Bath

Entry into Bath is through a couple of small tunnels with the outer face being nicely decorated.

There is a small boatyard between the then and its bit of a pain sometimes with the boats sticking out at the bridge entrace.

The first of the locks down to the Avon.

Not sure what this might have been in the past but a bit on the small size for the lockies cottage. Humane Society advert on the side.

Stopped here for a few days.  First day spent half my time filling up the pound.  Someone coming up had opened the sluices to fill the lock without checking that the bottom set were closed consequently an almost empty pound. Partly to blame are the BW.  Not sure why you need to empty the lock when you come up. Most people arent going to stand around until it is empty.  they will just open a sluice and leave.  If the next boat wants to go down they then take another lock full of water.  One that was not needed.

Wandered off into Bath and on the way was the BBC setting up for filming a harrier I think that was nesting up iin the church tower. Twitchers by the dozen also keeping an eye on it.

The lovely view over the Avon to the weir and bridge.

The weir really is a delight.

Had a wander around the abbey church when I was last here.  Bath University was a lovely place to spend a week.

The Baths in Bath.  One of the things wrong with Bath is that as all the buildings are made of the same material - even the council houses - none of them stand out as they should.  Take any one of these buildings and put it in another city and the result would be outstanding. Still awesome though.

Out getting tickets for the theatre and went in to an art exhibition.  Spent ten minutes looking out through the window at the entertainment outside with the unicyclist and a member of the audience.

Modern art.  Some of it I liked but in the main I was unable to see any point in art like the half a ladder hanging from the ceiling.

There must be a reason for a load of vacuum cleaner bags on a pair of legs.

Photo-montage of a million views of bits of Bath - I think.

A nice park but quite small alongside the Avon but £1.20 to get in is rather steep.

The bridge is a delight.  

Went to the Theatre Royal and the Ustinov Theatre while we were here.

Educating Rita in the Royal was well done with Matthew Kelly and Claire Sweeney.  Very enjoyable.

The Otheroom at the Ustinov was a bit different.  Its sub title was The Vibrator Room.  Oddly enough I enjoyed this one as well.

End up in Bath

 

Moored up outside Devizes.  One of the several mooring places we have used to keep out of the town.

On the way back into town and on the last tight bend and the K & A trust are out and about doinhg their bit to keep the canal in good nick.  Here taking out umpteen feet of bushes on the bend and doubling the width of the canal.

Back opposite the theatre and off to the shops. Mind you today we have visitors.

Some of the lovely people (Mal said) from Southampton turned up.  I promised Lee an icecream from the Cafe at the top of the flight. Sadly :-) they close at 1700 so we had to go without.

Heading back to the wild.  Just checking on how the garden is coming along.

The mooring for the next few days.  A lovely walk on the right through the trees to Lidls.

Got the dog a couple of toys.  This one os a ball on a rope.  It lasted about ten minutes before the ball had been totally destroyed but the rope is still in use :-)

You can just make out the white horse on the hill.  There is another not far away.

Moving a little further out into the country.  Up here is the village of All Canning and its here that there will be a gig for cancer charity headed up by Brian May.

Stopped for the night

According to my guide book this swing bridge is chained open.  Thanks goodness for that.  The hawthorn trees growing through it would make a little bit of a faff to work.

Another of the very individual boats that can be found on the canal.

The winding hole and change direction back towards Devizes.

Heading back in to pick up more wine, milk and bread :-) Garden coming along nicely.

Another lovely day in Devizes

Give us a piggyback Mummy :-)

Moored up waiting to go down the Caen Flight and on the boat opposite - a visitor.  Several times it wandered along the gunnel.

A local steam enthusiast turning around nearby.

and we are off.  The first lock takes us out of Devizes proper and into the first six locks

Going down with nb Panther and two more boats coming up.

The start of the flight and we can spot several other boats coming up.

Wide beam playing silly persons in the lock.

The last of the locks in the flight.  There are just another six to go and we will be back to near normal boating.

 The view back up the flight.  One hundred and thirty feet in distance the boats are lifted plus another fifty foot in the six locks at both ends.

Odin the dog looking somewhat bedraggled after falling into the filling lock.  His owner was more worried than he was as I dragged him out as he tried to climb up the gate.

This lock has large lumps cut out of the cill.  I wonder if this was on purpose or by the boats rudder catching on it for some many years. Not every lock has it so I assume its down to boats and it does stick out a bit.

Both of us in the last of the locks

A swing bridge.  Lee on one side and a couple of lads on the other working the bridge. Very polite lads but why is it that to do this kindness they had to stop throwing stones at the ducks.

Views popping up between the hedges.

Now this is what I call a Lockkeepers Cottage.  Very upper class so must be nearing Bath :-)

Another individual style boat.  Aluminium top to an ex-lifeboat it seems.

The ssite on the major event that held us up in Devizes for so long.  The culvert fixed and the banks as good if not better than new.

With some boats its the paintwork that gives it the edge.  This one has been well and truly graffitied.

Lots of honey coloured sandstone everywhere.

Even the bridges are of the same material.  No cheap and ugly brickwork here. Unless you count the repair :-)

More pilings ready to go in and another length of canal bank improved.

and a very individual roof over the bow.

Limpley valley is a delight but must make sure that its not  raining next time we come along it.

I think Bath is over there somewhere.

The Dundas Aquaduct and a sharp right hander.  To the left is the Somerset Coal Canal

Another lifeboat but this time a bit more modern.

Nearly in Bath and a boat that looks as though it has a grotto on the bows.

Back into the woods

In thre Bathampton area and someone has just rescued a sheep from the canal.  I don't think it was breathing for a while as the gent was giving it some compression but as we went passed it was coughing a bit so all is well.

and into Bath via the two short tunnels.