Day 37 .... 19.06.13 .... Devizes

Set off from the peace and quiet of Honey Street and its lovely pub and 1810 beer, as it was filling up for the Summer Solstice.  This event is a big deal around these parts, for not only is it near the Arthurian area of Avalon, the Bronze age area of Avebury,Stonehenge etc and the country's main centre for crop circles , but the ridge above the White Horse in yesterday's photo is the highest point in Wiltshire and therefore has the longest day.......... when the sun shines.  This makes it a superb gathering point for hippy types and takes one back to ones youth. Many boats collecting for a great fest.

Progress was therefore slow although there are no locks until Devizes.

Passed some colourful boats on their way to the festivities. 

The canal narrowed  ...  lovely reeds

This picture is blurred for it is an action picture...... whilst trying to find a mooring place on the way in to Devizes I managed to run the boat hard aground.  Luckily another boat passed and, as you do, took a rope and gave us a good tug out sorting out the problem.

Maggie then went ahead on her bike and told me where there were some good moorings, which is where we are on the outskirts of Devizes.

Amazingly 5 boats behind us is a travelling Hair Salon to which Maggie is going at 10a.m. tomorrow.  Not sure what colour or style she will come back but nous verrons !!

Have booked in to a tour of Wadworths Brewery on Friday ..... this area is Wadworthshire. Down the flight with James and Deborah on Saturday we hope. 

  

  

13.06.13 to Regaining O2 Signal on 17.06.13 at Honeystreet

I have a feeling that it will be easier to do one post for the 5 days we have been without a signal. Have made notes in my diary of the pics we want to put on !!!  So sorry if this is somewhat lengthy but it will get me up to date.

There are some interesting people doing voyages from London to Bristol in odd craft.  Was very nervous to be with them in a lock!!

We were held up for a day by a broken lock gate and so went on up the canal on our bikes

and got to a lovely villlage called Great Bedwyn which had a Post Office and Stonemason's Museum!!!  

Loved this inscription.

Nestamay sitting peacefully...

and hidden behind this village called Wilton which we cycled to

and then on to a windmill which I hope you can see in the distance.

Wilton was hidden in this dip.

Typical view of a lock which is just before this tunnel and the summit of the climb from the Thames before we start to go down towards Bristol and Bath.

Taking shelter on one of the rides to meet Mike and Jay with the post!!!!

We met them in a village called Wooton Rivers at a pub called The Royal Oak.  Great to see them. 

This gives a good impression of the rustic kind of scenery we are going through. 

This pub has a one-armed ghost as opposed to a onearmed bandit 

A shot of the only remaining mini suspension bridge on the canal system!!!!! The things that interest one !!!

Almost up to date and this is the main street of Honeystreet !!!

A beautiful little boat

Woodborough Hill which I believe was James'old stamping grounds

An extremely clever swan who has managed to get 8 cygnets to an advanced age.

and finally we get to 17.06.13 and up to date. Follow the finger for the White Horse in the Vale of Pewsey. Well done those who have got to the end.  Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.  Perhaps!!! 

Day 30.... Froxfield,Wilts ... 12.06.13

Left the mooring in a mizzle, did a couple of locks and then were set our first puzzle.

Namely a lovely, lonely lock with a swing bridge over the top.  I needed to climb out of the boat via the ladder and so threw my gloves up prior to clambering up 

A lucky miss. We were sharing the field with some best Wiltshire beef !!! The whole area is beautifully peaceful and so we decided to moor up .....

but were slightly surprised by .......

A Great Western Train hurtling past.... did wave to the driver and he did hoot hello.

Amazingly though the odd train did not bother us at all.

The only unfortunate thing about this area is that we cannot get O2 which is what the computer dongle belongs to and so we have had to miss five days which I am catching up on for those of you who are following on the odd occasion.  

  

Day 29 .... 11.06.13 .... Hungerford

Although it has been a grey day of mizzling and drizzling it has not been cold and so it has been a pretty pleasant day of chuntering along. 

The bridge over the High Street in Newbury looked positively Venetian although there was a very fast downflow under the bridge before the lock since the river comes in from the left of the lock and tries to throw you off course ....... Full wellie on the engine

This sign caught our imagination .............. wonder if it was this fellow who we passed all done up and ready to pull a boat.

The countryside is great and the couple of people who said to us that "once you are beyond Newbury"  have been proved correct.  It is very quiet and peaceful. 

Some of the locks are in the middle of nowhere but  they are not so violent, although we, perhaps, are beginning to have a better understanding of the different types of  paddles that exist here. The new ropes have worked well today. It has proved a great boon to have a longer middle rope to hold the boat into the side  !!!

This is Copse Lock hidden in a wood with a weir for the river on the right hand side of the pic. where the river flows in to the canal. 

Finally for today the bridge into Hungerford which again, like Newbury, has the High Street going over it. 

 

Day 28 ..... 10.06.13 .... Newbury

Onwards from the rural parts towards Newbury. More swing bridges and locks!!!!

One of the prime differences we have found on the K. and A. is the fierceness of the locks, so we are progressing very cautiously.  Good ropes are needed .... of which more later !!!

This is a good example of the power of the water coming in ....

This lock is fascinating since it is a turf lock and a grade 2 listed one.  It is in very good condition although how they got through when there was no frame in it we were not sure.

After this lock some lovely reedy stretches

Stopped in Newbury for the night having got some new ropes at Newbury Marina from a very friendly chap called Pat.  Excitement of the day was one of the ropes snapping which gives one a nasty shock .... so we decide to get a complete set of new ones. 

Day 27 .... 09.06.13 ... Woolhampton nr. Reading

After some very fierce locks and weirs came into an extremely pastoral scene of buttercups and cows

And then came to what is called a turf lock which is apparently a Grade two listed item.  Still slightly un-nerving for the Kennet and Avon new boys. Apparently the turf used to go down to the level of the boat but I am not sure, given the intensity of the water coming down, how they used to manage this without any metalwork to hold you in..........  

There are many swing bridges in this part of the world which is playing havoc with our working out of where we are going to be .

Maggie feels somewhat guilty about stopping the whole road  .......

and now finally after a fairly taxing day, a gentle pic as to where we are

Not sure that that tells you much .....but it looks lovely !!!!

Day 26 .... 08.06.13 .... Reading

We are having such glorious weather and making the most of it! This is our last day on the first leg of the Thames before we turn off for the Kennet and Avon canal later today. I wandered around Henley first thing this morning ( had to get the paper and catch the Post Office) admiring the picturesque cottages and houses.

Henley frontage is so pretty and the river very busy with scullers training for the annual regatta.

Passed some really old boathouses which had been beautifully renovated but spotted this rather contempoary new build tucked in between them. Those of you who follow the Grand Designs TV programme might find this following bit interesting - apparently, they televised the rebuild of this old boathouse which was demolished and a new and very modern one was built in its place much to the disgust of the neighbours! We rather liked it.

Making the most of the expanse and spaciousness of the Thames.

Turning off the Thames at Reading and entering the Kennet and Avon........

........ and cruising through the shopping centre at Reading which was very built up.

                                           We soon reached the outskirts and prettier views! The locks and gate paddles were different to those we have on the Grand Union and quite challenging at times........

....... this lock looks idyllic but had hidden challenges with no warnings! Although I only opened one paddle and very, very slowly that was still too much for our boat. The resultant turbulence caused NestaMay to be buffetted against the side of the lock and with an almighty bang hit it!!!! Only had a broken eggcup as a result though!  We have never experienced that before and I couldn't close the paddle to stop the tremendous gush of water as it was stuck open! Still we learn from our experiences. Round the corner from this ......

.... a very welcome sight and well deserved drink It was now 8.15pm and we were tired. Tomorrow is another day and all that!