Slow Road to Bath

Tuesday: 200 yards!
Wednesday: 1.5 miles and one lock.
Thursday: 8 miles, 2 swing bridges.

On Tuesday morning we moved a short distance to a more secure mooring nearer the lock. The canal trust café is closed on Tuesdays which was good for our waistlines if not for our morale. We spent the day pottering about Bradford-on-Avon and, in the afternoon, went for a walk up to check out mooring at the Cross Guns at Avoncliff. We walked there along the river, which is in the valley, and back along the canal, which is quite high up on the hillside.

Bradford lock

The river Avon in the town centre.

Avoncliff has an impressive aqueduct which takes the canal over both the river and the railway. The Cross Guns sits between the canal and the river. We sat with Scoobs in the garden and admired it all.

On the way back Scooby found something different to stalk from rabbits, ducks and squirrels. No change to the outcome though; they always get away!

Wednesday it rained and we went down the lock at Bradford and moored outside the Cross Guns, where we met with family for lunch. Afterwards the rain eased off and we headed off down a random footpath with Scooby. We discovered the most delightful village of Winsley with wonderful views over the valley. If only we'd taken the camera.... We found a nice looking pub so an evening walk there for dinner is on the agenda for the way back.

Thursday was dry but cold and we made our way to Bath. The canal follows the contour along a steep valley side which makes for a lovely journey. It was very busy, with lots of boats coming the other way, including widebeams; lots of moored boats too. The engineers were pretty busy when they built this canal and there is a second impressive aqueduct at Dundas Wharf.

Traffic at the Dundas aqueduct

The view from the parapet

The aqueduct once the traffic had cleared

As we approached Bath, the lovely Georgian buildings began to appear, including this classy row of canal cottages.

We moored above the Bath top lock. We are still pretty high up here and we can see across the City.

The view from the towpath at our mooring.

Harold looking back down the valley we have just travelled through.

We walked down the flight to see what other mooring there might be and what the river at the bottom looks like. The canal ends at the bottom lock and exits onto the river Avon. The signpost at the lock exit told us we had travelled 75 miles since Reading, and still had 18 to go to get to Bristol Harbour.

After a visit to the Sydney gardens, we settled down to routine things like baking bread and catching up with this blog now there is more than 1 bar of 2G to be had. In the morning we will make an early start and head to the river.