Journey to Wilcot

Sunday morning left Woolhampton for Newbury.  Along the way paired up with Carol & Noel on board Willy Nilly.  As all the locks on the K&A are doubles it helps to share the load and also speeds up the journey.  I’ve inserted a pic of Monkey Marsh lock – one of only two turf side locks now in existence, as you can see the lock does not have sides above the high water mark and the water washes onto the side sloping bank.  Very strange, and not easy to manage. 

We were looking forward to Newbury as we hoped to surprise friends Mike & Emma, two Aussies that have lived in the UK for about 10 years.  We arrived early afternoon and after failing to raise them by phone we decided to visit their home and leave a note to say we tried to contact them.  The route to their house was one we had never used before and incredibly we met them cycling to their local.  How lucky were we?  A quick visit to show them Bacchus (see pic), we then retired to the Lock, Stock and Barrel next to Newbury Bridge.  A few drinks,  bite to eat, good company and plans to meet again on our return journed.  A very pleasant evening.

 The journey from Newbury to Kintbury on Monday was straight forward; we were lucky enough to double up with Malcolm & Linda aboard Canality J’Aime (see pic). 

Evening visitor

Tuesday was a long day.  Eighteen locks and 10 miles without seeing anyone else going our way.  Passing through Hungerford, Little & Great Bedwyn before finding an excellent mooring at Crofton Pumping Station and discovering Willy Nilly (Carol & Noel) in the next mooring.  Agreed to pair up next day and travel together to Pewsey.

Wednesday saw us leaving Crofton in tandem with Carol and Noel.  Talk about slow and interesting journey.  Firstly a boat adrift across the canal, hire boat moored up for the night in the lock layby  and still there, another having breakfast in the next lock, all locks slow filling and leaking like a sieve and the icing on the cake it poured with rain.  The picture shows Noel’s attemp at plugging the gap in the lock gate!! 

We wanted to moor at Knowle, but due to all the visitor moorings being in use, and not, I believe, by visitors, we moved on to Wilcot. Tomorrow Devizes.