Bath to Trowbridge

Sun 2nd Jul    Bath Locks 10/11 to Dundas

The good news is that Hugo turned up at 10.30pm last night. We had waited all day for him. He had a lot of burs and grass seed in his fur, and our guess is that he crossed the bridge into the allotments opposite, and left it too late to return. There were many dog walkers, cyclists and others out and about as it was Saturday. Even in the early evening there were people sitting chatting and drinking on the lock gates by the entrance to the allotments.  So he waited until it was all clear before returning to the boat.  We locked him in to ensure a prompt getaway this morning.

Today we left at about 8am, going up through the first lock. As we doing so, a hire boat was coming down in the lock above, and they turned in the winding hole, so we shared the two locks up to the Top Lock.

Pump house chimney

The final three Bath locks

We had agreed that we would moor in the space above that was available, and they would find a space further on to stop for breakfast.  We let them go first, but then they pulled into “our” space. We asked to moor alongside until they had had their breakfast.

Then it appeared that they were going out somewhere for breakfast, and would not be back for an hour or more, and we wanted to go to a church and would still be out when they returned.  So we changed the boats around, with us on the inside, and they moored alongside us. 

They went for breakfast and we went to Tesco first and then to St Michael Without for their 1030 service.  Worship was led by a lady singer who played guitar, accompanied by Susannah on the grand piano.  It was an all age service, but there were very few children.

St Michael Without

After the service we went to a Turkish Restaurant we had seen earlier – Marmaris. We had an excellent lunch, very good value.  A meze as a starter, with Hummus, Taramasalata, and Tzadziki, accompanied by a couscous salad, a bean salad lots of pitta, pickled chillies and olives.  Then we had a chicken kebab (Hazel) and a moussaka (James), each with rice and salad. We thought we had finished as it was a two course lunchtime special, but then a plate of fruit pieces arrived, and some Turkish delight. All for £7.90 per person.

Pulteney Bridge

We struggled back to the boat again after such a full meal. The steep path up to the canal at the end was particularly challenging.

We set off straight away, trying to keep to the shady side wherever possible as it was very hot once again. It was good to be in the tunnel under Cleveland House.

Cleveland House

Sydney Gardens

We saw Alison and Laura from Large Marge. It is a shame we didn’t see them earlier – we could have shared a meal or a bottle.

Alison and Laura

Large Marge

 After we had gone about a mile we caught up with a hire boat full of tanked up young men in silly hats. They were drinking, singing and waving furiously at everyone on the towpath.  They were taking it turns to steer, and passing the captains hat to whoever was on the tiller. They were going V E R Y   S L O W L Y.  We slowed right down to minimal tickover and were still catching them up.  There were lots of moored boats, so we couldn’t pass easily, and we didn’t really want to as we were half expecting to see Babs somewhere, and we wanted to fill up with water at Bathampton. We stopped the boat in the shade of a tree and let them get away. Then when we set off again we caught them up on tickover. Eventually they pulled in on the water point, so we decided to pass them and get water instead at Dundas.

Following the inebriated hire boat crew

A community of boat dwellers

Swing Bridge

We negotiated the two swing bridges by ourselves, and found that the water point was available for us at Dundas. We also used the elsan point, which is not marked in our (old) Nicholson Guide. We didn’t fill up completely as we saw there was a mooring on the aqueduct, so we stopped there for two nights.

Dundas Wharf

 Dundas Aqueduct

Somerset Coal Canal

The view up the valley

We went for a walk to the Somersetshire Coal Canal, hoping to visit their cafe for an ice cream, but we found that the cafe was closed, and there was no sign to give their opening times.  We did find an exhibition about the Coal Canal and we nicked some photos from it.

How the aqueduct once looked

An aerial view

Back at the boat Hugo was in a playful mood, running off when we looked at him, and giving us a rugby tackle round the ankles when we weren’t looking.

3 locks, 5 miles, 2 swing bridges

Mon 3rd Jul    Dundas

A day of chores – vacuuming, washing clothes etc. James cleaned the coal burning stove as we don’t anticipate using it for a month or two.

He went for a walk below the aqueduct, along the river and found some amazing butterflies – silver-washed fritillaries, and damsel flies. Back via a small Spar shop up on the road for ice creams.

Damsel fly

The path along the river valley

Astillbe

Burdock

Dundas Aqueduct from below

Steps up

Damsel fly

Silver Washed Fritillary

A boat emerging from the Somerset Coal Canal

We had some entertainment with a hire boat that was trying to moor up. They had only had the boat for two hours and they couldn’t get it into the side. With a bit of advice from Hazel they managed it.  Pleasant people from Sydney.  We gave them a map of the canal in Bath.

No boating today

Tue 4th Jul    Dundas to Avoncliffe

We had a very light shower to start with. When Hugo returned from the enticing meadow, we set off in reverse across the aqueduct to the facilities block for water, rubbish and cassettes.

Dundas Wharf

We found Litania with Sue Smith on board, awaiting people for a static session of canal art. Andy was away in Bristol visiting someone who needed some help.

Litania

While we were there a hire boat overshot the aqueduct, and in trying to get back on course, rammed Litania with a loud bang.

We departed a little more gracefully, heading for Avoncliffe.

The visitor mooring rings at Avoncliffe were suffering from a long ledge under water about three feet from the side, so it was impossible to moor there. We stopped instead just beyond the pinch point, and immediately before the aqueduct, where there were no rings, but at least we could get into the side.

We went to the Cross Guns for lunch. The food was fine, but very overpriced. This is one of those honeypot locations where they don’t need a lot of repeat business.  We discovered that the music session this evening is not instrument based, but just unaccompanied singing. We are pleased that we didn’t just turn up with our instruments.  We went back and we ended up as a group of just seven people sitting round a table singing songs.  It was not what we had expected, but it was good fun just the same.  The landlord provided us with two big plates of chips.

Cross Guns

Avoncliffe Aqueduct

0 locks, 2 miles.

Wed 5th Jul    Avoncliffe to Trowbridge

Moored near Avoncliffe

Crossing the aqueduct

We started very gently this morning, hoping that a mooring in Bradford would become available by the time we arrived. We only met one boat, a hire boat, and we guess that it had left Bradford, as there was a mooring just our size when we arrived.

We had a proper breakfast in a canalside cafe in Bradford on Avon, followed by a short stroll into the town to explore. There are lots of lovely old mellow stone buildings, including a Saxon Church and an ancient stone bridge with a jail on it.

Images of Bradford on Avon

We had drinks in a riverside cafe before buying a few bits in the Coop and walking back via the Riverside Path and the Tithe Barn.

We set off straight away as we didn’t need lunch after the full breakfast. We were on our own in the lock, although there is nowhere to get off, so James had to climb the ladder. No volunteers today.

Bradford Lock

We stopped at Hilperton Wharf for diesel, which we thought was 65p, but it turned out it was 80p.  Having filled up, and bought gas, blue, and ice creams, we moved on and found another diesel point next door – 65p!!  We could have saved £19.

It was very hot, and we were trying to find the shady bits of canal all the time. We stopped just after Trowbridge, near Whaddon Bridge, where a tree provided enough shade to get the chairs out on the bank.

Seeking shade

James had a good chat with Phil, who lives on a wide beam called Annie’s Dream. He enjoys the wildlife and takes pictures of landscapes and sunsets. He had a brilliant photo of an otter.

Sunset

1 lock, 5 miles

Next:  continuing to Devizes, with the Caen Hill Locks on Saturday.