A better day than yesterday.

Well my postscript Tuesday was a bit premature, it rained all of Tuesday evening, it rained all of yesterday, and it was chilly enough at midday for me, yes me, tight old git that I am, to put the central heating on, what is going on with our lack of sunshine! I blame Brexit J

Anyway enough moaning, I did brave the rain and with brolly over my head walked into Pewsey, a 20 minute walk away but downhill, well one way anyway, but it was worth the walk, another very nice village but the weather meant I never took my camera, the weather also meant I never indulged in either of the pubs, I am more of a sit in the garden and enjoy a pint reading the paper type these days.

Today I had an errand or two, first thing was a fill and empty, so water in, rubbish and the other stuff out before setting off around 10:15, my plan was to get to Honeystreet (lovely name for a village) before midday to try and get a visitor mooring, it was only a short run of about 4 lock free miles.

Heading for the service point.

Because of the amount of moored boats (about 75% of which are licensed) along the route it took a bit longer than anticipated, at least the views are improving.

Hill Cattle, the grass must be tasty up there,

Alton Barnes White Horse.

I arrived to find a nice 24 hr space right outside ‘The Barge’.

My first job after lunch was to walk back a couple of hundred yards to a sawmill and try to purchase a gang plank, something I have been looking for since setting off in 2014 but not yet obtained due to various reasons, the chap said he had nothing the size I wanted but I could look around and see if anything was suitable, well I did, after 15 minutes or so of wandering around I found an old length of 225x38mm, wet and a bit waney edged but it would do, he cut it down to 2.1metres long and charged me £8 for it, so back on the boat I chamfered the edges (to avoid splinters) and drilled a hole (to pin it to the bank), I may paint the edges to identify it but at the moment it’s too wet.

Being moored right by the pub and with it dry, although very black overhead, I decided it would be rude not to have a pint, so I did, nice beer, £3.80 a pint, the pub menu could improve, unless you love burgers, I bought a bag of crisps as well, £1 for a standard sized bag of crisps, the country has gone mad, I blame Brexit J.

Tonights mooring.

It was getting very black overhead and windy too, I finished my pint and crisps and headed back inside the boat just before the rain began again!

One Final Lock........

.......before the Caen Hill flight.

Yesterday Karl and I decided that we would go our separate ways, so this morning we shared the Wootton Rivers Bottom lock (51) said our goodbyes and set off as two separate solo boaters again.

I hadn’t got very far before I came across what appeared to be a grounded boat with Karl towing him off but I couldn’t be sure quite what was happening, it might have been the other way round, so I hung back until the excitement died down and all were moving again and then carried on.

I am now on ‘The Long Pound’, about 14 miles of lock free cruising until I reach Devizes, and passing another interesting looking vessel among all the others moored up.

I had intended to stop briefly at Pewsey Wharf to do a fill and empty before moving on again, but my plans are always flexible and as I neared the end of the visitor moorings I spotted a gap not quite large enough to fit into, but the boat ahead had room to move so I asked nicely and he moved into the gap creating a bigger one behind him to allow me in, it was too much to resist, a piled edge, 48hr mooring, and I am right at the end nearest the pub, The Waterfront, added to that the weather forecast said rain this afternoon and tomorrow, so here I will probably stay for 48 hours J

Tonight’s mooring:

Totals today : 3 miles : 1 lock 

P.S. The forecast was partly correct, it rained quite heavily around 2:30 but only for an hour or so.

To the Summit..........

........from here on its all downhill!

We had in mind to head to Pewsey today but as my title says, no fixed plans, but we set off at 9am in rather pleasant conditions for a change.

Quite a mix of boats to be seen now and another of the converted lifeboats, (I saw one on the Thames around Walton late in 2014), could be seen as we worked through the remaining four Crofton locks.

Most of the locks along this stretch have to be left empty which is a bit of a pain as you have to walk back and raise the bottom paddles in addition to the normal closing of the top gates, but we reached the summit at around 10:15.

Last uphill lock,we are now on the Summit

Around the middle of the summit is Bruce Tunnel, 502 yards long and wide enough to accommodate two narrowboats but restricted to one way working because of the number of wide beam boats that frequent this area.

There is a stone plaque as you enter the Eastern portal inscribed:-

“The Kennet and Avon Canal Company
Inscribe this tunnel with the Name
BRUCE
In testimony of their GRATITUDE
For the uniform and effectual support of
The Right Honourable Earl Thomas Bruce, Earl of Aylesbury
and CHARLES LORD BRUCE, his SON
Through the whole Progress of this great National Work
By which a direct communication by Water was opened
Between the cities of LONDON and BRISTOL
ANNO DOMINI 1810."

A photo might have been better but I missed it J

Once again my camera let me down by not ‘flashing’ inside the tunnel, one day I’ll work that out, but here’s one as I reached the end.

 And leaving the Western portal

We passed a couple of project boats, I think they could both be lovely when completed.

 Then Burbage Wharf

And then things took a turn for the worse, as we were about to leave Wooton Top lock (54) Karl slipped stepping from the lock ladder to his roof and crashed heavily onto his open hatch area, fortunately not through it, but he has badly bruised and grazed his forearm, at least we hope it’s just a bruise, we carried on through the next lock which was manned by some boaters waiting to come up and then moored temporarily for lunch and to give Karl a breather before moving through Wooton Rivers Bottom lock and calling it a day, stopping on the 24hr visitors moorings.

Tonights mooring:

Totals today: 4 miles : 8 locks

I had a wander up to the village to The Royal Oak, unfortunately arriving at 3pm, closing time.

It’s a very picturesque area with nearly all the properties I saw Thatched, so I only took two pictures, you can have too much of a good thing J

The Royal Oak

Rain, a little move, more rain and visitors.

Early yesterday morning about 6am, I took this picture of the sunrise on the pumping station.

Then a little later when the sun had disappeared and they had fired up the boilers I took this one.

What a difference a few hours can make.

Later in the morning I was standing on the towpath talking to another boater when Karl arrived at the lock, I walked back to lock him through and just as I started closing the bottom gate and paddles the heavens opened, gently at first and then ferociously, I left Karl sheltering under his brolly and took refuge under a tree (I was just in shirtsleeves), I then realised I had left the side and top hatch open on my boat so I ran the short distance to it, closed up and grabbed my waterproof top, of course as is the way, after I had finished locking him through the rain stopped.

After a coffee and a chat we decided to move up to just past the next lock (60) where we could both moor on the towpath and the 14 day rule applied which would give us flexibility.

It's been warm and sunny, cold and wet, several times!

I recieved an email alert from C&RT that a stoppage would be in force between locks 54 and 55 from 4pm yesterday to 4pm today and as lock 55 is not far ahead we decided to stay put today and move tomorrow subject to weather.

Looking out of my bow doors this morning I saw that Karl had visitors.

I think they were glad of his tiller.

Sometimes things don't go as expected.

As nice as Hungerford was we had no real desire to stay another day, so at 10:45 we set off to either go to Great Bedwyn, or if a suitable mooring appeared stop somewhere around Froxfield.

We got off to a good start, on leaving our mooring and heading for Hungerford lock we were joined by a group of youngsters travelling on a Bruce Trust widebeam and learning about lock operation etc., and they volunteered to operate the lock as part of their learning, supervised, of course.

 On leaving the lock this lovely thatched roof property appeared nestled among the trees in the distance.

We then passed Hungerford's parish church of St. Lawrence which borders the towpath by swing bridge 85.

The next lock was Hungerford Marsh lock (73) which has a swing bridge running across the center of the lock, no real problem to operate it, just a bit more work, but you must remember to open the bridge before filling the lock or much damage to boat and bridge could ensue as your boat rises to meet the underside of the bridge J

We are still passing through wooded canals and although very nice it leaves little to photograph!

Through two more locks before reaching Froxfield Bottom lock (70) and finding no moorings available so it was onwards to Little Bedwyn.

With the railway running alongside the canal it makes for an interesting looking arrangement at Little Bedwyn

 And the next bridge (94) after the lock had an unusual vaulted brick infill underneath.

We were treated briefly with a more picturesque view before Great Bedwyn as the trees disappeared.

 And it was here that things became a little unexpected, the visitor moorings were full and despite trying to get into the bank on a couple of occasions it was without success so we carried on through Bedwyn Church lock (64), Karl decided at this point he would take an offside mooring tying up to a tree, I did not like that idea so carried on alone, of course at the very next lock the heavens opened, albeit briefly, to rather dampen my mood.
After the first 3 of the Crofton Locks I was pleased to find a spot on the beginning of the visitor moorings before Crofton Pumping station and pulled in at 5:55, a long day!

Crofton Pumping Station which house two Cornish beam engines
which between them lift 2 tons of water to the summit with every stroke.  

Tonights mooring

 Totals today: 7 miles : 14 locks : 2 swing bridges

It's wine o'clock !

Where is summer?

Yesterday I walked into Kintbury to have a look around, a lovely little village but not outstanding,  here’s a picture of the church which ‘Pearson’s’ guide tells me is notable, one of the small lanes and our mooring taken from bridge 76.

This morning our 48 hours was up at the current mooring, so after a cup of coffee to discuss the days trip we decided to stop next at Hungerford, the weather was ‘mizzly’ and quite muggy too.
We set off around 10:30 passing this rather large house set in even larger but pleasant grounds (there was more than the camera shows) just after.

It was another uneventful pleasant cruise through wooded canalscape, although the weather was quite sticky and oppressive making the lock work feel much harder than it was in reality, fortunately we only had 3 locks to deal with, Brunsden lock (77) first, where we met a boat coming out, then Wire lock (76) and Dun Mill lock (75), these three locks only have ground paddles at the top which means a more steady flow of water when filling, but a slow fill, time to sit and reflect rather than tap a foot impatiently, you cannot rush locks, just enjoy them J.

Hovering outside Wire Lock while Karl sets it.

We arrived at Hungerford around 12:30 and found a 48hr mooring easily just after bridge 84.

Current  mooring:

Totals today: 3 miles : 3 locks

This afternoon I went for a wander through the town centre, I don’t know what it is about some places you visit but Hungerford just feels nice, quite busy traffic wise, but a real mix of buildings and shops, typical of modern day villages and towns were a large number of antique shops, charity shops and of course a large Tesco, although that is quite discreetly set back from the high street and therefore partially hidden, there was also a butcher ( getting rarer these days), 4 or 5 pubs and ‘Montagues Hair Design’, how 'very very nice' it must be to have your hair designed, I normally just say “same as it is but shorter please”, I wonder what design they would choose for me J.

I borrowed this picture from the website.

Here’s a few more snaps:-

On returning to the boat the rain started but was short lived and did nothing to clear the air.

So is Summer heading our way or did I miss it?