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!

The Thames – Oxford to Reading… in pictures!

We began our journey from Oxford to meet the Kennet at Reading last Friday morning, heading for Abingdon.

Our Oxford moorings by Osney Bridge

We think this is the Folly which gives Folly Bridge it’s name

One of the Colleges

University Rowing Clubs – all in a row

Waiting for Iffley Lock

  Sandford on Thames

Nuneham House – where Charles Dodgeson, (aka Lewis Carroll) used to row Alice Liddell

Beautiful day, beautiful scenery

Abingdon

We arrived at Abingdon at lunchtime after a perfect mornings’ cruising.  It’s on days like these that we feel privileged to be able to live this life!  We were expecting a couple of sets of visitors, so we decided to spend the weekend there.  On Saturday afternoon we were approached by a Heather and Roger on board nb Celtic Kiwi, who had moored opposite us, and said that they had been reading our blog for a long time.  We had a good old natter for a while until they left to have a wander around the town.

Roger and Heather

I promised to give them a mention – it was great to meet you both, and hopefully we will meet again later on in the summer on the K & A.

Later on in the afternoon, daughter Emma and family arrived for a brief visit.  It was lovely to see them, and to see how much Elizabeth has grown since we saw her last, when she was only 5 days old.

Elizabeth

Flo and Milly

Friends Sally and Lisa came over on Sunday for a few hours, bearing chocolate and cider.  We all went for a wander around Abingdon.

Abingdon Bridge

The ruins of the Abbey

We left yesterday morning, after a short delay  - as Rog put the engine into gear there was a horrible knocking sound.  we discovered that one of the bolts holding the drive shaft was so loose that it was banging as the shaft turned.  In fact they were all loose.  Ian climbed down our engine hole, removed the bolt and tightened the rest, and Karen and I made a quick trip to the nearby chandlery for a replacement and we were soon on our way.  We consider ourselves lucky that it didn’t happen mid-river, or we’d have found a use for our new anchor!!

We had a little trouble finding moorings again last night, but eventually managed to get in somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

This morning was another glorious one, we were up early and witnessed the mist on the river before the sun burned it off

The scenery was again absolutely stunning – the photos don’t do it justice

Hartslock Wood

Hardwick House

We stopped by the Tesco in Reading and did a huge shop.  We decided to stay here on the 24hr moorings and make a fresh start in the morning.  We were treated to a rare sight – a pair of black swans and their fluffy offspring – a perfect end to a perfect day.

We say goodbye to the Thames in the morning, at least for the next couple of months.  We have enjoyed it immensely, and could not have had more perfect weather.  It will seem strange to be back on the canal.