Kennet and Avon Canal Holiday
9-16 June 2012
A slightly reduced group this year, we decided to take advantage by taking a
boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal, where it seems harder to find the boats that
cater for 8 or 9 adults. We were delighted to welcome Claire this year, a friend
of Lucy & Stephen's from their sailing holidays
Just after we set off from the marina on the edge of Bradford-on-Avon, Jane
contemplates the canal
Merry & Mary busily unpacking all our things
Shortly after getting underway, we were surprised with a tasty chocolate cake to
celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary - what a lovely thought!
Merry & Jane watch as Lucy works the swing bridge
Passing the end of the currently derelict Wilts & Berks Canal as we approach the
first lock of the holiday
Lucy steering the boat into the lock, being careful not to hit either the lock
side or the boat we are sharing with - helped by Claire
Claire taking a first time at steering - she proved very capable
A pleasant view on our first evening as Stephen waits at another lock
waiting for our boat - in the distance - to reach the lock
A lesson in lockworking - plenty of practice to come....
And a beautiful sunset
Sunday
The following morning, Lucy makes the bow rope into a pretty (if less useful)
spiral, while we set off
Approaching another swing bridge
The locks start to come closer together in the early stages of the Devizes
flight
The weather wasn't as pleasant as it might have been!
Lock-wheeling: Lucy steers our boat Selwood out of one lock with Jane and
Claire ready to close the gates behind her, while Mary is ready at the next
lock; Stephen waits at the next lock up, ready to start emptying it once Mary's
lock begins to fill.
The challenging Caen Hill is 16 locks in a straight line up the hill, forming
the most visually impressive part of the 29 locks of the Devizes flight.
Still, no hurry - time to take things easy!
Lucy goes on to the next lock to prepare it
Stephen hops across the lock gates as we gradually gain height
We were delighted to be joined by Sybil and Barry at this point, who have
recently escaped from Edmonton and live nearby - it was wonderful to see them
again!
Lucy steering round another boat
There was a sign saying not to allow the swans to go through the lock (there is
another family of swans a little further down), so they had to be tempted back
out with breadcrumbs
Finally at the top of the flight, it's time for a well earned break, and the
weather has warmed up enough for ice-cream
Devizes Wharf, where we filled up with water on the left of picture before
reversing across to the other side for the night
Monday
The following day however brought a lot of rain - luckily on a lockless stretch,
so we could leave one poor person outside at a time and everyone else could stay
dry. Stephen has drawn the short straw here!
But soon the locks return and it's all hands on deck. The rain continued
relentlessly, and there weren't many photos taken this day.
Tuesday
Yesterday evening we came through the Bruce Tunnel on the summit level, and this
morning it was time to start descending, first through the Crofton locks, with
Merry at the tiller.
Merry steers between locks as an aggregates train goes by
Lots of rather tiresome Canada geese
Crofton Pumping Station - well worth a visit when in steam. Remarkably it is
ten years since Lucy and Stephen were here
last on a much better day when the steam pumping engines were in action.
Merry goes on for some lock-wheeling. Unfortunately we made a sudden change of
plan here and took advantage of an unoccupied tap to fill up with water. When
Merry saw Mary walking towards her to advise her of the change of plan, Merry
thought we were on our way and walked on to the next lock, so had rather a long
wait for us.
Wilton Water, a small reservoir from which the Crofton pumping engine lifts
water to the summit level of the canal
Another goods train for Jane as we get under way after re-watering
The remains of anti-tank obstacles put on all the bridges along the canal in
World War II when the Thames to Reading and then the Kennet and Avon Canal were
to be a line of defence if the Germans should successfully invade the south
coast.
Claire is learning the best way to wait for the locks to fill or empty!
We shared a few locks with this people, who Mary got quite friendly with....
.... and then borrowed their bicycle to help with the lock-wheeling!
We reached Hungerford where we winded the boat and picked up Sarah, who was to
join us for the rest of the week, from the railway station. We had a very
pleasant if somewhat pricey meal at an Italian restaurant in Hungerford.
Wednesday
Next morning the weather has improved a lot, so Lucy takes the chance of a rest
in the sunshine
While Merry waits for the lock to be ready
The lock has a swing bridge across the chamber, which has to be opened before
the boat rises too far.
The plan had been to get back on board, but Mary is finding that the right-hand
bank of the canal doesn't want to let go, and as it isn't a long walk, we decide
to go for a stroll
The canal crosses the River Dun on a low aqueduct, almost completely invisibly
from the canal or its towpath - only those who know it is there will push their
way through the undergrowth
Jane appears to be supervising
At this point there was a shriek of 'STEAM TRAIN!!!!' from Jane and we all
whipped round to see this exciting sight! Stephen sadly had popped to the
bathroom and missed it!
Sarah having joined us on Tuesday evening, we took the opportunity of a group
photo, as sadly Mary & Claire had to leave us on Wednesday
The boat disappears into the distance, Stephen trying to work out whether
possible gaps ahead were long enough for our boat
Sarah working hard with the gates
Another chance for a sit down
Or perhaps a nap?
Back at Crofton locks
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, Stephen had managed to locate the
steam train from earlier, which turned out to be the Orient Express, and he even
tracked down the time of its expected return along the line.....
So we were able to capture this great shot - or did we?
The crane at Burbage Wharf
The view through the kitchen window from our mooring - or the hole where the
window was before Stephen removed it to improve ventilation as it was very hot
in the galley
Thursday
Another pleasant day, another lock, another little lie down....
A suspension bridge is an uncommon sight on the canals
Picked Hill - possibly once Pict Hill
The White Horse on Milk Hill
Lucy would like to point out that she very rarely bites!
The canal takes on a very rural, almost riverine, character as it narrows
between vegetation
Mary steering along a pretty country stretch
An early attempt at a skew bridge, not elegantly done but clearly sufficiently
effective as it is still here two hundred years later
Sarah had just left her old job, and her colleagues bought her this lovely bunch
of flowers which she brought with her
One of the many pillboxes which, together with the anti-tank obstacles seen
earlier, offer more evidence of the defensive line prepared along the canal.
The shortest narrowboat we've ever seen, I think!
If only we could remember the joke!
Friday
With rain threatening, we arrive back at the top of the Caen Hill flight
But luckily find another boat to share with
A pair of New Zealand couples, one borrowing the boat for three months, the
other joining them for a fortnight
Lots of shouted and ignored instructions from each boat result in a somewhat
awkward cross over here as two boats coming up pass the two of us going down
Some beautifully symmetric steering from Stephen on the left and the New Zealand
skipper on the right
Lucy's turn - it's much more elegant (and efficient) to steer alongside the
other boat from lock to lock on these short pounds
With the wind starting to rise, Stephen takes the boat round the corner into the
next lock, still in perfect unison with our temporary friends
I wonder what Jane's looking for - perhaps the legendary lemon cake!
The signs of improving weather, as steerers and lockworkers throw wet weather
gear onto the nearest bunk!
Stephen works the swing bridge
On this final afternoon the wind became extremely strong - Lucy is actually
moving down the canal in a straight line, in spite of where the nose of the boat
is pointing!
This made drop offs for bridge working quite exciting!
After our passage through on the first day, someone had apparently rammed the
lock and badly damaged one of the gates. As a result it has been closed off,
meaning Stephen has to steer the boat through a single gate - not usually a
problem, but in an extreme crosswind.....
Just the slightest of nudges - impressing the BW man who is assisting with
passage through the damaged lock. Apparently everyone else that day had lost
control in the wind and given the damaged gate another good shove!
Quite chilly today, but at least dry, as Lucy waits for the lock to fill
The strong winds ripple the water, and also make hovering outside the lock
impractical, so Stephen at the tiller is hoping for a helpful push away from the
bank once the gates are open
Trees bend in the wind
Another look at the point where the Wilts & Berks Canal once left to travel via
Swindon to Abingdon on the Thames
Saturday
On our final morning, Stephen knocks out the mooring pins
Lucy does a last turn at steering as the others pack
And sadly, we arrive back at the boatyard. Another wonderful holiday - the
weather could have been a lot worse.
I'm sure we'll have another adventure next year or the year after!
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