The birth of 550 berths.

Well I guess it had to happen eventually and after four years work at the Barby Pools Marina has finally begun. It seems to have picked up the names Onley Marina or Onley Park Marina along the way but it is the 550 berth one near the Onley prisons on the Oxford canal. I first mentioned this in 2012 HERE.

Newt fencing has been installed over much of the marina site but for some reason not all.

The two pictures above are taken from next to bridge 81.

This is the footpath diversion map posted by the council.
Top left is the Rye Hill prison buildings. There is an extension to the north side of the prison in the planning stage.

D is the gate boaters are familiar with that leads to the bus stop by the prisons. I say prisons because there are three here. Rye Hill is for sex offenders, Onley is category C and Rainsbrook is for young offenders 12-18 yrs old.

What is basically happening is the removal of the paths from D through B, G, F and E because that`s where the marina is going to be.

So if approaching D from the north you are directed onto the towpath. This is because there is a footpath over the canal brdg. 81 at B into Barby. You could also go via I if you intend keep on the southerly path, the one i have entered as Red dots from E.  Likewise if you are heading north at E and wish to go to Barby across the canal you now need to go via H,I and D then use the towpath to B and the path across the canal.


 This is one of the paths being diverted. Bridge 81 is to my right and we are looking towards the wood where the boaters gates to the bus stop are. So B to D on the map. Won`t be too long before this same view will be full of boats.
I think the only difference to boaters mooring here will be it might be better to moor near the gates at D and towards the north. This will get you away from the top pool of the marina and any light pollution or possible noise.
Sue on No Problem has done a blog about this and has some links. Sue and I were both confused about the footpath diversion signs, sorted Sue but it did take a lot of reading of all the instructions posted with the order.