Voyages of Gabriel: Bath to the Avon and back to Bath

Mon 26th Jun Bath to Saltford

We had a cloudy start today, but it was hot and sunny later.

Moored in Bath

There were several boats moving as we made a visit to the Tesco Express by Bridge 188. When we were finally ready to set off, there were no boats to share with, and we were following a hire boat down the locks.

Bath Locks

As we were descending in lock 10, James raised a top paddle on lock 8/9 to start filling the Deep Lock, as it takes a while. He returned to lock 10 to open the gates and let the boat out. While he was there, a man came up from below and opened a bottom paddle on the Deep Lock, without checking the top paddles. Someone then told him that one of the top paddles was open, and he came to the top gates and was trying to close the wrong paddle. He had still left the bottom paddle open. James finished at lock 10 and went to see what was going on. The Deep Lock was much more empty than full, so he closed the paddle he had opened, and allowed the lock to empty so that the other guy could bring his boat in first. By the time his boat was nearing the top of the Deep Lock, the pound above was very low.

Usually there are volunteers to man this lock, but there was no-one around today.

Bath Deep Lock

We left the canal and joined the River Avon, and as we cruised downstream, we were trying to establish where we were, but the bridges were mostly unnumbered.

Into the Avon

Ornate railway bridge

We reached Weston Lock, which was set against us. There was nothing coming from below, so James opened both top paddles and started to fill the lock. It was almost full when a lady walked up from below and without looking at the paddles, or at James standing there, or at Gabriel waiting to come down, proceeded to open one of the bottom paddles! “Excuse me! We are trying to fill the lock and it is almost full!” “Oh sorry, I didn’t see you.”

Then, when the lock was full, and Gabriel was in, and we were about to open the bottom paddles, James saw that the boat below was only held with a centre rope passed round a bollard and back to the helmsman. “If you don’t tie a bow rope, your boat will be swept away when we let the water out!” said James. It was quite a large lock. “Oh don’t worry, Charlie knows what he’s doing,” was the reply.

So we opened the paddles and the boat was swept sideways across the river. They had been warned.

Weston Lock and the hire boat

Lifeboat no 18

We found a place to moor on the approach to Saltford, hanging onto trees, with a plank out against the side to stop the boat getting too close to an overhanging bough.

There was a railway line alongside with very noisy trains. Hugo kept running back on board at the sound. Later on there were noisy rowers with loudhailers and speeding safety craft. Somewhere to avoid in future.

Rowing eight

We had some noodles with our meal, and there were some which stuck to a strainer and didn’t get eaten. We fed them to some fish which seemed very hungry.

We heard and then spotted a kingfisher flying up stream.

7 locks, 5 miles

Tue 27th Jun Saltford to railway bridge VM

As we were setting off this morning, another boat appeared behind us, so we shared the locks with them, a pleasant couple on a hire boat.

Kelston Lock was first, followed by Saltford Lock, and then we used a facilities pontoon to empty our cassettes.

Kelston Weir

Dutch Barge reflections

Saltford Lock

We caught up with the hire boat again at Swineford Lock, before mooring on a 24 hour mooring pontoon where the Bristol and Bath Railway Path crosses the river on a bridge.

The railway path is a disused railway that is used by walkers and cyclists, or so we thought. However, it seems that a single track railway line has been reinstated, and a passer-by told us that there is a steam railway that runs at weekends here.

The railway footbridge

It was very peaceful, with no houses in sight. We saw some reed warblers (or sedge?) and had a good view of a kingfisher on a branch.

Pontoon mooring

Is that a fly in my drink?

Then the peace was shattered with about ten youngsters who arrived, and started swimming. They were jumping off the bridge, and rocking the jetty, where we were sitting on our deck chairs.

They left eventually, and a hire boat Fox Cub arrived. James helped them to moor up, and explained to them why the jetty was so wet, when the weather was dry.

Later it started to rain slightly.

3 locks, 3 miles

Wed 28th Jun Railway bridge VM to Bath Avon Br 201

The rain was more persistent this morning, so we stayed put for the morning. Fox Cub departed in the rain – they presumably had a schedule to keep.

We saw a steam train come over the bridge, even though we had been told it was weekends only. Looking at the timetable online – Bitton Railway – we found that it also operates on Wednesdays.

Steam Train over the Avon

The rain stopped, so we departed, going back up river the way we had come.

Swineford Lock we used on our own, before stopping at the facilities pontoon once again to empty cassettes.

At Saltford Lock we caught up with the hire boat Fox Cub. They had spent a little time on the facilities pontoon to sit out the rain. We shared Kelston and Weston Locks with them, and we moored with them on a 24H mooring near Bridge 201.

Weston Lock

4 locks, 6 miles

Thu 29th Jun Bath Avon Br 201 to Bath Locks 10/11

Moored on the Avon in Bath

We followed Fox Cub for the journey up the locks. We were going gently upstream through the city, admiring the buildings and looking for bridge numbers, when we shouted at by a person on a moored trip boat. “Oy! Five miles an hour! Do you want me to report you?” We were going very slowly, and we looked at our rev counter, and read just over 1000 revs. Our usual cruising speed is between 1500 and 2000 revs. It was a wide river, and our wash was negligible. We stayed at the same speed, and when we reached the locks we had taken 15 minutes to cover half a mile. Basic school maths means that was 2 mph. When we caught up with Fox Cub, they had also been shouted at.

Bath Bottom Lock

Bath Deep Lock gates

One the way down we did not see any volunteers. Today we saw two, and one of them was BCF member Keith Yeandel. We last saw him with Dianne at Lymm on the Bridgewater Canal last year. This time he helped us through the Deep Lock.

In the Deep Lock

Leaving the Deep Lock

We moored between locks 10 and 11 on a 2 day mooring. It is more of a level walk from here into the city than the steep path from the Top Lock.

We worked out a play list for tomorrow when we are at the Open St Mike evening

We had a pleasant lunch in a Nepalese restaurant called Yak Yeti Yak. There was no yak on the menu, but we had a lovely chicken curry.

We then visited a small art gallery, before going to Waitrose to buy a cider box, among other things. They don’t sell a decent cider in Sainsbury’s.

The art gallery

Pulteney Bridge

Looking up river

What is this?

We walked back to the boat and had a snooze.

A boat further along had three cats, and there was a bit of a fracas in the night, after which we kept Hugo in.

3 locks, 1 mile

Fri 30th Jun Bath Locks 10/11

We booked some cinema tickets, and then practised our songs for the evening. We walked to the cinema, stopping for a drink at Wetherspoons next door – Old Rosie Cider.

We saw Despicable Me 3, which was good, but we didn’t think it was as good as the first two.

We had a burrito for lunch – tasty but very messy.

Back to boat for zzzzzzzzzzzz. It is becoming a bit of a habit.

We walked down the hill once more to go to St Michaels Without for their Open St Mike night. This was rather different to the usual open mic nights at pubs. For a start there was a grand piano available to use, and there were some talented classical musicians making use of it, as well as cello, and classical guitar. We were on a bit later, and sadly, many of the performers seemed to leave after their act, so there were very few people left when we got up to do our songs. We were well received by those that were left.

Performers list at Open St Mike

No boating today

Sat 1st Jul Bath Locks 10/11

This morning we had planned to go up three locks, fill up with water, visit Tesco, and set off for Dundas, from where we would catch a bus into Bath on Sunday morning.

Plans are all very well, but Hugo decided differently, and was nowhere to be seen.

We stayed put and waited. James went to Tesco for milk and bought some cake on impulse. On the notice board by the Top Lock was CRT’s list of facilities on the Kennet and Avon. It says that there is an elsan facility by the Top Lock. James looked around for it and then asked a CRT volunteer. There is no elsan facility at Bath Top Lock. The list is incorrect. The water tap that is there is not listed, so someone has put “yes” in the wrong column.

We had lunch on board. In the afternoon we had a surprise visit from BCF members Catherine and Mark Howard. We had not met them before, although James is friends with Catherine on Facebook. We had teas and coffees and out came the cake!!

It was good to meet them.