Warning – this archive may be boring – do not read unless you really haven’t got anything better to do!

Waterways: Grand Union Canal; River Thames; Kennet and Avon Canal; River Avon

7/7/07

Since we last wrote the log Richard has done numerous cruises up and down to Bow – I MUST get him to write a log!

Today, though we moved to our new mooring in Engineers Wharf. There have been news items all day emphasising that today is the most auspicious day of the CENTURY – all the 7s – 7/7/07. To add to this, BW assigned us to, you’ve guessed it, berth 7! We’re not particularly superstitious but we HAD to feel good about this mooring!

We settled into our new mooring – had a good exploration of the facilities – shore power, pump out and water at the pontoon – yes; storage lockers and post boxes on shore – of course; dedicated shower rooms and washing machines – absolutely! These moorings are great! We’re the only non-residential boat here – the rest are residential hence the superb facilities.

11/8/07

Had a family cruise to Paddington Basin today for Richard and Alinka’s (his sister) birthdays – in addition to Richard’s family, Denise and crew (who were staying with us for the weekend) also joined us. We Left Denise and crew on board overnight with instructions to take the boat back to Northolt the following day. It’s the first time we’ve let anyone take the boat without us being on board (nails bitten to the quick!) but they are experienced crew and it’s a lock-free pound! They did a great job of cruising but did manage to ‘break’ the toilet. We now have a lot of sympathy for other bloggers who’ve reported the fun they’ve had uncoiling ’stuff’ from the macerator. In this case it had successfully processed a tampon then jammed on the tiny cellophane wrapping!

24/8/07

Welcomed Ken and Sue on board for a weekend cruise. Had a leisurely start and pottered down the lock-free stretch to Southall. We’d hoped to stop sooner but the canal south of Bull’s Bridge is very shallow and it was hard to find a mooring spot.

The two riverside pubs in Southall were grim and didn’t do food. We did find an indian pub just beyond the recreation ground – exceptionally cheap food, big portions and very tasty (walk round the ground not through it – apparently not safe after dark). Dogs allowed in the ‘courtyard’. Southall is a gloomy place though the locals were fascinated by the dogs and by the fact that we were ‘tourists’ there!

25/8/07

Fast run down the Hanwell flight – dogs had loads of exercise running up and down and generally rummaging. They had a busy day all round as they didn’t really sleep all day either.

The tidal Thames was fine – calm and easy which was useful being as we had guests on board.

Then up the Thames – smooth fast run though queues at all the locks. Nice having lock-keepers again!

Had supper at the “Kingfisher” pub on Chertsey Bridge – generally nice food though my steak was the toughest ever – dogs delighted!

Great dog-walking on the meads – Blue in disgrace after getting utterly covered (nose to tail!) in cow dung. Of course, we have supplies of everything on board, including dog shampoo- he had a thorough bath in the river and is now looking smooth and glossy.

We had a bit of drama as our friends Liam and Lena had a baby a few days ago – baby Seamus having a rough start in intensive care so we went along to see them (and him). So that you don’t worry, after a few anxious weeks he was absolutely fine.

26/8/07

Busy day on the river – far too much traffic for my liking and jams at some of the locks. Windsor completely packed – water full of boats and random swimmers – glad to get away. Day of collisions as the rudder caught in shallows and front caught in a current – no harm done though.

Met Ken’s mum in Maidenhead – nice place for tea in the park there. Then we went on to Cookham – very full there as well and difficult to get a mooring – we found a ‘hidden’ spot under the branches of a willow tree! Had the best meal of the weekend in the Bel and Dragon pub – one of our all-time favourites because it is VERY dog-friendly and has a lovely garden in the back. Lou was constantly fussed by the waiters and random strangers – she was in heaven! Blue’s too much of a superstar for that sort of thing!

27/8/07

Hambledon Lock – Watch our for strong undertow at the lock moorings. Side-filling lock so take an extra turn on your ropes so that you don’t get pushed across and crush the plastic cruisers!

Sonning Bridge – watch out for strong weir stream from the right going upstream before the bridge. You can’t see this flow but you WILL feel it!

31/8/07

Engine Serviced

1/9/07

Reading – Sheffield Lock 101

Slow trip today – our planned ‘early’ start was 12.30pm! Then the canal was generally slow – strong flow against us and the usual Kennet and Avon moored boats. Became even slower when we found that the swing bridge above Sheffield lock was broken. BW fixed it at 8.30pm so we were essentially stranded for the night. Not a bad place though – quiet, good dog-walking – not near a pub but boat well-stocked after trip to mega-testo in Reading!

2/9/07

Sheffield lock – Newbury

Interesting day with the current and the wind on the river. Richard did a fine job of getting through Woolhampton!

NB. Do not moor just above the ‘bottom’ lock in Newbury – have heard of 2 incidents of boats being burgled there. We had a brief stop there but our mooring clips almost ripped out by passing trip boat – they weren’t going particularly fast but it’s shallow there. So if you moor here then secure your boat in all senses!

We eventually moored opposite the marina just before Victoria Park(between the footbridge and the main road bridge for the A4). Good mooring – felt secure opposite lots of boats and very good for dog-walking – off the road and access to the river for Lou to have a splosh. Richard found a useful spot to park in the lane at the far end of the footbridge – this made it very easy to load up!

7/9/07

Newbury – Hungerford

Very pretty stretch of canal – rural, good walks for dogs (who were very restless on board). Slightly muggy but warm day – lovely evening. Richard has got train back to Newbury for the car relay – very efficient.

Stopped at Kintbury services – good services and useful visitor mooring there. Moored below Hungerford lock just by Station Road Bridge – good for town centre and station, not so good for dogs – bit close to the road but they’re tired anyway so not looking for great excitement.

8/9/07

Hungerford – Wilcot

Busy day’s cruising – lots of locks and lots of miles. Beautiful countryside and lots of walking for dogs – they were absolutely knackered by the end of the day. Cool and overcast – a real contrast to the July heatwave when we came through here last.

Car relay working ok but note: no trains to Hungerford from Pewsey! Richard had to cycle back to get the car – 13 miles – I was impressed! I took the boat on while he was cycling back – first time entirely by myself – was fine. I surprised myself by managing a single-handed countryside mooring!

Pewsey was jam-packed with no mooring available. Wilcot also busy but we did find a space in the section just before Wicot Bridge 117. The moorings (and towpath) are on the left; on the other side of the hedge is a lane with good parking. Over Wilcot Bridge is a fine dog-friendly pub called the Golden Swan.

9/9/07

Wilcot – Seend

What a day! Did efficient car relay with Richard going ahead to Devizes and cycling back to meet me. I cruised past Honey Street (where we spent so much time last year) in a lovely but cool hazy morning. Mist burnt off later to give a beautiful warm day and evening.

Did Caen Hill today – very efficient with Richard and his bike doing all the locks and me driving. We had the flight to ourselves which was nice – lots of friendly onlookers which was a pleasant contrast to the miserable (and anonymous) git in Devizes who reported us to BW for going too fast!. We were NOT speeding by the way…..

Long and tiring day as it took us a while to get a mooring spot – finally settled on a 24-hour mooring in Seend – great place – all facilities (water, facilites and pump-out) and excellent dog-friendly pub opposite (The Barge Inn).

10/9/07

Seend – Bradford on Avon

Very relaxed day – what a relief! Dogs knackered after scampering around Caen Hill yesterday – both benefited from a lie-in (as did I)! Richard cycled back to get the car from Devizes (all uphill unfortunately!) and I had a leisurely morning of cleaning and tidying the boat. A few locks and swingbridges to keep things interesting but none of the intensity of the last few days. Passed Hilperton where Indigo Dream was happily launched – hurrah!

Lovely in Bradford on Avon – good moorings and great dog walking. We’re using this as a base for our holidays.

Bradford on Avon Notes:

Water, pump-out and rubbish point just above Bradford lock

Good pubs canalside just below the lock

Dick and Jane’s – good food, dogs allowed on the patio (which is heated!)

Pub opposite is dog-friendly – allowed in the bar; good food; poor and slow service

Useful pay and display car park just by the tithe barn

24-hour moorings just below the lock; then a run of 48-hour moorings then the standard 14-day moorings

Great park behind the towpath (by the tithe barn)

Get into the park from the canal and head right toward the river – shallow area here for dog sploshing

15 & 16/9/07

Have decided to relax on our moorings for a few days – good access to town and transport and great dog-walking.

Some chaos in travel to South Wales (for the world cup rugby in Cardiff) – next time we’ll get a train from Bradford on Avon! Wale were woeful in the rugby!

Drama in the morning as Lou cut her knee very badly and had to have stistches at the local vet. The vets in Bradford on Avon are lovely.

Note: Local Vets

Bradford on Avon; Frome Road, BA15 1LA 01225 862656

Trowbridge: Paxcroft Way BA14 7DG 01225 760630

Westbury; Hayes Road, BA13 3HD 01373 823546

Warminster, Silver Street BA12 8PS 01985 213522

17/9/07

Explored Bradford on Avon today – beautiful bath stone buildings – too much traffic for the narrow streets but great away from the cars. Very good tourist information place.

The Shambles is worth a visit – good independent bookshop (slightly eccentric!) and odds ‘n ends shop opposite where we bought some small sheepskins for the dogs (£5 or so each). These seem to be very acceptable as dogs beds allbeit much smaller than the ones they have at home. Had great cake and coffee at the “Scribbling Horse” cafe. This is a good town if you like arty little knick-knacks and antiques – lots of craft shops and workshops.

Ate at ‘The Barge’ (opposite Dick and Jane’s) – good food and dogs welcome in the bar, but the service was slow – the meal took two and a half hours to arrive. We won’t go there again though the wait was pleasantly taken up by people giving the dogs a substantial amount of fuss!

18/9/07

Note: Many shops/restaurants close early or don’t open at all on Mondays; the butcher shuts at 1.30pm and the bakery at 4pm. Thank heavens for Sainsbury’s (not canalside unfortunately but we did have a car here).

Went to Longleat today – great day out though we barely scratched the surface. Had a general walk around then did the safari park – awesome. The dogs survived well in the kennels. Dogs are not allowed in the safari park so they provide free kennels by the entrance. One kennel was large enough to take our two greyhounds and they do provide a water bowl BUT otherwise they’re very spartan – concrete floors and open-fronted. We had taken duvets for ours so they were very comfortable but other poor doggies had been left there with nothing and were looking very dejected – ours just slept! I wouldn’t want to leave them there on a cold or wet day!

We bought Longleat passports so we could go back and do the house another day – great.

Longleat – BA12 7NW 01985 844400

We had a great pizza from Amici Pizzeria on Silver Street (Back in Bradford on Avon) – 01225 863661

19/9/07

The big event today was cycling the 8 miles from Bradford on Avon to Bath. Very scenic route but after the first 3 miles or so I was too concerned with some very private pains to be bothered with the countryside! Stopped for lunch at a canalside pub in Bathampton (The George) – wonderful food, must stop there for supper sometime.

Bath is beautiful and we had a lush afternoon in the famous spa there – roof pool (nice), scented steam rooms (sheer luxury), spa pool with currents that you could just drigt in (totally addictive). I was afraid we’d be bored and wouldn’t last the 2 hours we’d paid for – how wrong I was, we were reluctant to leave! Caught train back to Bradford on Avon – all very efficient.

Drove back to the Barge Inn in Seend for supper – good food and the dogs like it there.

20/9/07

Rugby day today – kick off for Wales/Japan at 8pm so we’re spending the day mooching around and keeping the dogs company.

Had good trip to Cardiff – went to visit Chris (looking very unwell – has motorneurone disease), Caroline (amazingly cheerful considering) and baby Peter (total joy). We also caught up with some other old friends, Carolyn and Nick – we took Nick and son Josh to the rugby. Wales did much better (as they should!) but still a lot of work to be done!

Travel back very slow – M4 roadworks so dogs left on board for unscheduled 9 hours – bit too long – they were howling pitifully and LOUDLY (but no accidents) – they were VERY pleased to see us.

21/9/07

Bradford on Avon – Bath (by boat this time!)

Finally moved from our lovely mooring down to Bath. Did efficient car relay. I took the boat and Richard took the car/cycle and we met at the exact same time in Dundas Wharf as planned. Lovely stretch of canal but slow with moored boats. I was surprised to find 24-hour morings at dundas Wharf – on the bedn at the ‘wharf’ end of the aqueduct – useful and pretty.

Joined by some more of our Cardiff friends, Chris and Linda, for the afternoon – locked down to Bath, had a look at Poultney Weir then moored a bit further down behind the trip boat (Silver Salmon). Useful spot with railing to moor up to but some detachable chains for easy on/off loading.

Superb meal at Cafe du Globe – mainly moroccan food and lovely.

22/9/07

Bath – Bristol

Expected a long day’s cruise today but not as bad as expected despite slow streches with random rowers and sailing boats. The Avon was surprisingly narrow – we expected a much wider river – I guess that expalins the tidal bore!

When we reached Hanham lock we rang the Netham lock-keeper 0117 977 6590 – friendly and helpful. There was no visible tide on the stretch down to Netham though we did go at flat water. Netham lock was open – it always is unless there’s a very high tide.

There is low headroom under the swing bridge near Bristol town centre but we made it under. Moored on the visitor pontoons by the Arnolfini – good access to the town centre and not too far from the train station.

26 & 27/9/07

Came down to stay on the boat – very convenient for Temple Meads station. I had an all-day meeting in Cardiff on the 27th so this was a great base. It is VERY noisy at night here – the clubs on the waterside were buzzing until 3am. However, no-one seemed to come on to the pontoons and I felt completely safe and secure here.

Ate both nights at the chinese buffet on the junction of Queen Charlotte Street and Baldwin Street. Found a useful bit of green at the bottom of Queen Charlotte Street – not big enough for an off-lead walk but would do for doggie basics. There’s also a useful Budgen’s store on this road.

Plenty of shops and restaurants to explore when we’re back here together – lacked the will/energy by myself and just had a nice time relaxing on board.

Enjoyed brief freedom from responsibility of domestics and doggies but I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow though!