All ship-shape and Bristol fashion…

After such a roasting hot afternoon on Tuesday, the weather was not so good on Wednesday morning, very dull and overcast with a light drizzle coming and going, but, undeterred we set off to reach our goal.

 We soon reached the last BW lock -  and what a rotten one it was too – the beams were practically falling apart, one top gate wouldn’t open at all, and one bottom gate was extremely difficult  - it was that wobbly that I was afraid it was going to fall off it’s hinges as I heaved it open.  It had a fresh coat of paint though!

 Very pretty backdrop to Lock No 1

As it nears Bristol, the Avon takes on gorge-like proportions, tree covered slopes all around.  On arriving at Netham Lock, the locky relieved us of £40 for our harbour licence and 2 nights stay, in the nicest possible way, and was a mine of information about moorings etc.  We continued through the city centre, cameras clicking away, right to the end of the harbour where the sea lock is situated and then back to some very nice visitor moorings that we spotted on the way down.

  Good job we hadn’t got our chimneys on!

Our moorings – a new set of pontoons

We took a walk in the afternoon, just past the sea-lock, until we had a good view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge – well, you can’t come to Bristol and not see it!

 The tide was out!

Onwards towards Bristol

We left Bath on Tuesday morning and continued on our way, looking all the time for a mooring on which to spend the night.  Several are marked in Pearson’s, but sadly they aren’t there any more.  We had a lovely morning’s cruising though, through ever more beautiful scenery

  Wouldn’t have fancied this mooring, right by a weir – I’d be forever checking the ropes!

We found a floating pontoon at Bitton,  just right for 2 boats, with a picnic area above – so out came the barbecue, and a good afternoon was had by all.

Bitton moorings

On Wednesday morning we set off for Bristol – the objective of our journey.  We were all looking forward to it.

Playing catch-up…..

We spent last weekend at Dundas Aqueduct where we met Richard and Derry Jones who have a share in Ownership’s nb Kinver, ( we also used to own a share). They came and introduced themselves to us, having followed our blog since the beginning.  It was good to get all the ‘inside info’ about what is happening, after the death of Alan Matthews and the subsequent discovery of his deception.  Hope to meet you again some day, Richard and Derry, and we hope you get at least some of your invested money back.

We left Dundas on Monday morning, and on to Bath, where we found good moorings just on the outskirts of town.  We then had a wander down the locks to get a good look at Bath Deep Lock – almost 20ft deep! 

 We watched nb Phoenix go down – it’s a long way!

Cleveland Tunnel

We decided that we would ‘do’ Bath on the way back as Karen and Ian have more visitors coming, but a couple more photos to keep you going. Bath Top Lock

 Very Continental river side house

No brass knockers here…..

Today we had a short cruise from Bradford on Avon to Dundas Aqueduct, where we plan to moor until Sunday (FA Cup Final tomorrow, and we have a good telly signal here!)  We started off in slight drizzle which came and went throughout the morning, but the scenery was lovely anyway.

 Two aqueducts today, first Avoncliff Aqueduct

 Past Limpley Stoke, perched on the hillside

Past miles and miles of long term moorers – this one had a whole rain-forest growing on the roof, and a very suspicious-looking spiky-leafed plant!

Dundas Aqueduct

From below

After lunch we all took a stroll along the remains of the old Somerset Coal Canal, which is now used as moorings, to Brassknocker Basin.  Rog was most disappointed not to see any ladies with brass knockers – said it was obviously not cold enough (I think he was likening it to balls and brass monkeys – but it’s hard sometimes to know how his mind works!)

 Brassknocker Basin

On the way back we stopped and chatted to chap with  beautiful 1920’s launch, the Lady Sophina, which belonged to a local hotel, and was for hire for afternoon teas and drinks parties – he said it gets quite ‘cosy’ inside in inclement weather with eight passengers, and a glass or two of bubbly soon has them all friends!

The Lady Sophina

View down the Avon valley, which we will soon be joining, when we leave Bath

Foxhangers to Bradford on Avon

We moored at Seend Cleeve on Tuesday lunchtime and, after lunch at the Barge, said goodbye to Serenity’s visitors.  Yesterday morning we set off towards Hilperton where we took on fuel and started looking for a mooring – again they were difficult to find, with long term moorers taking up most of the 24 and 48 hour visitor moorings, despite there being warning notices beside all the mooring signs threatening £25 a night for overstayers – obviously not collected or they wouldn’t be there!  I’m beginning to feel a strongly worded email to BW coming on – not that they will take the slightest bit of notice, I’m sure.  P’raps I just won’t bother!!

We eventually found a mooring at Bradford on Avon wharf, and had a wander around the town.  It’s very old and beautiful, set on steep hills with all the buildings made out of honey-coloured stone.

Bradford on Avon wharf

16th century building now housing a Victorian tearoom

The Shambles 14th Century Bridge, with chapel

14th Century Tithe Barn on Granary Farm

inside the Tithe Barn

Hungerford to Foxhangers (Devizes)

Thurs 6th May – Mon 10th May

After our enforced stay in Hungerford, we got away on Thursday morning, heading for Great Bedwyn,

Hungerford Marsh Lock, with a swing bridge over the top of the chamber

The stoppage culprit, a large oak tree which had fallen and was resting on the bottom

There were no moorings available at Great Bedwyn, so we continued on to Crofton, which was much nicer anyway.

The Crofton Pump House – to pump water onto the summit.

On Friday we continued on our way to Pewsey, passing through Bruce Tunnel

where Serenity were to pick up guests Pauline and Dave on Saturday.  We had a couple of nice meals in the French Horn,  Saturday’s was exceptionally good as it was Ian’s birthday.  We would recommend it to anyone passing this way.   On Sunday morning we set off for Devizes, and the high point of our trip – the Caen Hill flight!  Although the weather was very cold and dull, we had a good mornings’ cruising through the lovely Wiltshire countryside.

Picked Hill

The Alton Barnes White Horse

Devizes Wharf

The moorings were superb in Devizes – a long stretch of almost empty Visitors moorings.  We visited the Kennett and Avon Trust Museum and shop at the Wharf, and then walked along to the top of Caen Hill to have a look, although Rog and I have visited the fight by car on a couple of occasions over the years, Serenity’s crew had never seen it.  It’s an impressive sight.  Dave and Ian wanted to walk to the bottom, while Karen, Pauline and myself decided that once was enough, and we retreated to the cafe for a cuppa to wait for them to return.

This morning dawned bright and sunny, and we were on our way at 8.30, first to do the 7 locks at the ‘town end’ of the flight, then to tackle the 16 on ‘the Hill’, and lastly, the 6 locks at Foxhangers – 29 in all.  The boats entered the first lock at exactly 9.00am

The Caen Hill flight

Intricate manoeuvre to cross in the middle

 Phew - exiting the last lock of the flight

We continued through the next 6 locks to Foxhangers, where we moored and treated ourselves to a few beers, ciders, wine and a barbecue.  With 4 crew lock-wheeling, we did the 29 locks in 3 hours and 38 minutes!  Pearson’s states that 5-6 hours is considered a good performance, so we beat that easily!  However, I’m fairly sure our return journey won’t be as rapid, unless we can press-gang some crew again!

The Kennet and Avon - Reading to Hungerford…..

Last Wednesday morning we turned onto the K & A.  The first part of the navigation left a lot to be desired, with locks in a dreadful condition – it seems BW ought to take a look at the first few miles!

Goodbye ‘Old Father Thames’

Hello K & A

Reading Town Centre was ‘interesting’ and ‘challenging’, there being a tremendous flow on the river part of the navigation.

We soon reached Southcote Lock, the first one with a number on

Only 103 to go – to Bristol!

We moored near Burford Mill, not far from Theale, and continued on to Woolhampton on Thursday, passing through Garston Lock, the last remaining turf-sided lock, and Sheffield Lock, which has scalloped sides .

Garston Lock

Sheffield Lock

We had planned to moor at Aldermaston Wharf on Thursday, but despite there being a BW Visitor Centre, there were no visitor moorings that were for longer that 4 hours, and we needed to pick up son Russ and his fiancé Nat on Friday.

They duly arrived on Friday afternoon, and we set off on Saturday morning for Newbury.  Our surroundings were getting a bit prettier by now

Newbury Town centre

Sunday dawned with pouring rain, so we decided to hold off moving until the weather improved, which it did around lunch-time, so we left, heading for Kintbury, where we wanted to visit the Dundas Arms for dinner as it had been recommended by son-in-law Ben.  Unfortunately, they don’t open on Sundays! so it was bangers and mash on board instead.

Moored at Kintbury was a horse-drawn trip boat

We set off for Hungerford this morning, so Russ and Nat could catch a train back to Woolhampton to pick up their car.  It was a much better day weather-wise, and we had entertainment on the way, in the form of a home-made boat race.  There were some interesting interpretations of ‘boat’

Trying hard not to capsize

Whoops – almost!!

Despite having to proceed with care, we reached Hungerford in record time, had a little wander up the High Street, and then came back to the boat for lunch, after which, Russ and Nat packed up their stuff and left for the station.

Heading for home

It was lovely to see you both, thanks for coming all this way.

We are now at Hungerford until at least tomorrow lunchtime as the next few locks are padlocked closed – there is a large oak tree across the canal a couple of miles to the west, and this is the only decent mooring and winding hole to the east of the blockage, so we are here for the duration!