Bath to Bristol April 15 & 16 2019

We left Bath with some reluctance as we had enjoyed our moorings and the city. We were looking forward to Saltford where there is the Riverside and Joly Sailor Pubs but there was no mooring so we continued to Bitton where two long narrowboats were occupying the visitor mooring so we continued to Keynsham where we stopped for the night behind John on Borderline. Met the very kind Jenny, a local boat owner in the Marina, who has a boat named In Blindness is Truth

Below the weir at Saltford

Below is the view from The Jolly Sailor

Mooring at Keynsham

Bath 14 April 2019

A long overdue visit to Prior Park. Take bus number 2 to avoid the very steep hill! Prior Park was the home of Ralph Allen postmaster in Bath. He reorganised the postal system and obviously did well out of it! He then invested in the stone quarries at Coombe Down

The Serpent lake

This is the house he built in the 1700s. It is now Prior Park College a catholic boarding school

The view from the house is impressive.

You are invited to try to find the oldest graffitti on this bridge but you must not add any!

Looking back to the house

The dam is insecure and the second lake has had to be drained. Access to the site is very restricted which is only one challenge the NT faces.

Leaving the park on foot we discovered a charming section of Bath we had never noticed before and this charming littel church

As if we han’t done enough walking we then followed the towpath down stream and found a huge development had taken place just off Lower Bristol Road which used to be an area of grubby factories, garages and the like. Now its beautiful apartments.

New moorings outside the apartments are charged at £10 per night so no undesirable boats here. In fact no boats at all just a Paddle Board Enterprise.

Bath 13 April 2019

An early start to descend the five locks down to the city.

Very early and three point three degreees

Leaving Darlington Wharf
Passing through Sydney Gardens

Thank you to Volunteer Lock keepers Colin and Paul who helped us through the five locks

The very deep lock – quite scary

Moored at Bath Quays

Wandered along the towpath to Sainsburys and guess what we saw


The excellent market at Green Park former station. Bought fresh veg, steaks and duck eggs to poach!

Lansdown Crescent

In the afternoon we walked across Victoria Park and up and up to Lansdown Crescent. To us far more attractive than The Crescent and far fewer tourists as you can see. The green actually had several sheep grazing! Then we walked down to The Crescent and on to The Circus which I particularly like.

Look what one of its’ residents invented. It should amuse you

And finally -other towns take note

Bath 12 April 2019

We walked along the towpath to join the river and check out the mooring situation at Bath Quays. Had a bite of lunch at Patisserie Valerie. I only ate half of the strawberry tart. Tony polished off the rest! Not as good as Simmons

Whilst at lunch a noisy protest took place outside the Council Offices

Walked along Walcot Street to find that the office where Tony used to work is now part of a bulding site and Walcot reclamation is no more!

We then visited the Museum of Archtecture which we had never visted before. It explains every aspect iof house building and it has an amazing collection of maps

The winner. A different view of Royal Crescent
The Dolls House even has a garden with pond. Hilary take note!!!

Bradford to Bath

The classic calendar shot! Matilda moored outside The George Bathampton

The Waterbus has a mooring outside The George so we took a trip down to Bath

An hourly service to Top Lock via Sidney Gardens. The very smart interior Captain today was the charming Stuart

On our returrn we ventured The George for a late lunch and then into Bathampton Church. There we learnt the story of local lad Arthur Philip who set off for Australia with a small fleet of ships and good many convicts. He became Governor of Australia before retiring home to Bath



The Australian Chapel
The Voyage

Bath 9- 14 April 2019

We moved a short distance closer to Bath and moored at Darlington Wharf

The towpath provides an easy walk by Sydney Gardens and the Station to the city centre Some interesting sights en route

Decorative chimney
Lovely view of the city
Bottom lock is very deep and leaving the lock you join the River Avon

We caught the university bus (and felt very old) to visit Claverton Manor the American Museum. A beautiful setting, newly developed gardens (we were told 2 million had been spent on them) and interesting museum The patchwork quilts are stunning and inspiring.

Museum
New gardens
Re creation of George Washingtons garden
Carvings and portaits
A modern quilt. Part of the Kaffe Fassett exhibition

Later in the day we met up with friend Vanessa for a meal on the riverboat and had a wander around

Amusing notice on the riverboat
Parade Gardens. You have to pay to enter!
The weir below Poulteney bridge

Bradford On Avon 4-8 April 2019

Approaching Bradford you pass the Marina and then Susan and Peters house. Great to live so close to the canal. Lovely to catch up with them both

Bradford on Avon Lock Helped by the charming volunteer Richard and neighbouring boater John. John has the ambition to travel every inch of the inland waterways on his boat Borderline

Going through the tunnel at the end of the lock. Interesting bend too!

Volunteers hard at work putting rubber strips along the canal sides to prevent moored boats eroding the edges

Bradford is picture postcard town. Lots of beautiful stone buildings line the hillsides above the river, A few shops including a real greengrocer and real ironmongers but otherwise trendy establishments, and seemingly hundreds of cafes and restaurants. The K & A cafe is to be recommended – huge scones and delicious brownies. Lovely park too that we moored alongside. and a few minutes walk to Sainsburys!

The map shows all the must see places such as the Saxon Church and Tithe Barn
Catholic Church

Holy Trinity Church – well worth a visit. Trying to replicate a photograph we saw in the Photographic Exhibition

Bradford is keen to support environmental issues

Community 0rchard includes many old varieties like Bedwyn Beauty

Crumbling walls

Saturday we visited the Photographic exhibition and I particularly enjoyed the poems that linked with the photos.

We then walked to Avoncliff along the tow path noticing a burnt out boat and Knickerbocker Gloria – friends of friends!

Avoncliff is where the K & A canal crosses the River Avon and the railway line. The bridge carries the acqueduct below looking down stream to the Cross Guns pub garden

Tea at No 10 tea shop provides this food miles map but didn’t include ingredients such as coconut and vanilla which would certainly have considerably more food miles! The food was good but rather slow teenage service! A big plus was that thery has Nick McCamleys book on Avoncliff. So interesting to flick through that we had to go to the town bookshop and buy our own copy

We walked back via Barton Farm Park

Blackthorn
???
So now you know!!!!


Monday we caught the train to Keynsham for a brief shopping trip and a look at the mooring by the Marina. On our return we set off for fresh fields and pastures new!




Au revoir Devizes

Leaving berth 20 on Monday 1st April

Eddie and Joe Volunteer Lockkeepers at Seend and Towpath Task Force Volunteers helping us through Seend Locks. Ex Army and Ex Navy to the rescue! Thank you chaps, you deserved cake!

Unfinished lock

Wilts and Berks Canal Entrance no longer in use but restoration ongoing in places

Despite probelem opening and closing Swingbridge a lovely start to our 2019 cruise. Moored up at Semington and enjoyed the sunshine. Eddie and his wife Sharon came to visit.

New Dinghy

Looks very smart! Note the new lightweight electric engine.No more petrol; fumes! Push button start and totally silent. Purchased from Excel Boats Sutton Coldfield, near where Tony spent his youth. Watch for future reports on its use.

Tim launching the new dinghy Thursday 28th March. Note this is real champagne!

Thank you Tim for helping dismantle the old dinghy and helping with the new.

Winter in Devizes

How quickly time passes……..So quickly the blog gets neglected and because we are always so busy. Here’s what we have done over the winter:

Took part in the Remembrance events. Visited Limerick Ireland partly on a family history quest, our visit to Foynes Flying boat museum was amazing and we discovered it was the birthplace of irish coffee, and Carlow to see the grandsons. Volunteered to be room stewards at Devizes Eisteddfod. Walked around Westonbirt arboretum and admired the autumn colours. Had cataract surgery at The Circle hospital in Bath. Enjoyed many evenings at Wiltshire Family History Society. More fantastic evenings at Devizes Literary Society. Enjoyed the Mayors Quiz evening and the delicious afternoon tea quiz at St Andrews – the most difficult quiz so far! Visited Chatsworth again in January to see the Xmas decotrations. Visited my sister and her husband in Poynton and with them did a tour of Stockport attractions. A fantastic hat musuem, wartime tunnels, staircase house and lunch at the Plaza. An amazing day out! Visited friends Hilary & John in Nottingham and caught up with Cousin Ann & son Freddy in South Clifton. Home via Stratford on Avon to do a recce for the summer cuise plus a parkng ticket! Walked Belvedere Woods to admire the snowdrops. Weekly Volunteering wth the Towpath Task Force has been great fun particularly the hedging and ditching and making bonfires. Visited Carlow again despite Ryan Air! Our birthday and anniversary treat was to visit Penzance by rail to see the coastal stretch of track that the sea is attempting to destroy – it was a calm day! Enjoyed a day at St Michaels Mount walking the causeway in the morning and returning by amphibious vehicle late afternoon and a day at Lands End where visibility was so good you could see the Scilly Isles. And very importantly this winter caught up with lots of friends.