The K & A Canal - Reading to Hungerford Marshes

On our way west... 

Wednesday 5th June, 2013

....... As we enter the canal it goes through some ugly bits of concrete until we get the short distance to Blakes lock. This lock is manned by a very black lock keeper man, his hat reaches about a foot above his head, im sure it's stuffed full of dreadlocks, or maybe even something less legal! He checks our licence and fills up the lock, were through and onto the canal .... Turn sharp right and we pull over in the lay by at the town moorings. A quick walk into town to get us some shoes and were off again, its sunny and were keen to get underway.

Out of the layby we immediatly get to the traffic lights that control the boats through the narrow and fast flowing section of the Oracle shopping centre. 

Its on red but as soon as we push the control button, it turns green and were off, high revs to get us through the narrow bridges and concreted sided section that goes right through the throng of shoppers. 

Out the other side is County lock, and a massive weir, the first of many. 

Only a 1 foot rise here, out the top and the river section is fast flowing again. we make very slow progress, creeping along, winding past overgrown trees and ugly road bridges.

The locks are hard, big and deep, tough gates, fast flowing sections of river flow in and out of the channel, shallow and slow. There's a fast river coming in from the left as we enter Fobney lock, and a fast flowing overflow coming in under the landing stage! The countryside surrounding us is amazing, green meadows, trees lining the river/canal, footpaths through woods and fields. 

We come into Burfield and just through Burfield bridge we pull over behind the row of boats moored up outside the pub, The Cunning Man. We go exploring and find a brilliant walk around lakes and meadows.

As arranged, we met Amanda at the pub, accompanied by a handful of my buddies from years ago, Tim and Tracey and Sherrie. 

Ex Euphony colleagues, lovely to see Timbo! We had a good feed up, and after coffee on the boat they left, and we went to bed.

On Thursday we woke early, sun shining, glorious day. Walked Jack and we were ready to go by 9.30am. 

Looking back at the bridge near the Cunning Man, our mooring spot for the night

We heaved up the flowing rivers, it's beautiful. The locks are all hard, tough, each ones different, the sides, the paddles that open in the top gates causing a massive rush of water as you fill up the lock, sending the boat hurtling across the lock to bang on the sides.

We go under the M4 again and the locks and swing bridges come thick and fast, the river's still flowing in and out, below and above the lock cuts. 

                         

We go through Garston lock, a marsh lock with no sides.

Tyle Mill Sanitary station is just below the swingbridge and lock, here we dump rubbish and fill up with water, have lunch and chat to another boater stopped here.

After a while we go through the swing bridge and lock and were looking for somewhere to moor up. Enough today, time to sit in the sun! 

We get to Padworth bottom lock, a monster of a lock, a 'bash your boat about' lock. To make it really difficult at this lock there are workers chopping down trees and setting fire to them, smoke billowing across the fields to the lock, wind gusting now as we're reaching the top. Boats getting blown about everywhere! Really want to stop now, through Padworth swing bridge and we push the front of the boat into the reeds, it'll do here, Jack can get on and off, were secure, it's quiet, there's walks. We're knackered.

We can't have a barbie cos the towpath isn't big enough and there's too many flies everywhere. Later we discover were moored next to a recycling plant, no smell, but at least we know why weve got swarms of flies in the boat! 

Find a really great walk here, around woods and lakes again, jacks having a great time!

We sat out in the front deck and ate pizza and watched the sun go down. 

By 10.30pm we were ready for bed, and bloody hell, the boat behind us has just started his engine up. Inconsiderate boater, we go to bed and try to ignore it ..... sleep.

In the morning (Friday) we walk Jack again and leave the 'fly' mooring by 9.30am. Its a cloudy day when we head towards Aldermaston Wharf, formerly Reading Marine, the Marina I rented my space from on the bank as my very first ever mooring 14 years ago! We're going to need diesel soon, here's a good as place as ever. So we decide were going to get it here.

Except that boats are 4 a-breast across the canal, all hire boats must be due back now or something, I can't find anywhere to stop, can't even get near!

The decision made for us and we go on, under the big lift bridge and into Aldermaston lock. 

Past the exact spot on the bank that was once my spot ...

...and onwards about a mile upstream to Frouds Bridge marina.

We turn left to go down the weir stream towards the marina, turning a sharp left into the massive lake with pontoons and moorings and deisel and a chandlery over the far corner. Diesel was £1.15 ppl! Mad price! So we got 50ltrs, gonna wait for the diesel boat, that'll be cheaper! A couple of things from the chandlers and we reverse out and leave the marina.

Out into the weir stream we head upstream to Woolhampton swing bridge and lock. 

Looks totally innocent, but this is notoriously difficult section here, a fast river comes in at the bottom of the lock sending boats bashing against the other side, completely missing the lock entrance! But you have to get the lock ready first, doors open, come back to the bridge, open that. Then you can go at full power under the sqew whiff narrow swing bridge, steering into the current of the river, and last minute turn into the lock, immediatly cutting out the revs! Phew! Go! ...... 

....... Made it! Knocked the boat slightly as I entered the lock, no problems, I never felt a thing and Jack was with Paul at the lock! I've witnessed a lot worse here than that!

The train line runs parallel to the canal for a long way now, but its not a fast line, there are stations everywhere along this canal. We have 2 swing bridges and 2 locks in the next mile to do and then we decide to stop if we can get somewhere to stop! Up Midgham Lock, and at the top we spot this perfect garden for us!

There's a space on the right after the lock with lovely cut grass and as the lock mooring is on the left, we decided to stop here. Mooring spots are few and very far between so we make the most of the sunny recently mown grass. We'd only done 4 miles, 5 locks and 4 swing bridges, but we were knackered.

Jack wasn't so lucky, we struggled to find any fields to let him run so it was a towpath walk.

Back at the boat we sat outside and soaked up the sun, played catch with the ball with Jack, we listened to an afternoon of Absolute 80s on the radio and had a wicked barbie. The sun goes in and so do we!

Our view looking up the canal as the sun gives up the ghost!

Next day, Saturday 8th June, cloudy and windy today, Paul walks Jack to the first lock and I discover that my good old faithful chair I sit on when I cruise the boat has gone! It's been stolen, chucked in or it's fallen off on the way (think I'd notice that it wasn't there tho!). So after raking around under water in the thick silt behind the boat, I have to move on, people are waiting at the first lock for me. So gutted, only cost a pound but its irreplaceable. Fitted perfectly, so right.

I did shed a few tears as I headed to the lock, blurted out my sorrow.

What's done is done, start of bad things to come today.... you'll see!

 We cruised through some stunning landscape, hills, trees blue blue sky and lots of green green meadows. We cruise up the next few locks and swing bridges with a lovely South African couple on a hire boat, Huk and Anna. They've got their hire boat for two weeks and are hoping to go to Bath and back! We've given ourselves two months to do the same!!

We went through another open sided lock, Monkey Marsh lock, but going in with another boat made it a lot safer and easier.

Ham lock was our setting for our next bit of excitement, just before Newbury. 

As we were about to leave the lock at the top there was a hire boat across the canal, bounced off the side and was going full steam sidewards towards the lock entrance! It hit the wall with a lump, and disappeared down the weir channel out of sight! After what seemed like ages they we in reverse, banging along the sides of moored boats, then somehow turned in the flow to face the wrong direction. paul and I ran to grab the ropes and we hauled the boat round the right way and onto the lock mooring. Safe, but shaken. the two elderly people (must have been in their 80s') explained he had fallen in the day before and he was still confused! They shouldn't have ever been allowed to take a narrow boat out, let alone on the K & A canal!

Safe and sound, tied up and kettle on - we've done our bit!

We carried on one lock further and moored up to go to the laundrette in Newbury. After the washing was done, we move the boat a bit further onwards to the town moorings. The river's flowing hard as we go through Newbury and towards Newbury Bridge. 

After a wide section there's some 24 hour moorings beside a very busy play park, but we make very slow progress as the channel narrows up and there's a strong stream flowing now. In the hard flow we made it to the bridge and saw two boats coming out of the lock. They should really have waited for me to get out of the hard flow and I could have pulled over on the lock landing stage, then they could have gone through safely. 

As it was, one came through and the flow was taking him fast and hard towards us. Quickly in reverse, boat veered over to the left, fast forward to the right, not enough, Paul couldn't get on to the side. All the time the boat that left the lock is coming towards us at a speed, he couldn't stop now! Finally I got the boat near enough to the side, Paul jumped off, I jumped off and we hauled the boat to safety and out of the way. The second boat then bombed past us too, narrowly missing us! Phew! Not a scratch! Now it's clear to the lock I put on the high revs to get under the bridge and straight into the lock where it seems like hundreds of people are watching!

Looking back from the lock towards the town bridge, looks a little less threatening from here!

Breath back, heart pounding slightly less, we got to the top and moored up in the 24 hour town moorings.

A trip into town and a new camera later (mine had stopped working that morning) we left there as it was busy and very noisy. Through Newbury swing bridge and round the corner we moored up. Its quieter, away from the pubs and clubs.

The towpath is good, Jacks got some great walks and the suns shining! But I've missed my chair!

Locking up in the evening led to yet another near disaster! I went out the back doors to take the tiller arm off in case it got stolen and plop! It fell out of my arms and straight into the fast flowing river! It's brass so we couldn't use the magnet, we poked and scraped the bottom with boat hooks and nothing.

Only one thing for it. I had to go in and get it! That's what I did, and it was freezing! I groped around with my big toe until I felt it, leaned into the icy cold water and got it! Yes! Whoops all around including from our shiny black wide beam neighbours who leant us there ladder!

I got straight into the hot shower and into my pj's! All's good!

We stayed here for a couple of days, exploring the fields and wonderful meadows, mooching around town, even buying a bar stool as my new chair for the back! Jack had the most amazing walks, we had a 5.5 mile cycle ride back to Midgham lock to see if we could find my chair, I fell off my bike on the way, we raked around again with boat hooks and a huge magnet and searched the whole area, nothing. Sadly I have to accept its gone. 5.5 miles back. No chair.

On Monday we walk Jack and were off again by 9.00am. Heading up stream, into the flow again, we go through one lock and theres no river!

The canal is so beautiful, the locks are back to normal now with the paddle openings coming through the wall and not through the top gates, threatening to flood out your well deck. Its so tree lined and amazingly stunning, lots of woods surround us. The fast flows of the River Kennet have left the canal and its proper again! 

Calm, amazing old locks and bridges, just like it should be! Quaint! So quaint as were approaching a narrow bridge a wide beam comes towards us. A minute later we had worked out that it was a horse drawn trip boat, the most amazingly huge horse was pulling the boat through the bridge hole. 

We had pulled over on the towpath side to let him through, not realising there was going to be a problem getting the horses rope over our boat. The guy in charge of the horse leapt on our roof lifting the rope over obstacles in his way, leapt on the back deck and nearly had my new chair in the cut! No problems hey! he jumped back on to the towpath and with a cheery wave from passengers and captain on the tiller, we were on our way.

A few locks later we arrive in Hungerford, into the town lock up and and we spot 24 hour moorings at the top.

After pulling over and having lunch Paul goes into town for bread and milk. Jack and I chill out, we've done 11 locks and 8.5 miles, the suns been shining all day and were very happy! Later in the day we take Jack for a brilliant walk over Hungerford Marshes, not marshy but amazing grazing meadows with shallow trout filled streams that Jack loved. We walked for ages, exploring the fields and walkways. Back at the boat Paul fishes and Jack sleeps. He catches a few fish, not what he hoped for on his first fish for ages. We then move anything moveable off the roof as there are notices about that there's someone nicking stuff off narrow boats around here, even our neighbour for the night came to warn us.

It was a quiet and peaceful night, no problems.

We do have to move from here today tho, so after another brilliant walk, although it was raining, we go into town to Tescos to grub up! Lunch was had back at the boat and the rain has now turned to drizzle so were leaving for a spot around the corner. 

We go through a swing bridge and the most remote lock I've ever seen, in the middle of the Hungerford Marshes, cows graze right up to the lock gates! 

There is also a swing bridge right over the lock, so that has to be dealt with before you let in the water. 

The meadows we've been walking are over to the left of us now, the marshes to the right. A little way on another very old lock, Cobblers lock with a derelict house on the lock that could be amazing with a lot of money spent on it!

We leave the lock and just above it we push our way into the reeds to get a place to stop. 

 After chopping down an entrance to the front of the boat, we were cosy in our little reed mooring by the most amazing meadows we've found yet! It's only a mile out of Hungerford but its so rural and peaceful here it feels so different.

We can't get a phone signal here, or Internet. But we've got telly! You can see why!

We decide as the forecast is for wind warnings gusting up to 42mph for Thursday, were stopping here for two nights. We walk and expore and tell each other how wonderful our life is! Jack swims, runs and runs in the meadows full of rabbits, he runs in the shallow clear streams that mingle with the fields chasing sticks! 

We can only hear a slight rumble of traffic from the A4, and the occasional train if the wind's in the wrong direction, but altogether its quiet!

We put our crayfish net out out over two nights and caught 42 crayfish! I made a great crayfish salad for our dinner, it was really tasty!
This will be our view for the next couple of days, our front garden and our back.

Next we go onwards further towards Crofton, the summit of the canal and on to Devises, the BIG one..... 29 locks (6 together, 16 in a flight, 7 together) in a day.......