It does seem like summer.

I stayed on the mooring for 3 nights to let the mini heatwave pass by, not much happened, I did a spot of heron watching and tried very hard to get a picture of a fish being caught but they are too fast for me or my camera.

Yesterday I moved on  to Bradford on Avon itself, so I set off about 10am for the short hop and single lock, the lock entails a bit of a walk from landing to lock walking behind ‘The Lock Inn’ and crossing the main road that crosses the bridge to get access to it, but I was pleased to see a volounteer when I finally got there, after passing through the lock watched by a few early gongoozlers I moved just ahead to the service point and did the usual fill and empty, there was a lovely mooring just 2 boat lengths ahead which I had earmarked, and then the inevitable happened, a passing holiday boat asked me “are we allowed to moor there?” I was tempted to say "no" but said "yes", moving on I found a mooring but was aground and  3feet off the bank at the stern, I took it anyway as choice is an unavailable luxury in this popular spot. Two trips to Sainsbury and the decision made to stay the night.

Last night’s mooring:

I had a bit of a restless night due to the boat listing, it doesn’t take much to make you feel as if you are going to roll out of bed, obviously you’re not, but I suppose the brain thinks there is a risk and wakes you every time you turn over!

I wanted a ‘proper’ mooring today, so set off about 8:45 to try and find one. The number of moored boats makes for slow going, I quite like pootling along on tickover but I don’t like long days in hot sun, here’s a few of the more unusual looking ones I passed by today.

I passed through Hilperton where it looked like a lot of ABC hire boats were being prepared to go out again today, I bet those moorings under the building causes a bit of panic to returning hirers.

A little further along is this lovely entrance bridge which leads to Hilperton Marina.

It was lovely cruising along slowly in the warm sunshine, and arriving at swing  bridge 162 I was glad to see I was back in the area of landings either side of the bridge on the offside, so much easier for the single hander. By now it was getting hot, I decided to take the next available mooring and there were a couple of spaces at Semington, only 24hrs but that will do for tonight, by now it's very warm!

Tonights mooring:

Totals this post: 5.5 miles : 1 lock : 1 swing bridge

The return begins.

On Sunday my 48hrs at Bath was up so I had to move, on the way here I had passed through Bathampton without stopping so I decided a short pootle to there was all I wanted to do as I was still feeling pretty rough.

Setting off from Bath

The trip took about an hour because of the number of moored boats but I was lucky enough to find a spot on the visitor mooring right outside The George Inn, I had intended to have a beer in there but feeling as I did I opted to sit in the bow deck with a glass of orange and my Kindle.

The George Inn.

I got in at the end of the visitor moorings

The forecast for Tuesday was HOT so I decided to move again Monday to a spot I had seen on the journey here which would be 14 days and give me the option to stay if the weather stayed too hot to cruise, amazing really, I’ve spent the last month or two moaning about the cold and then ‘wham’ 30+ degrees, anyway after a quick walk to the shops for milk and tablets I set off around 9:30.

I had the two awkward (for the single hander) swing bridges to deal with, 182 wasn’t too bad apart from having to squeeze between the end of the bridge and the bracken, once the bridge was open, to get back on my bow, you just have to be slow and careful positioning the bow to be able to get off and on again, there are a real pain when it’s windy.

At bridge 178 I had been struggling a little to get the bridge past my bow without doing any damage when a lady appeared and asked if I was alone, and offered to assist, but then she took a look and said ‘oh you’ve got it almost done now anyway’ and carried on her way, timing again!

It was warm and getting warmer so I was disappointed when I found my desired spot was in fact too shallow after 3 attempts to get in to the side had to continue on.

This ones name, My Newt.

Just as I began the 90 degree turn in to Dundas Aqueduct I heard a horn being sounded so had to do a bit of adjusting to move out of the way of the wide beam hotel boat that had begun his crossing and then hold until he was clear.

Dundas Aqueduct

Another dinky one.

Approaching the Avoncliff Aqueduct another boat moved off ahead of me, I always pass any moored boats on tickover, and there are a lot of them around here, but I spent the next 30 minutes or so going from tickover to neutral as this chaps boat was really slow.

Following him over Avoncliff Aqueduct.

And then having chosen a mooring I could see ahead, he pulled into it, never mind, there were plenty of space so I took a nearer one.

From my shaded seat

Late after I decided as the boat was hot to sit in the shade on the towpath and read some more, time for selfie.

I am feeling better this morning so today I am just staying put and letting the heat wash over me while I watch the holiday makers cruise past soaking up the sun.

Totals this post: 6 miles : 2 swing bridges

The turning point.

Yesterday I moved on again, it was cloudy and cool and by mid morning wet, just heavy continuous drizzle, horrid.

Now if I owned this boat I paint a big smiley mouth beneath the central tyre J

I didn’t take any pictures for most of the route because of the rain, the first problem was swing bridge 178 which a widebeam was dealing with as I approached, unfortunately due to lack of access on the non towpath side he tried to push the gate open with a mighty heave from the towpath side, of course it stopped mid open, leaving him unable to reach it, I eased into the far bank and walked along the gunnels to leap off the bow with bow rope in hand and open the gate the remaining way. He told me to go through first and he would close it after he’d gone through, I hope he managed it.

At the second swing bridge 182, I was just about to repeat the procedure when a young cyclist stopped for a breather, I shouted would he open it for me and he kindly did, nice lad, not all ‘yoofs’ are bad J.

The rain eased off as I entered the outskirts of Bath.

Entering bath you have to negotiate the two short tunnels, the first being Sydney Gardens tunnel and the second is Cleveland tunnel with Cleveland house above it, here’s a view of the second one from each direction.

After passing through both I winded by Bath Narrowboats and the Anglo Welsh hire base, I was a bit busy winding so took a picture later, this is as far as I intend to go on the Kennet and Avon, I have no real desire to visit Bristol even though it’s only a day’s cruise away, and I’ve just heard on the radio that this weekend is the Bristol Harbour Festival, they are expecting 250,000 people to visit so it’ll be busy!

The end of the trip for me.

I then passed back through the tunnels, this is Sydney Gardens tunnel with one of the two ornate iron bridges dated 1800 that are between the tunnels.

I then moored in the first available spot on the visitor moorings, a pleasant enough cruise which took longer than anticipated because of the number of moored boats, but there was far less than I had imagined from what I had read about this area and it was only the drizzle that spoiled it.

Current mooring

Totals today: 4 miles : 2 swing bridges.

Later I took a walk mainly to find The Royal Crescent, what a let down, took me 30 minutes to walk there, and it looked drab, although it does look like cleaning is in progress, not one top-hatted doorman in sight, no butlers, no hansom cabs, just goes to prove what you see on telly is not always the truth! And tourists everywhere, they obviously watch telly too.

Bath is both big and impressive and small and quaint, here’s a few more pics of the journey to and from The Royal Crescent.

This is another example of the curved frontages at The Circus

The street names are carved into the stone, it makes reading them difficult but with SatNavs does anyone bother these days, this is Bennett Street and Saville Row.

Slightly better weather today but I am feeling very under it, I’ve felt like something has been brewing all week and today I think ‘man-flu’ is trying to break through, aching joints and a temperature have meant  the ibuprofen has come out of the bathroom cabinet, but I bravely got myself moving and went for a walk further along the towpath.

It is a beautiful well maintained area with plenty of things to admire and hire boat antics to ‘gongoozle’, taking care to sidestep some of the lycra clad cyclists or risk the wrath of the ‘tinkle’ from the bell, most are well behaved but some of the 30year+ men cycling on their own could benefit from the odd puncture (on the bike not the body).

So to keep this last bit short as I am feeling poorly, go on say aawww, here’s my pictorial walk along the towpath as far as Bath bottom lock.

He didn't care about me, he walked out of my way but never flew off.

A sundial and it was accurate although an hour behind presumably
because of British Summer Time.

Bath Deep lock, it's numbered 8/9 because two locks were combined
during restoration work in 1976, at 19'5" it's England's second deepest
lock, the deepest being Tuel Lane lock on the Rochdale at 19'8½".

That's a lot of slippery steps.

Anglo Welsh still had a few boats not out and about.

It is going to be busy in the pubs tonight, at least 5 stag do's, 3 hen parties and one very large wedding party boat have passed by my mooring this afternoon, at that's only what I've seen. Nearly all dressed as pirates, it's not unusual as Tom Jones would say.

An early night with a medicinal Brandy me thinks.