the following link is the GPS track for today’s route…
72o2 Day 3 - Devizes to Great Bedwyn
The ‘Likely Lads'
Caen Hill lock flight was closed because someone ran their narrowboat into one of the lock gates, we were lucky to be allowed up the path with our canoe as it has been fenced off for a week, the workmen showed pity on us…
At the bottom of the main flight of 16 locks (there are 29 locks in total over a distance of 2.25 miles): it can take all day for narrowboats to get through them all.
And… looking from the top
The canal gets very narrow in parts
It’s like Swallows and Amazons
Gordon and I have been really struggling with our ankles and knees, we have to unwind slowly and painfully when we get out to change positions…
We saw some very strange sights on the canal… I don’t know many people that keep an armchair on top of their boat…
A tunnel called Bruce!!
and ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’
but why do I have to be steering when we can’t see anything… it concentrates the mind!
It’s not a common name for a tunnel, but Bruce it is.
Locks facing this way mean we’re going uphill….
…and this way mean we’re now going downhill… we’ve passed the high point… it’s all downhill from now on!
Nothing to do with canoeing… our landlady for the night (Sue) does bell ringing as a hobby, we were invited along to watch, it was great…
Great Bedwyn Church on a lovely July evening and… the rather steep steps up to the belfry.
What we’ve come to see…
and Sue in action…
We were so impressed, Gordon and I had a go outside…
Then it was Gordon and Nigel’s turn…
…then it was time to stop – there’s something wrong about that!
We had a game of skittles in the Cross Key’ back room before dinner… Gordon won (the sign of a misspent youth methinks)
As an aside, the Cross Keys B&B is the best B&B experience I have ever enjoyed, Bruce and Sue welcomed us with open arms, they’re lovely.
No comments:
Post a Comment