This weekend we have made an expedition along the detached portion of the K&A from Bradford-on-Avon to the current head of navigation at Foxhangers, and back. For the most part we enjoyed good weather and the locks and swing bridges all worked - the only obvious mechanical fault was a loose spindle on one of those pesky gearboxes. However, the patches of reed that have been allowed to expand in the past few years are getting out of hand in places, especially between Hilperton and Waddon Fields where the clear channel is barely wide enough for a narrrowboat and is also surprisingly shallow. Pictures here:
http://baz-juniper.fotopic.net/p65742164.html http://baz-juniper.fotopic.net/p65742165.html There was quite limited traffic on the canal and we only managed to share 3 of the 14 locks we passed through. Dinner on Saturday night was at the George & Dragon at Rowde - rather pricey, we thought [pint of 'Pride' and a glass of Pinot Grigio = £8], but decent grub well presented and promptly served. Friends we had arranged to meet at Foxhangers were fooled by the eccentric footpath diversion around the works to Lock 24 - an unnecessarily long walk poorly signed. Presumably the emergency nature of the stoppage didn't allow much thought to be given to it. Not that there was much going on this weekend - the pound has been drained and the old gates removed, but the new ones are not yet on site. Still very many towpath shufflers in evidence, providing great variety in the appearance of boats. The prize, however, goes to this contemporary take on the time-honoured practice of adapting ships' lifeboats for the inland waterways: http://baz-juniper.fotopic.net/p65742163.html Baz
