The K & A Canal - Devises to Bath 19.6.13 Pt 1

The Kennet & Avon Canal, Devizes to Bath

Pt 1. Devizes to Seend Cleeve 

Wednesday 19th June and its Devises day!

I'm so excited I wake up at 5.30am and take Jack out for his walk. It's a beautiful day already, the suns shining but it's still a little misty. 

 We spot a deer in the cemetery that stays still long enough for me to get a good look at it. 

We walk through the garlic woods, the cow meadows and back to the boat. 

 Breakfast, and we leave our little spot at Devises. 7.15am and were raring to go! 

 Weaving our way to the top of the locks, people nudging their boats in where they can!

Its official, we're at the top, on our way down

We've got 6 locks, 16 locks and a final 7 locks, total of 29 locks in the flight all in less than 3 miles.

We're on our own for the first part, obviously as its so early! The locks were mainly in our favour, full and waiting for us to go down. 

Taking a breather in the 24hr moorings before the flight of 16 locks

We got to the bottom of the first 6, then we pulled over at 9.00am on one of the three spaces in the 24 hr moorings to wait for another boat to join us down the next lot. 

We didn't have to wait long, one of the other spots was taken by Oh La La, they were waiting for someone to come down to join them!

By 9.30am we were ready, fueled up for the long slog down the locks.

Before we made our dash for it.....look at the view!

Lock after lock after lock I guided Happy Daze in and out of the locks, paired up with a guy who I never asked his name and Denise his wife who, along with Paul, pushed and shoved the big wooden gates, wound the handles up and down to let the water in and out, ran to the next lock to get that ready for us to cruise on into when wed left the last. The view from the top was amazing! 

The first of many ......

 Face to face with a wide beam.... and nowhere to go!

Concentration is what its all about!

.... we still can't see to the bottom 

... but we've just done this many!

You looked down on the flight of locks and across the valley onto the massive hills in the distance. The sun shone beautifully all day, making it very thirsty work. At 11.45am we had finally reached the last lock in the flight of 16 and we needed to get our breath back and fuel up again. 

Stopping for a well earned break... 
there was only one space left so we had to double up, not to Jack's agreement!

Yikes! We've just come down that!

12.45pm and we're ready to do the last 7 locks in the massive Devises flight of 29. Our boat buddies for the day were ready too, so we set off together. By the time we were half way through we all felt like we'd had enough. 

Leaving one of the last few locks .... another in the distance

 A hotel boat waiting for customers.... see the collapsable roof terrace!

We were so ready to stop it seemed ages before we finally reached the last lock. 

We got through and pulled over opposite the new Caen Hill Marina, just around the corner from the only two 24 hr moorings at the bottom which, of course, were taken. 

Our boat buddies pulled over in front of us. We were done in! Jack was too, he'd done the whole flight with Paul, loving it all the way. He got a bit hot at one point but nothing that a soaking with cold water couldn't fix!

We made it, we survived the Caen Hill flight, or Devises flight as it's called!

We sat outside and celebrated in the sunshine! It's really quiet here, walks are great, there's a few boats pulled in up the canal, some waiting in anticipation of what's ahead of them, some deciding to moor up and walk it instead and some, like us, relieved its all over (until the return journey at least).

Thursday and we wake up late. We walk Jack and decide because the weather is wet today we would stay here and do some chores. Stuff still has to be done, and it won't do itself!

So Paul clears out the front deck and cleans up there and I scrub the fire down and give it its yearly paint up and make over. After lunch we took Jack out for his walk, or should I say run! He ran and ran and ran so much over the cow fields, had a brilliant time. At this point we never realised Jack had a hitch hiker on board!

We had a couple of little families come and visit us

Back at the boat we washed him and dried him, he was actually up to his belly in cow drink slush while we were out and he stunk! Making a fuss of him when he was clean I discovered a small lump on his belly. It turned out to be his very first ever tick. And mine too, I'd never dealt with anything like that before. Never even seen one, except in pictures! I noticed the little legs wiggling, the body waiting to be filled with Jacks blood. So there was only one thing for it, tweezers out I managed to get it out whole, I think. Horrid, horrid thing. Made me feel so sorry for Jack. he didn't seem bothered at all!

It's chilly now, the sun didnt shine, it's not been a pleasant day today.

Paul's had the best fishing over two nights ever! He caught loads of fish, he was very happy! He sat outside playing his mandolin until it got dark.

Its Friday June 21st, the longest day of the year. It's a beautiful day, sun's shining warm already and it's still early. We've got just 5 locks and 3 miles to do today, shouldn't take too long! Ha! Not on this canal! It took us most of the day to do just that! In fact it took us 4.5 hours to do 8 lock miles!

We spotted a water and rubbish point at Sells Green Bridge, so we took advantage and filled up and got rid of rubbish. There's some great moorings here too, but as usual they're all full up. But we weren't ready to stop yet. We went on to the first Swingbridge and then to the next. then the first of the five Seend locks, all of which were against us.

All sorts of comotion was going on here, Paul goes to see what's going on 

Only the day before on this flight of locks a pair of Hotel Boats got wedged in one of the locks which closed the flight for a day. The boats had to be winched out and this caused a traffic jam. 

There was still some boats waiting to go through so we were in a mini queue. When it was our turn we noticed boats all over the canal turning round, reversing, reving up..... so we waited for it all to settle down, and we were on our way. 

There were some workers strimming and mowing and cutting, people were having to wait to go into the lock until they had finished. Crazy, crazy place!

Another hold up! As we came out of the lock a wide beam had come off its moorings and we had to get the barge pole out and punt it back across the canal, helped by some keen cyclists. So another obstacle overcome! Finally the commotion was over we were at the bottom of the locks. 

We spotted a lovely little place to stop by Seend Swingbridge no. 155. Opposite the bridge mooring was the perfect spot.

 Moored up at our little spot beside Seend Swing Bridge

In fact it turned out to be a great spot! 

We had internet connection, we had phone signal and a telly signal. There was a spiders web of dog walks across some amazing meadows. And there were loads of fish to catch! We were also only 15 mins from the Tesco in Bowerhill and 15 mins by bike to the maggot shop. It was also very sunny and we had full time entertainment from all the hire boats as they tackled the swingbridge. So bloomin' great I say!

The weather is supposed to be rough over the weekend so the plan is to stay here till Monday. Its perfect! 

But what made it more perfect was the visit from my great buddies Lyndsey and Anna! They texted to let us know they were arriving on Saturday evening, they were calling in to us on their way back from their holiday in Newquay!

My god I'm so excited!

Saturday was windy, really windy. Paul cycled to Tescos and got wine and bread and puddings and I stayed in and made butternut squash soup and rock cakes (which burned but we still ate them!)

We had some brilliant walks today, hay fields, river banks, cow fields, woods and more meadows and fields. Jack willingly goes in the water now to cool off, think he may be learning that its fun! He swims to get sticks, happy as ever.

Lyndz and Anna arrived about 8pm, getting a bit lost on the way. But they got here! 

Jack went absolutely bonkers when he saw them, my god, he was happy! But so were we! It was great to see them, we chatted all night, ate lots and drunk lots, so cool to see my buddies!

The broken bottom lock at Seend.... no ones going anywhere for a while

We talked to every one who passed and heard that late in the evening on Saturday one of the hire boats had gone up through the first lock and had lifted the top gate off it's hinges as the front got caught on the front of their boat. Needless to say, the lock was then closed to boats!

We watched the hire boats entertain us as they went through the bridge, all hire boats out today, no one else would be daft enough to cruise in this weather. Some, like this one, tried to turn their boats around but didn't manage it, they found the canal wasn't as wide as they thought!

In the morning on Sunday after a late night we all grumbled out of bed and after a while took Jack out. 

Back at the boat we ate breakfast and chatted loads more and watched as more hire boaters turned up to the flight of locks but could not continue on their holiday, some were wanting to get their boats back to the hire companies and they were due to go out again on hire to new punters. 

 The queue below the broken lock... all but one boat is a hire boat!

But all had to pull their boats into the bank and stay there until the lock was mended.

The time soon came for my buddies to finish off their journey and get back to Woodford. Probably about another 4 hours drive not pleasant! So at 1.30pm we said our goodbyes, lots of hugs, and Paul and I walked Jack.

We had a quiet rest of the day. We love it here so we've decided that we're going to stay a few days longer and start the painting on the roof, only the front half as the back end is under sap laden trees, and that's just plain stupid to paint under trees!

Monday we scrubbed and filled and sanded and rust cured. Tuesday morning primer and by the afternoon the roof was ready for the first coat of blue. 

On Wednesday we did the second coat. 

Thursday was a hardening day, and by Friday we were ready enough to leave, carry on our travels.

We've had lots of fun here, on Monday the hire boats were all being shifted around, marina people were reversing and turning boats round most of the morning. By lunch time it had quietened down again, BW were at the lock helping people through, clearing the backlog. It was mended and cemented by Tuesday afternoon, all systems go again!

We were settling down on Tuesday evening when more commotion, in the hay meadow opposite this time. 

Jack playing in the hay meadows

The cows and their calfs and a huge black bull had somehow got out of their field and were running in the meadow like a load of wild animals let loose! They settled down after a while and the next day the farmer rounded them up and got them back in their own field!

On Wednesday just as I was about to paint the second coat on the roof the nice lads with the strimmers and mowers came to strim and mow and super blow around the boat!

Argh! Not now! And they didn't! They soon left and left our bit of grass too! They did come back tho but only for their tea break!

The next day we tidied and cleaned and washed the sap off the boat. Paul went and did a bit of shopping we got ready for our move tomorrow.

Friday 28th June we leave our little spot by Seend Cleeve Park Swingbridge.... our journey continues West, onwards to Bath for our hot steamy bath..... were aiming to get there for Pauls birthday, 5th July, he'll be 50!

But you never know what's around the next corner.....

The Kennet & Avon Canal - Hungerford to Devises, 14th June 2013

Now for the 'not so challenging bit ......'

Friday, 14th June 2013

Getting ready to leave Hungerford Marshes

We were really excited about going, it's been a lovely place to stop for a couple of nights but we're leaving this morning. Hungerford Marshes have sheltered us from the wind and rain once again, loved every inch weve walked, but a new place for tonight will be great!

I woke up early and took Jack round the meadows here at Hungerford Marshes for the last time, back on the boat Paul had got things ready, engine running, mooring pins loose and we'd left by 8.30. its windy right now but its going to be windier later. 

 Guess the guys an accountant, a 'turf' accountant.... look at the roof!

 Going under the bridge into the next lock

 Beautiful views from the tiller

Massively leaky locks, call Bob the Builder!

The canal is beautiful still, the locks are easier than a few days ago. We did 11 locks and 6.5 miles today, on our own except for the last three locks, we were joined by a boat called Nestamay, turns out they're from Cosgrove and know Julie and Brian from Woodford really well! We chatted and got through the last three locks easily and quickly (there's about half a mile between locks now, thick and fast).

At one lock we nearly had a fatality. A couple if young girls were walking two lurcher type dogs and one dog decided to jump in the canal right by the top paddle as we were filling up the lock, the water was swirling round as it was sucking in filling up the lock. The dog was going down and just in time the girl grabbed its scruff and hauled it out! Phew! My heart doubled in beats per second!

 Beautiful area to moor, lovely towpath too!

Crofton Pumping Station, still a working pump house

As we got to the bottom of Crofton flight of 7 locks we went through the bottom lock and found some lovely 48hr moorings just below the Crofton pump station, built 200 years ago and now fully restored and in full working order. It still pumps the water to the summit if and when the electric ones regularly used now dont work.

The train line runs very close to the canal most of the way, but it wasn't at all intrusive

So we decided to stay there, it was quiet although there was a train line right next to the canal it rarely disturbed us. A few walkers and people visiting the pump station were about, the odd dog walker. It was 1pm and we had lunch and explored the walks around. 

There were loads again, beautiful meadows and woodlands with paths all the way, there was an old roman road used by dog walkers only, and acres and acres of fields with the edges cut for walkers, beautiful views! Wow! And a working windmill. It's awesome. We walked for miles, got back to the boat and went over to have a look in the pump station. There was a tour going on, so Paul joined them while I ate scones and drank coke! I went and got Jack and waited for Paul in the sunshine.

Back on the boat Paul fishes in the clear water, it's not like any other canal, so clear and clean! 

Catch of the day!

On Saturday it was forecast strong winds, up to 50mph! We're not moving today, to dangerous and stressful! So we have a massive walk with Jack, we all get knackered. We were out for ages! Lovin it!

Walking over the hills and fields was great

It was really cold later in the day so we lit a fire and stayed in, except for our second great walk! Cosy back in the boat, fires burning and we're sheltered from the wind.

On Sunday at 7.45am we left the mooring, Paul walked Jack up the remaining flight of locks as I bought the boat in and out of the flight of locks. 

We follow a wide beam up the flight but theyre preparing every lock for us, probably cos they feel guilty for pulling out in front of us in the lock flight! But no problem, we get to the top! The summit! 

The top lock at Crofton.... now a leisurely cruise for a little while

Now for the tunnel. It's quite a small one, about 500yds long, called Bruces tunnel and the furthest I've been before on this canal. 

 Entrance to Bruces Tunnel, the summit of the Kennet & Avon Canal

We enter the clean and non-cobwebby tunnel

So unknown territory from now on! There's now loads of grumpy fishermen line the bank having a fishing match, all moaning and tutting and shaking their heads in discust as we cruise slowly past them. 

The fisherman tuts and shakes his head in disgust... how dare boats use this canal!

Then we meet a widebeam and as the channels only narrow, we take up the whole width in passing. Behind us is the widebeam that pulled out on us earlier up the locks, they now have to pass the widebeam which is going the other way in a very narrow channel in the middle of a fishing match! Ggggggrrrrrr! The air is raging!

The two widebeams pass, much to the annoyance of the fishermen

Paul happily asked one fisherman, "caught much?" His reply, "I was until you came past and messed up my swim!" Pauls reply, "Think I'm right in saying the canals were built for boats..... Not fishing!" As I said, lots and lots of grumpy fishermen!

On we go down 4 locks and we pull up above the next lock on the water point at Wooton Rivers. Fill up, feed up and walk Jack in the rain....

Bit later the rain still hadn't stopped but we wanted to move on, start the long 15 miles of 'no lock' cruising! We've had so many locks to do, this is a real treat! So in the lock I go, as we're going down and the doors open (there's a bridge obscuring Paul's view) I see a BW workboat across the canal, totally blocking out passage.

Paul doing his strong man impression

So Paul leaps on with the boat pole and punts it back to the mooring it was on, tying up the boat best he could. Back on our way, the rain eases off a bit, I try out my new £1.99 poncho, and were enjoying the new scenery. 

Its hilly here, reeds line the banks, trees meet in the middle above our heads. It's beautiful, very rural, lovely views. We decide we'd like to moor in Pewsey on the 48 hr moorings, but as we came into Pewsey every single bit of the bankside moorings were taken, some doubled up, most seem pretty settled and not moved on. Not a spot to stop.

Boats are doubled up on the 48 hr moorings at Pewsey, I think someone needs to tell people here what a 48 hr mooring actually is. These boats haven't moved for weeks!

So no space for us. The banks are still high, reedy, shallow in places, difficult to get in anywhere. But were really keen to stop now, keep on scanning the banks for gaps..... Up ahead there's some boats shoved in the reeds, so we give it a go and eventually manage to get the front end in near enough for Jack to be able to get on and off. 

Nudging in the reedy bank is the only choice of mooring here!

We leave the back end out, no choice. After finding a great walk for Jack around three meadows and some woods, we settled back on the boat for the evening. we got talking to our neighbour, Irish Greg, who knew everyone on this stretch, knew how to get anything, chatted about all sorts. he had an 8 yr old Alsation called Tessa who just wanted to keep kissing Jack but Jack was having none of it, he actually manned up and gave her a little growl! See, hes got it in him!

We had no telly, Internet or phone signal here, and we walked Jack again. Paul fished, and caught no fish!

We had no sunshine today, in total it was a very 'no' day today!

In the morning on Monday we left in the drizzle after a lovely Jack walk in the meadows.

The canal opens up now, we can see the landscape all around us, hills and valleys all about, not so many trees so it seems lighter and brighter, and as we look over to our right side, there's a whacking great white horse cut out of the turf in the massive hill in the distance! 

It looks like its been cut out of the chalk hillside, looks amazing! We then came into Honey Street, seems there is a boatyard and a pub here, that's about it. But for some reason it's packed with boats every where, outside the pub is the 24 hr mooring.... One space left we gave it a go, slowly easing the boat in the space that never did look big enough, and it wasn't! 

So we went on a bit more, under a couple of bridges and we tried to get in to the bank, but no luck, too shallow to get near enough to get off.... Until we got to bridge 126 and I saw a small gap in the reeds and we got the boat in snuggled into the reeds with a lovely bit of bank to get on and off. 

It's quiet here, the bridge is a footpath bridge, one side of us is a massive riding stables/school and horses in fields and on the other side is meadows where we walk Jack, and he loves it!

Our view from the side hatch, still looking at the chalk horse in the hillside

He bounces high in the long grass, chasing make believe smells! A few people walk their dogs but no one else goes by. We met a guy called Ding, lived on wide beam he was doing up, lovely man. He was moored just around the corner, in the reeds, that's what you have to do on this canal! it was cold today, we went back to the boat and lit a fire, cosy now. 

We managed to get a telly signal here until a huge gust of wind took it flying. Crash! On to the roof it went, but not too much damage, and we were soon back watching telly.

Tuesday we walked Jack round the horse meadows and manage to clean him up using the horse water hose! He was caked in stinky mud and the hose was there! So we used it!

The area we've found out is called White Horse Hills, obvious really! There's another horse dug out of the grass in another hill near us too, there's horses all around and children going out on riding lessons over the bridge near us. we just see their hats bopping up and down as the bridge walls are to high to see them!

The brightness of the sun setting glows red on the bricks of the bridge

The sunset's this evening was amazing, stunning. I took a load of pictures and couldn't decide which ones to include, so I've got it down to these lot, you'll see why I had a problem choosing them!

The sunset is just starting to make everything around have a warm glow about it

In the morning we leave the remote but beautiful spot in Wiltshire for somewhere new, Devises is our destination, and its only 6.5 miles away, no locks (they're to come!). 2 hours we reckon. Should be there by 11am and get a spot to moor for the night. Moorings are few and far between, but we really have to be able to stop here! We need shopping, cupboards are bare, and to give us a whole day to do the 29 locks at Devises.

Reeded up canal in places makes meeting a boat a challenge!

So off we chug up the canal, very narrowed up in places with the reeds as they creep further towards the middle of the cut leaving a narrow channel to get through. In the distance we continually hear gun shots, there's a training place for the army on Sailsbury Plain and they're firing all the time, weird feeling as you feel you're out in the middle of absolutely nowhere, not a soul about and there's a war going off in the distance! 

Remote and isolated.... until the low boom... boom... boom ....boom of the army guns go off in the distance

We also hear so many different bird songs, we see so many different wild fowl on the canal, theres boats shoved in the reeds all about, some on their own and some in long rows lining the banks.

We spot a boat tucked in with a deisel sign at the front and pull over after sounding the horn. two people come out and we cat and get diesel, discuss the chance of him signwriting the boat when it's all painted as he's also a signwriter! Quote... £300! Um, bit steep i think! Maybe £200? We take his name and email etc and tell him well call him if we need him. We may still use him but bid him lower!

Diesel came to £50 as that's all we had, it gave us 52 ltrs so alls good on Happy Daze.

We spot another White Horse on another hill, think they must be breeding round these parts!

Arriving into Devises town was lovely. Slopey gardens lined the canal, all once very beautiful. Now a little forgotten.

It was 12 noon (that took us a good hour longer than it should have been) when we went under the two bridges of Devises to where the 72 hr mooring is. 

So spaces are rare here, you're lucky to get somewhere and as we scanned the mooring we saw there was nowhere. But within minutes a boat was moving off and we snuggley fitted in the space they had left.

 Just managed to squeeze in.....

We snuggley fitted in to the last spot in Devises

We felt relieved we'd got somewhere to stop, didnt have to start the flight of 29 locks today. We also felt hungry, so we walked to town and got some chips and Paul got his longed for maggots!

Beautiful rolling hills were here for the taking... and we took with vengeance!

Afterwards we walked Jack over some amazing meadows and through the best smelling woods yet, garlic everywhere, so much wild garlic you just had to get a whiff of that aroma and you were hooked! Carpets and carpets of garlic! Amazing! I wish I could have bottled that smell and shared it out with everyone.

The carpet of wild garlic gave out the most amazing smell

We go back to the boat and then go shopping, we found a Tescos and Sainsburys earlier on and we stock up on essentials and chocolate! Paul's fishing, I'm relaxing and Jacks zonked out in his chair.

We sit outside till it gets chilly, quiet place, no problems. Several boats have to nudge their way in as they too, don't want to tackle any more today!

It's Wednesday 19th June and we prepare ourselves for D-day .... that's Devises locks day!