lock 17 to Aynho Weir Lock 33
Wed, Aug 5
Lock 29, Banbury Lock to Lock 21, Claydon Bottom lock
Sun, Oct 25 → Sun, Oct 25
Sunken vessel Bridge 214
Tue, Jun 30
Towpath between Aqueduct 2 and Bridge 24, Nettlehill Bridge Rugby, Warwickshire
Fri, Dec 19
Lock 27, Little Bourton
Mon, Nov 2 → Fri, Dec 18
Hawkesbury Lock
Mon, Nov 2 → Fri, Nov 6
What size boat fits?
Canal & River Trust publish these maxima for the Oxford Canal. Treat them as a rough guide rather than a guarantee — an individual bridge hole, lock chamber or shallow pound can be tighter than the headline figure, and draught in particular varies with rainfall and silting.
Max length
72ft 1in (21.96m)
Max beam
6ft 12in (2.13m)
Max draught
3ft 10in (1.17m)
Headroom
8ft (2.44m)
Source: Canal & River Trust waterway dimensions (rough guide).
Frequently asked questions
How many locks are on the Oxford Canal?
There are 46 locks recorded on the Oxford Canal, based on Canal & River Trust reference data.
Where can I moor on the Oxford Canal?
199 mooring sites are recorded on the Oxford Canal, of which 74 have a published time limit — usually 14 days, but shorter in busy spots. Visitor moorings and their time limits are shown on the Itchy Tiller map.
Is the Oxford Canal open at the moment?
There are currently 24 active navigation closures affecting the Oxford Canal. Details and dates are listed on this page.
What size boat can navigate the Oxford Canal?
Maximum length 72ft 1in (21.96m), maximum beam 6ft 12in (2.13m), maximum draught 3ft 10in (1.17m), minimum headroom 8ft (2.44m). These are Canal & River Trust's published figures for the Oxford Canal and are a rough guide — check individual structures before committing to a passage.
Are there water points on the Oxford Canal?
Yes — 58 water points are recorded on the Oxford Canal. Their locations are shown on the Itchy Tiller map alongside rubbish disposal and Elsan points.
Plan a route or track your stay on the Oxford Canal
Itchy Tiller shows this canal's locks, moorings and live closures on an interactive map, with route planning and mooring time-limit tracking built in.
Open the map