34 locks and we are back in Devizes

Friday: 1.5 miles, 2 locks and 1 swing-bridge.
Saturday: 4.5 miles, 32 locks and 2 swing-bridges.

Our nostalgic mooring was very peaceful and the village of Seend Cleeve looked pretty on the hill overlooking the canal.

On Thursday evening Robin was very excited to find a dozen or so glow-worms in the hedgerow on his late night walk with Scoobs. The result was a whole-crew excursion along the towpath at midnight. The tiny lights were really bright in the dark night, although the little green worms looked nothing special in torchlight.

On Friday we pottered down to the locks and the Barge Inn where we were due to meet our lockers the next day. We moored outside the pub but as the boat listed over it became clear the changing water levels were an issue. We moved across to the other side where it was deeper. Dinner at the pub and it was a bit disappointing; we have had nice meals there in the past.

On Saturday morning Verity and Ian arrived and we set off just after 10am for the Caen Hill flight. We went through the Seend locks with a nice hire boat.

Our lovely visiting locker.

Then we met nb Slipknot whose crew included a friendly couple and two dachthounds. After a stop for tea and a dog walk, we headed up the main flight with them.

At the bottom of the main flight

Robin and nb Slipknot's helm had something of a bromance going and the two boats went through the locks practically glued together. With four lockers as well we made good progress and didn't have to kill ourselves in the process.

Harold, Slipknot and our lovely lockers 

At the top.

We arrived at Devizes Wharf about 6pm and waved goodbye to Slipknot who were on a tight timetable to Cropredy and so going on further. After Scooby had been walked we headed into town and had a pretty dire fish and chip supper together before our extra crew got a taxi back to their car. We had had a good day thanks to their help. Sunday will be a rest day and we will set off again on Monday after some essential shopping.

To Seend (almost) and we revisit the past.

6 miles, 2 locks, 2 swing-bridges.

While Robin steered the boat for the first few miles, Jo put on washing and cleaned the boat (in honour of guests tomorrow!). There were a lot of boats around, mostly hire boats or WPs making their fortnightly move. We met a nice hire boat at the locks but left them just past Lowes swing-bridge (157) where we decided to stop in the same place that we spent our first night on Harold. Hopefully it won't be so eventful this time (dog falling in, tap leaking to flood corridor, no power to the plug sockets....).

14/11/2013

13/07/2017

A trip home and back to Bradford

9 miles, 2 swing-bridges and 1 lock.

Before Jo caught the train back to Stevenage, we took the Folly Footbridge across the canal and walked up the hill to get a panoramic view of Bath.

Jo went home and Robin fitted the new water filter. He explored Bath by bike and bought Scooby a new extendable lead to replace the fraying one we had. On Friday he moved out of Bath to Claverton. There was a swing-bridge to negotiate, not easy on your own when the bridge working are not on the same side as the mooring. Robin solved the problem by asking a passing cyclist to open and close the bridge for him. Photos were taken by the cyclists wife and they had a tale to tell in return for their help! Taking Scooby for an evening walk at Claverton, Robin saw three glow-worms which cheered him up immensely. On Saturday he moved to Avoncliff in time to greet a returning Jo at the station.

On Sunday we moved the short distance back to Bradford and moored by the Tithe Barn in time to get breakfast at the famous Lock Inn.

The Lock Inn at Bradford-on-Avon

 Bradford was lovely in the sunshine but very busy on the Sunday. Scooby was on constant guard, what with canoeists on the canal to the right of him and dogs on the towpath to the left.
Jo explored the town and Robin went paddle-boarding on the river which wasn't entirely a success; he was attacked by horseflies and then fell in when the board hit a rock when he was coming in to land. However, no harm done apart form a mouthful of gravel and river water. There were muttering about it being a young man's game and the virtues of canoes....

On Monday we did a big shop in Sainsburys. On Tuesday it poured with rain so we didn't do much at all except be fed up with the terrible TV reception as we tried to watch Wimbledon.

On Wednesday we moved up above the lock where there are Gs for doing the blog, TV (so long as you don't need ITV) and radio reception. We are loitering about because we have crew (Verity and Ian) coming to help us up the Caen Hill flight at the weekend and we are meeting them at the Barge Inn at Seend on Friday. 

Turning back East

18 miles and 12 locks

On Monday evening, nb Layla arrived at the mooring and it was lovely to see them. We left Bristol at 8.20am on Tuesday for the long slog back to Bath. Kevin and Carol from Layla waved us off at Princes Bridge. Hopefully they will catch up with us again after their stay in Bristol. On our way we met nb Large Marge at a lock and had a chat with her crew. They are planning at least a week in the harbour so we may leave them behind. The morning was grey but the sun came out later and it turned into a lovely day. We passed RLL boatyard where Harold was built ten years ago. It wasn't as glamourous as might be expected for such a classy vessel!

We were going up again, which always requires great care; especially in Bath Deep Lock, which has big paddles and therefore big water flows. It gave Robin quite a shock bubbling up right next to him despite the lockers best care.

We met some drugged up WPs at this lock. They were heading for the river in their dilapidated boats despite being warned not to by the lock-keepers. It made us glad to be going the other way. We had a delicious ice cream at the little booth by lock 11 which was most welcome as we were hot and weary by then. After all this it was after 6pm by the time we got to the mooring. We found the other Harold (which had also been moored in Bristol Harbour near us) moored there and we squeezed in next to him.

Tomorrow Jo catches the train home for a few days and Robin and Scooby will be left in charge of themselves and Harold.

Brilliant Bristol

0 (nautical) miles and 0 locks.

We have loved our stay in Bristol. The weekend was sunny and the harbour and wharfs were rammed with people enjoying the weather and the sights. We visited the SS Great Britain (superb) and the M Shed (not so good - but free- museum about Bristol). The C of E Cathedral is a big church without much atmosphere but there are a some lovely Georgian terraces and crescents. Robin climbed the Cabot tower in Brandon Park (where we have walked Scooby). We walked along the river and up through the National Trust woods to the Clifton suspension bridge. We walked across it and down the other side back to the boat. A long way (v. tired dog) but worth it. Robin caught several fish from the boat, including a 5lb Bream. Mostly we just enjoyed the harbour and all the comings and goings. We will set off early tomorrow to get back to the Bath 48 hour moorings we left on Friday.

Robin with the SS Great Britain

Our mooring from the deck of the SS Great Britain

The umbrella earns its keep again and the wharf is swarming with people on Sunday afternoon

We go for a walk to look at the Clifton Suspension Bridge

We end up walking under it and then over it

On the bridge looking West towards Avonmouth

and looking East over Bristol

Bristol - We made it!

22 miles and 11 locks.

Robin took Scooby for a long walk and, after a quick breakfast we set off for the 6 Bath locks at 8.30am. This flight includes Bath deep lock - at over 19 feet, the second deepest in the country.

Then we were on the river. After a few miles of Bath's back end, we emerged into countryside and it was pretty. The locks were manual and not too difficult. They were also well signed to make sure we avoided the weirs. The river was narrower than we were expecting, more like a canal in places. There was hardly any visitor mooring anywhere and most of what there was had WPs on it who had clearly been there some time.

As instructed we called the lock-keeper at Netham when we reached Hanham lock and then stopped to buy our 48 hour pass for the harbour (£55- so not cheap!). Then it was a few miles of the back end of Bristol before we emerged into the city centre. The skies had been threatening for most of the day and it rained hard but briefly as we arrived in the harbour.

We had a choice of three moorings and went for the one near a big park for Scoobs and opposite the SS Great Britain. Robin did an expert reverse onto the pontoon and we had arrived. It was exactly 5.30pm. There are tapas bars and such like in this little bit. We'll explore the rest later. The park has already got the thumbs up. We are paid up till Sunday and may extend until Tuesday if we like it. Its a good feeling to reach our intended destination and we should make the most of it. Its taken us almost 6 weeks to get here!

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.