Devizes proved to be worth a visit. We toured the streets, as one does, and then spent some time in The Pelican, a pub in the town square. The landlady had been in situ for 45 years having taken on the role from her parents. It’s a very “locals” pub, friendly, and with an interest in 60/70s music which was constantly played on the juke box.
The aim was to leave before 8am next day (Friday,) as we had 30 locks to pass through ,which included the Caen Hill flight of 19 locks one above another.
We were lucky, on reaching the top of the flight we met Joe and Fe (nb Broadleaf) who joined us for the run to the bottom.
Joe’s super fit and was running from lock to lock, backwards and forwards and, according to Fe, loving every minute. It certainly made life easier for Flo, though she tried really hard to keep up with him. Thanks Joe. Top lock to bottom lock, Devizes to Sells Green, with a break for a drink, five & half hours. Not bad.
Saturday saw us reach Bradford-on-Avon. We moored 10 mins walk from the Cross Guns pub by the Avoncliff aqueduct. If you’ve never been to B on A do stop, you won’t be disappointed: the Barton Grange Farm; which includes a magnificient tithe barn, the lock-up on the town bridge; the Saxon church and the award winning Victorian tea rooms, are all worth a try, followed by a stroll along the River Avon. Which all took place in sunshine and warm temperature, that in itself a great novelty.
One thing of interest, to us at least, was on the wall of a building that in its day was a brewery store, a figurehead of Bacchus.
Monday saw us move on towards Bath, still with sunshine, crossing the Dundas Aqueduct and mooring at Bathampton just before it rained. Back to normal then.
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