Turn round at Bristol

Well, it’s now just over a week since our last blog and in that time we have chugged to down the River Avon to Bristol, back to Bath and are now moored at Seend Cleeve.  A walk had been planned  from SC followed by the climb back up the Caen flight, but the weather has turned for the worse so we intend to stay here for a day or two.

We left the last blog heading for the Dundas Aqueduct and travelling onto Bath, which we had decided to pass by and visit on the return trip.  Once at Bath you leave the Kennet & Avon Canal and move onto the River Avon.  This changes the feel of the journey completely as the Avon is much wider, has cleaner water flow, as rivers tend to have as they are somewhat deeper and free flowing, lovely scenery and locks that are at least 2 feet wider than doubles on canals.  We took 2 days for the journey, though most people tend to complete the journey in a full day primarily as there is a lack of decent moorings.

We stayed for 2 nights in Bristol.  There is a mooring charge, based on the length of stay and the size of your boat.  Ours was £39.  We felt it’s certainly worth visiting the floating harbour (the term given to Bristol harbour), which was a commercially working harbour until the 1970s.  One thing worth mentioning, on the return run down the Avon, close to Keynsham lock, we were lucky enough to see an Osprey perched on a branch by the river, obviously fishing.

Pics of Bristol Harbour:

We thoroughly enjoyed Bristol before moving back down the Avon to Bath.  We had visited Bath many years ago but still spent a day, in the sun, strolling the alley ways; I (Ken), enjoying an all day full English, we followed that by a drink in Bath’s smallest pub, later cream teas in the Parade Gardens whilst listening to the Chippenham brass band, and then a jug of Pimm’s as we watched the tourist (mainly Japanese) do their thing. 

Pulteney Bridge, Bath

We left Bath on the 4^th July worried about a change of weather for the worse and a planned close of the Caen flight to repair lock 29.  We’d also heard that diesel at Hilperton was the cheapest on the K&A and planned a stop.  What a stop.  We mentioned to the engineer of a problem with our water pump, yes you’re right it still hasn’t been fixed properly, when it was discovered that we had serious problems with our batteries.  I won’t bore you with the details only to say we left two hours later over £500 the poorer.

Seen in a cemetary in Bath:

Sat at Seend Cleeve and it’s raining.