What a Shame

 

This is the site of the oldest working beam engines in the world. It used to be open everyday throughout the summer season and by all accounts was very popular.There now appears to be problems with staffing it and is now only open on steaming weekends. A lot of people , Boaters and locals alike are a bit upset as it is a great part of canal history and it brings in tourists and boaters to the local area .

So if you are thinking of coming here to have a look around check before you travel… Its a bit like Claverton pumping station that is also closed for the whole of this year . Having a mechanical background and after researching this canal as part of our summer cruise these pumping stations were near the top of my list of things to see on this cruise of the Kennet and Avon canal.  Maybe we just picked the wrong year to visit this canal.

                                                                                            Happy Days

Bye Bye Curly

 

Believe it or not this is our 48 hour visitor mooring at Pewsey . In fact we have been told that we are very lucky to have it. We are aground and 3 feet from the bank and we have to use our plank to get on and off with. The grass as you can see is well kept.

These 48 hour moorings which are closer to the pub are even worse than the the one we have got.

With it time for Curly to go back down to Devon my parents decided to hitch a ride in their own car with Chloe and pay us a visit. this in Joan walking the plank.

Followed by Ken.

With the Waterfront pub not open for a lunchtime meal we decided to go into Pewsey and try the Royal Oak. The big decision to make was did we have desert after are lunch or not ?…Answer.. Of course we did..

It was then all back to Inca for a cuppa and a sleep for Ken , before saying goodbye as they headed back down to sunny Devon. With the school summer holidays not that far away it wont be long before Curly is back behind the tiller on Inca.

The following day we pulled pins at 08.10 with the hope of picking up a mooring at Crofton. We passed this lovely old David Brown tractor on the way.

I think we were a bit lucky here. We I made the decision to chance it and go under this tree which was at a very precarious angle. We later heard that Canal & River Trust cut it down ,but then couldn't get it out of the canal and then caused a 4 hour delay.

It certainly helps if you are when you come down onto the K and A.

Another little gem is this water point at Crofton. With no hard edge and only 2 stupid posts to moor too, it has to be one of the most difficult to get on and off anywhere. A bit of work needed here me thinks.

A stroke of luck and we picked up this lovely mooring at Crofton. We will have a day or two here and maybe have a wander up to the village of Wilton for a pint or 3 in the Swan pub.

                                                                                                                 Happy Days

Some Weird and wonderful boats on the K and A

 

There are so many different types of boats on the canals of the UK but it seems there is a bigger diversity of boats down here in this neck of the canal system. In many cases i think its just a cheap way of living in anything people can get their hands on, but for a few others .

Hopefully this post will work as i am doing it on Writer which has been not talking to Blogger for the last few days …Fingers crossed

Aluminium ,looks like an ex lifeboat.

A long way from home. (London)

We do see the odd L’eau life on the canal system.

Just love those windows.

There's plenty of these barges around here.

Shed boat.

No windows…                                                                                              

                                                                                                             Happy Days

Testing

  

Windows Live Writer to Blogger working again ……………….

Back up that hill

 After getting our new calorifier fitted  and still not getting over the shock of the bill it was an extra glass or 3 of the red stuff to calm me down in the evening.
Pulling pins the next morning at 07.30 from Seend locks we head towards the 29 locks at Devizes. With Curly on the tiller and now learning to steer Inca we make good time and get to the bottom Foxhanger lock at 09.45.

 We did the first few locks by ourselves and then paired up with nb Upacut to go up the flight. There were plenty of Gongoozlers (canal watchers) on the flight, but they took a bit of persuading to get them to open and close the gates.
We did get a bit of help from a couple of volunteer lockies on a few of the locks.

 A very rare picture. Me with a windlass in my hand and doing the last couple of locks at the top of the flight.

 We picked up a mooring on Devizes wharf opposite the Wadworth Brewery. We had a peaceful night until 06.00 when they started work and them metal barrels don't have make a lot of noise .
After a walk into the town and a bit of shopping it was off to good old Wetherspoons for lunch.

 Another night at Devizes which was luckily on another mooring, We then had another early start as we made our way back East on the K and A.
We passed this sign on a corner..

 Then when you got around the corner there was this sign... Very good

There are plenty of bank repairs going on and many that have been completed . Its just a bit of a shame a lot more effort cant be put into the lack and quality of visitor moorings on this canal.
We would have liked to have picked up a mooring at All Cannings , but we have never seen so many boats on a stretch of canal near a village and mooring was just impossible. It was then on to Honey Street and the situation was not much better there.
Luckily we have just managed to pick up a mooring at Pewsey. So with Curly on her way back home soon this will do for a day or so to enable her to be picked up

                                                              Happy Days