The K and A gets busier at half term

Thursday, 02 June 2011 11:06

We are on the move from Pewsey and so are lots of other boats .... On the move, I mean: not all from Pewsey! It is half term and the hire boats are out.

We were facing the wrong way though, due to John having moved Epiphany off the 48H moorings, winding and mooring again on the 14D for a few days. A Family celebration, Crick Boat Show (for John) and my visit to Lancaster to see Craig, had meant leaving her for a few days.

We had to return to Milkhouse Water to turn around - a winding hole with a view!

Now we were really on very familiar territory ......

Many of the narrowboats, wide beams and shall we say, unusual boats, are still the same! We visited DB Solstice, owned by friends Dave (ex Bath Narrowboats) and Angie last night, for a catch up.

Now, back to cruising! BW are gradually repairing and protecting the banks on the Kennet and Avon Canal and here are a couple of photos illustrating the process. First the barrier is woven

The the canal is dredged and the silt in-fills the gap

Then, as we saw back near Hungerford, the banks are replanted. I wonder if it will make "rough mooring" easier or harder? The water is about 18 inches down on the level the canal was built for and about 9 inches down from the modern "norm", so rough mooring can be a plank situation with the boat about 3 feet out into the canal. This is partly due to lack of rain and partly because the back pumping system is not as effective as it could be, so the Long Pound (all 15 miles) is suffering.

Yes - there are more boats moored along this stretch - many of them liveaboards and possibly the so-called non-compliant continuous cruisers. But hey - we are not too bothered; they are all friendly and we are not in a hurry. There are still plenty of places to moor, even at the popular places, if you time it right!

This is Angels Payment - Dave and Angie's narrowboat, now sold

This wide beam was  sporting a notice that made us laugh - this one is for you, Maffi! It says -

"Would the person or persons responsible for the theft of my Honda EU10i generator please return it, if so no further action will be taken - 07967812312 Reward - leading to successful recovery. Pod and Dale. Peace"

Presumably the two generators on his gunnels are not adequate!

Wide beam

We were tempted to stop at Wide Water - a favourite mooring just before Lady's Bridge - but just stopped long enough to ascertain that we could still moor in "our spot" if we wanted to, and then headed onwards.

Lady's Bridge

In 1793 when the canal was dug the owner of the land, Stowell Park and House near here, was Lady Susannah Wroughton. She objected to the canal, but was brought around by the agreement of a payment of £500, the ornate bridge (an 1808 á la John Rennie) and the landscaping of the land around the ornate bridge.

Beyond the bridge were more boats - and open countryside ....