Back to Wallingford :)

10.5 miles and 3 locks

The weather forecast was dry (ish) for today and tomorrow so it seemed liked an opportunity to do some laundry. Harold soldiered on manfully against the flow of the river while the washing machine nicked power from his batteries. This bit of the river is wide and lush and tranquil. There were dragonflies, grebes and sparrowhawks alongside big bits of Tupperware and very posh houses.

The tranquil river

with big riverside properties

There was no mooring in Goring so we went on through the lock.

Waiting at Goring lock

Entering Goring lock

The water comes into Goring lock

At the next lock we planned to top up with water but there were queues and nowhere to moor and it all got a bit complicated so we just went on. There's not many water points on this part of the river but we have faith in our big (and now very clean) tank.
We twice saw a helicopter carrying something dangling beneath it. It looked like a dangerous exercise!

We got to Wallingford about 2pm and had everything crossed we could get a mooring spot. Initially it looked bad with no spaces in sight. Then we spotted a hire boat and headed over to it in the hope that they wouldn't  mind us breasting up alongside. They were fine about it, although the boat was longer than Harold so the ends didn't line up. We had fun getting Scoobs off - literally carrying him across in harness and muzzle!

Alongside the hire boat.

The hire boat skipper was a chap in sunglasses who would like to have his own boat but is gradually losing his sight, so hires instead while he can. After a short time they wanted to move on so we let the boat out. Just as we were securing Harold in their place by the bank, another narrow boat came past in search of a berth and we called them up alongside. They really wanted a berth as they have a bus trip to Didcot railway museum booked from here for tomorrow! With much barking from Scoobs they got secured and we settled in for a pleasant afternoon in this nice little town. 

Finally settled with our companion.

The delights of Pangbourne Meadows

9.5 miles and 5 locks

After a reasonably early start - this is becoming a worrying habit - we made our way to Reading. It was a bit grey but otherwise all good. The river Kennet was behaving even through the narrow town centre, despite the previous night of rain.

Reading town centre

Soon we were at the end of the K&A. We turned left (north-west) onto the Thames and stopped at reading Tesco's for supplies. The moorings were pretty full but a boat was leaving and we nipped in, finding that it was exactly the same place we had stopped on the way down.

The last K&A bridge - the Thames lies beyond.

Caversham lock had a volunteer looking after it and it was a treat to just stay on the boat with our ropes. Although this lock always has traumatic memories of Jo injuring her back on our first Thames trip. Past the lock we went under this smart new footbridge and then were accosted from the bank by a boat asking for a tow across the river.

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Apparently the boatyard (which is on an island) had diagnosed the fault in the kaput engine but would charge them £75 to tow them across the river to safe moorings where they could fix it themselves. Robin (of course) was happy to get involved and help (despite Jo's misgivings about messing about on the Thames). It all went well, however, and we towed the little boat across and went on our way again.

Harold as tugboat!

At Mapledurham, the next lock, quite a queue developed to get in, but the lock-keeper was not fazed and squeezed us in!

The queue...

In the lock!

Above Mapledurham lock the British National Marathon Canoe Championships 2017 were taking place and it was carnage. The races were just finishing but there were still canoes everywhere!

We picked our way through the canoeists and came to the Pangbourne Meadows which we had identified as good mooring on the way down. We saw a spot and headed for it but were beaten there  by a bit of Tupperware. However, after some tricky manouvering in the wind, the captain managed to get us moored on a straight bit that was just long enough for our Harold. It soon poured with rain but we were happy to have missed the worst of it and to have a secure mooring for tonight. We saw an adolescent grebe and his parents pottering about and watched the beginning of a rainbow develop over the river. We'll try for a mooring in Wallingford tomorrow.

Harold at Pangbourne Meadows

We are assisted to Fobney Meadow by a small army

9.5 miles, 10 locks and 9 swing-bridges

After a nice dinner at the Rowbarge Inn, we woke up earlish and went down the first lock with another boat from the same moorings. They were only going to Froud's Bridge marina so soon left us. By the time we had prepared the lock at Aldermaston nb Guelrose, also from last night's moorings, had caught us up and we ended up travelling with them for the rest of the day. She was a long boat with two families on board and an army of crew. This made for an enjoyable journey despite the rain and the locks. The river goes in and out of the canal here too, assisting Harold to get a bit of speed up on the straight bits! At four o'clock we reached Fobney where we moored on the way down and stopped there. Tomorrow we can nip through Reading and onto the Thames.

Harold briefly stopped for us to walk Scooby. The river joins the canal again here.

On the way down there were dozens of swallows feeding but the rain kept them away today.

The wet way to Woolhampton

6 miles, 9 locks and 4 swing-bridges.
Scooby's 8th birthday.

Birthday dog!

We left our mooring in Newbury in good time and under clouds. When we arrived at Newbury boatyard we had a long wait for the boat in front to pump out, fill with water and diesel etc. However, we needed diesel and gas ourselves so just had to sit it out. After that it was a run with time to make a cup of tea but not to drink it between locks and bridges. Rain was periodic and variable and it was quite chilly. We hardly met any other boats and all the locks were against us and had to be filled before we could use them.

The wet way to Woolhampton.

Eventually we arrived at the 48 hour moorings at Woolhampton where we were relieved to find space left for us. The hire-boats from Aldermaston were just coming through (they pick them up Friday afternoon) and provided entertainment as they attempted to moor and manoeuvre their newly acquired holiday boats. With dinner booked at the Row Barge Inn just below the lock and good news from home, all was well with the world.

To Newbury

Wednesday: A nice lunch at the Dundas Arms
Thursday: 5.5 miles and 7 locks

After a nice day in Kintbury on Wednesday we set off early on Thursday morning. We stopped for water just before the lock and met nb Burnsal whose crew kindly gave us a tap adapter. We must have left ours on the tap at Great Bedwyn. We waited for them to fill up after us and we travelled the few miles and locks to Newbury together.

Harold and Burnsal Hamstead lock 

The rain's coming!

It had brightened up again by the time we got to Higg's lock by the woods.

Our companions went on but we stopped at the 24 hour moorings on the western side of Newbury. The town was bustling and looking handsome in the sunshine between the showers.  Depending on the weather and how we feel tomorrow, we'll either move to new mooring below the lock or head for Reading. This is the last accessible bit of civilisation until Wallingford on the Thames.

Harold on his mooring.

Newbury lock.

The High Street

Smart canalside residences.

The narrow stretch where the river joins the canal below the lock.

Kintbury

Tuesday: 3 miles and 3 locks.

We stayed in Hungerford on Monday. Jo hoped for a haircut and a visit to the sewing shop but Hungerford is closed on Mondays. We went for a lovely walk on Freemans Marsh instead, where, much to our delight, we saw another water vole.

Hungerford in the evening light from our mooring spot.

On Tuesday it was sunny so big laundry (bath towels and sheets) was done. It was a peaceful cruise down to Kintbury. WPs had taken over the rural mooring we stayed in on the way down and also all the Kintbury moorings opposite the handsome house. Fortunately there was space in the 48 hour stretch. We faced the now familiar problem of how much gap to leave between Harold and the next boat in a prime mooring area.
We'll be here until Thursday as tomorrow is due to be wet and we have a lunch date.

Rain

Saturday: Just lots of rain.
Sunday: 4.5 miles, 1 swing-bridge and 10 locks

On Saturday the skies were menacing and we decided to stay put. This was a sensible decision as it hammered down until about 5 o'clock.

And the Rain came down...

The 48 hour mooring behind us soon filled up with WPs.

We all needed to get off the boat by the time its stopped raining and we went for a nice walk. The views from the top of the hill were damp.

However by the time we got back Great Bedwyn was looking a bit better.

Jo went to look at the church, which had been having weddings all day from the sound of the bells. However, she was stymied by a railway line and -which was the clincher- a cow field, so had to be content just to take a photo.

We decided to get up early on Sunday so we could make some progress before the rain set in again and we were away at 8 o'clock. We got as far as the first lock (300 yards) when we met Dutch Barge Flint which was stuck on the bottom below the lock. We let some water through and then Harold came down the lock which was enough water to get it shifted. They were nice and friendly (taking the boat back to London to be sold) and we followed them for the rest of the day.

Flint taking up quite a lot of canal. We were glad to be following and not coming the other way!

We encountered a bit of tupperware that came in with us at one lock and then decided to follow on and do the locks on their own. We were very careful to keep Harold under control but they were obviously nervous about their bit of plastic being squashed by our 16 tons of steel!

It rained for about an hour and then gradually eased off for the rest of the afternoon. As we approached Hungerford Church swing-bridge, a nasty looking WP boat was across the canal (probably pulled off flimsy moorings by Flint). Fortunately Jo was walking and she asked a man in a nearby boat to help. They managed to move it back enough to let Harold past, but struggled to find enough rope or mooring pins to tie it back up with. Robin moored Harold at the swing-bridge and came back to help and eventually we got it sort of secured.

Insecurely moored WP boats are a pain. The banks are soft after rain and they don't pin them properly.

This one didn't even have proper ropes.

We found a spot to moor just above Hungerford lock and did our shopping. Robin walked Scooby by the river, which is close by. He saw a water vole, 2 grayling (which are fish apparently) and loads of brown trout. The boat behind us objected to us mooring close to them, but we feel it is important not to waste decent mooring space in busy places like this where it can be scarce and we stood our ground. Unfortunately, the boat was one of two which have been travelling the same route and general speed as us and we are likely to encounter them again. In the end we decided it would suit us better to be on the 48 hour moorings which had a space so we went down the lock and settled there. At that point the rain hammered down again but we didn't care!

To Great Bedwyn

2 miles and 4 locks...but it felt like more!

We started the day with a visit to the café at the Crofton pumping station for breakfast. Harold was  slightly on the wonk with low water levels in the pound so on our way we put some more water through the upper lock and he straightened up.

Part of the Crofton Beam Engine

After breakfast Jo went to fill the lower lock so we could go down. Just taking that water out of the pound got Harold's back (and deepest) end stuck and he wouldn't be shifted. 2 boats then arrived to come up the lock and had to be asked to wait while Robin went to let yet more water through the upper lock to get him off. After a fair bit of faffing about he was free at last and we got down the lock and away. However, the pounds remained low and it was slow going. At lock 62 we met Serendipity going the other way. We knew them from Frouds Bridge marina where they were getting the very lovely Serendipity ready. All the locks were pretty leaky but Bedwyn Church lock was the worst and took absolutely ages to fill and 2 people to open a top gate. In the pound above several boats were listing in the low water and resisting the efforts of their owners to get them straight again.

Eventually we arrived at Great Bedwyn Wharf and filled with water etc. Robin spotted a space on the 48 hour moorings and we nipped (as far as Harold does nip) round the corner. The rain set in just as Jo was returning from a trip to the shop for milk. Great Bedwyn is another pretty village with some lovely houses and cottages.

Thatched cottages at Great Bedwyn

Over the top

Wednesday: 0 anything
Thursday: 7 miles, 9 locks and 1 tunnel

On Wednesday we lurked in Pewsey. One of the locks just before the summit was being repaired and it seemed as good as any place to wait. There were nice views from the moorings.

Pewsey town is small but has a chemist, a co-op and a nice tea-shop! It also has a statue of King Alfred commemorating its long history as a hub in Wessex.

We tried out The Waterfront pub for dinner on Tuesday evening it was very nice.

Pewsey Wharf and the Waterfront Pub

 However, during the night there was a huge thunderstorm so we had a trembling dog on the bed for a couple of hours. The next day both he and Robin caught up on some sleep!

Thursday was a bit grey to start with but brightened up as the day went on. We set off up the last few locks to the summit of the K&A. Cadley lock, the top one, has a very pretty cottage and garden and views of the hills behind.

 
Then we were as high as the canal gets. Burbage Wharf has original canal buildings and a restored wooden wharf crane to remind us that the canal once supported a different sort of industry.

We went through the Bruce Tunnel which marks the very top.

Then we were heading down again. We just got to the Crofton top lock just before 3pm when the CRT volunteer would lock it up for the day. He and a colleague helped us down the flight, padlocking the gates up behind us. During this dry season they have been restricting the opening hours to conserve water at the summit and therefore in the whole canal. The sun was out and with help at the locks, it was a really lovely place to be. We moored in the pound opposite the pumping station, just as we had on the way up.

We find a white horse but Honeychurch is closed.

Monday: 6.5 miles and 2 swing-bridges.
Tuesday: 5.5 gorgeous uninterrupted miles

On Monday morning we did some essential shopping in Devizes (meat, beer and fabric). Jo discovered a water leak under the sink so this was cleared and dried out to be further examined later. We topped up with water at Devizes Wharf and set off East. It was a warm day but the canal was really quiet, we only met one boat coming the other way all day. Once we were out of Devizes the hills to the north began to appear again.

When we came the other way the fields were green, now they are ripe and some already being harvested. This WW2 pill box was in a sea of ripened wheat.

There were lots of insects about which spooked Scooby who skulked inside most of the time, and at one point hid in the bathroom! There was also an algae bloom on the canal for much of the way so we ploughed a path.

We had hoped to stop at the 48 hour visitor mooring at All Cannings as Robin wanted to get more nice bread flour from the shop ther. However, the moorings were entirely overrun with distinctly tatty looking WPs, including one boat which has clearly not moved since we saw it here a month ago. We continued on and struggled to find somewhere we could moor; a lot of the bank is made up of high reeds or is shallow. Eventually we found a spot just before a bridge (where it tends to be deeper) and with a view of the White Horse above Honeystreet.

Robin mended the leak and the ne settled down for some fishing on the back. We saw what we think is a young mink swimming down the canal and the sunset was lovely.

On Tuesday we moved along to Honeystreet for breakfast at the lovely tearoom and to get Diesel and gas. Sadly Honeystreet is closed on Tuesdays, so we continued on our way. It was sunny and warm and a really lovely cruise through the Vale of Pewsey.

About 2pm we reached Pewsey visitor moorings. A boat pulled out just as we arrived so we nabbed the space. It was too hot to leave the dog on the boat so Robin walked alone into town to explore.