Kennet and Avon Canal

Tremendous work has been completed in the refurbishment of the Kennet and Avon Canal. The Kennet and Avon Trust alongside British Waterways deserve plaudits for turning a remainder canal into a superb first-rate waterway. Come visit the K&A with us as we travel from Reading to Devizes. I have attempted to write the main aspects of the canal, there are too many locks and swing bridges to describe them all, any such attempt would leave you eyes aching as your arms will be once you attempt the K&A. Throughout the journey the main southern railway line, the old God’s Wonderful Railway, accompanies you. If a fast train whooshes by and catches you unawares you will not think it is God’s railway. You are also watched along the length of the canal by Second World War pillboxes as the K&A was to be a main anti-tank obstacle to any invader pushing north. The pillboxes can be classified by type and some people can tell a Type 23 from a Type 23A, but you would probably not want to invite them to dinner.
K&A locks can be large, fierce and intimidating. When opening gate paddles they must only be opened a few inches to prevent the boat being thrown about like a teenager at a rave. The locks tend to be hardest at the Reading end although County Lock is an easy beginner, followed by the fearful Fobney Lock, with the locks progressively getting gentler as you head west to Devizes. Whilst the locks are nothing that a competent crew cannot manage they can be as fierce as a mother-in-law’s criticism.
The Kennet and Avon joins with the River Thames at Reading, the point can be seen from a distance as two large gasometers stand by the junction. The Thames at this point is wide and unless you have chosen your journey at flood time you will have an easy turn into the Kennet mouth. If you have sailed down the River Thames you will notice a distinct change in the handling of the boat as you push against the current of the River Kennett. The first lock is Blakes Lock, which confusingly is a Thames lock, controlled and manned by the Environment Agency. The lock is fitted with metal ‘Barnacle Bill’ steering wheels directly onto the gates to operate the paddles. The lock is so easy that should you arrive when the lock is unmanned it is a simple operation to do it yourself. If you are mooring in Reading take the right tributary a hundred yards or so past Blakes Lock, there you have small moorings at the Riverside Museum. Cruising past takes you in a sweep through Abbey Backwater and Forbury Loop to moorings by Reading Goal where Oscar Wilde suffered for his sexuality – “Don’t we all”, says Brenda. The present day prisoners – lovable rogues to a man I’m sure, can be heard shouting like howler monkeys, but the moorings are as safe as any in a city and the shops are within easy strolling distance. Mooring charges of £4 per night are advertised, but during several visits we have not been touched for money. If you do not want to visit Reading keep straight on and you will meet the restricted Brewery Gut controlled by traffic lights.
Reading – Henry I buried, John o’Gaunt married, Jane Austin went to school and Oscar Wilde went to jail, but not all at the same time. There is a huge ruined abbey where the last abbot was hung from his own abbey gates, with entertainment like that, no wonder the house prices are so high. We stayed the night at Reading and in the morning I nudged the sleeping Brenda and gave her the choice of sexual congress or a start for Devizes. Unhitched the ropes, tightened the grease valve, checked the bilges and started the engine. As usual I remembered that I am supposed to start the engine before unhitching the ropes.
Opposite the set of traffic lights controlling the entrance to the Brewery Gut there is one mooring, but it is not recommended as the town drunks gather on the adjacent benches and all know Mr David personally. The old Brewery Gut was narrow and fierce; it has now been tamed by being widened and made to pass between the modern shopping complexes of The Oracle. You have some steering to do. Coming from Devizes the old Town Bridge traverse is great fun, but it is no longer dangerous, just exhilarating and it is ego enhancing, being a look-see tourist attraction. The Oracle designers gave little thought to the waterway and whilst their customers delight in the water and the boats, neither moorings nor places to stop have been constructed. When Mr David enquired at the Oracle Information Desk why there were no moorings he was told that they would get back to him. He is still waiting!
The first K&A lock is County Lock with the boat control lights on your left and the weir on the right. This is one of those awkward locks with only a couple of feet drop. There was a floating exit/landing stage that had been built with a roller coaster theme and rocked with every step for added amusement, but unfortunately it has been removed and the crew now have a trudge across a solid pedestrian walkway to meet the boat.
Your first real test though is Fobney Lock, which is a thumping big lock with room for half a dozen boats. Going downstream you have a good sheltered landing stage and a chance to view the problems but arriving upstream allows neither time nor space to view the lock. The metal landing stage has been built just above the bywash from the lock and the residue from the water works. At times the landing stage can be 4-6 inches in water, green and slippery and with the outfall gushing over it. The river also joins immediately before the lock from the left. So with water leaking over and through the bottom lock gates, you have water to the left, water to the right and water to the front. The muddy river stretch from Reading to Fobney makes it impractical to drop the crew off prior to the slippery landing stage, so you just have to hope that the gates have been left open and then have those that can, climb the ladder. If the gates are closed drop two crew members if you have them (the gates are very heavy) at the landing stage and reverse the boat until the gates are open. When going down through the lock take all crew on board and leave the gates open. To add to the fun at Fobney, on warm summer days there are youths swimming using the lock as a diversion from urban life. Say politely, “Do you mind if we use the lock?” And the merry children will gladly climb out without a thought of jumping on your boat or practicing their foul language. On our journey back we had Good Samaritans who were having breakfast by the lock, they did all the locking for us. The K&A is full of surprises, mostly good ones.
You now have a number of heavy locks.
Southgate Lock is smaller than Fobney Lock with a good solid concrete landing stage but don’t be deceived. Stopping the boat for the landing stage is difficult as there is a bridge immediately before it. If you tie up to the landing stage then getting away is not easy. A brick wall is in front at 90 degrees to the landing stage; a fender sized hole in the wall gives testament to the fact it is difficult to get away from the landing stage. Once in the lock the top paddles are extremely fierce and need only a gentle touch to begin with. One of our reference books gives a boatyard above the lock but this is now Burghfield Boat Club, which does not appear to welcome passing boaters. Just past the boat club is the Cunning Man public house, which offers free overnight mooring.
Burghfield Lock appears to be in need of love. Corrugated iron piling sheets hold back the bank but slope outwards trying to scrape your boat. The lock chamber is constructed of cast iron piling resulting in a rough old looking lock. At the end of the lock cut there is a fierce weir attempting to grab the boat, therefore keep right when coming out of the lock.
You now have some tight bends before Garston Lock, a turf sided lock, one of two such locks on this stretch, Monkey Marsh Lock being the other. Operation is easy, however it takes some time for the water to rise and soak into the planted banks.
Sheffield Bottom Lock is a shallow scalloped lock divided up with 5ft sections of brick and wooden posts. This is a pretty area with a tourist car park and picnic area on your left. I don’t know the advantage of scalloping the edge of the lock, I discovered the disadvantage – when closing the lock gate it’s easy to fall and slip into the lock. Your feet are expecting a solid edge and it has been cut away. You have good 48 hour mooring at Theale, just after an electric swing bridge cutting a very busy road. Sulhamstead Lock is no trouble, although the stream/river comes in from the right, just beyond is a farmer’s access swing bridge secured with a bolt and unusually with a metal flap.

Tyle Mill lock and swing bridge are now much easier as the swing bridge has been automated, you must have the lock gates open before opening the swing bridge, as there is little room between. There is an old wharf with sanitary station here with water. If coming from Devizes it is worth stopping and filling with water as there is no free water on the rest of the K&A.
In the past there was need for some serious exercise at Ufton Swing Bridge. If the bridge was not feeling well it could take 90 turns of a windlass to lift it and three people to swing it open. Since Mr David had a letter published complaining of it, the old bridge is being replaced with an automated bridge. So when you read this you will only have to press a button and say, “God Bless Mr David”.
Towney Lock was an old brute: a huge lock, with poor landing and pick up stages, it was hard work. Now it is a joy of a big brute. A new lock and landing stages and the whole area landscaped and a marvellous modern bypass overflow well worth admiring; the architect is to be congratulated.
Aldermaston provides all facilities, including ice cream at the K&A Tourist Information Centre. Here also is Reading Marine Company, builders of superb modern canal boats, worth a stop and a request to see their recent build. I have always found the words, “Not quite as good as Nb Mr David” goes down well. You also get to play with the traffic major league here raising the fully automatic bridge. There are facilities between the bridge and the lock; in the past this sanitary station and mooring was often clogged with long stay boats. We watched one man build a boat on these moorings; the problem has been solved by making the moorings four hour stay only. Aldermaston Lock is the last very big lock until the Caen Flight, from now to Devizes all the locks are normal double canal locks.
At Woolhampton you have a major swing bridge shortly followed by a lock. Between the two, John Rennie’s joke was to put the bywash joining you on the right and the full bore river joining on the left. The river swings you in a curve directly against the bank and the swing bridge. Going downstream you must have the bridge open before leaving the lock as you probably could not hold the boat on the landing stage between. You need to have lots of power on leaving the lock or the stream will force you against the bank and then buffet you against the steel bridge. So with plenty of power, wits about you, swift on the steering arm and you will be able to miss the bridge. If you are unlucky a large securing bolt awaits your arrival against the bridge. Blame John Rennie and the wind. Still passing downstream, hopefully through the bridge, you have to stop at the landing stage to pick up the crew. Well you don’t have to, but relationships tend to be better if you do. Stopping here is not easy, the flow of water is high and the landing stage juts out into the stream. Do not attempt to stop and hold on the jutting edge, the stream will catch the boat with too much force to hold her on a rope. It is easy to stop both before and after this edge but not on it.
Going up stream you need to set and open the lock gates before operating the bridge. Your only problem is then crossing the stream of the Kennet; I have never yet completed it without hitting the bank. The only way is to stay right gently easing your way round and against the stream then when pointing directly into the stream a burst of power and using fullish power turn sharp right, and then stop as soon as you enter the lock. Nothing to it. The good news is you have now completed the most difficult part of the K&A.
The landing approach area at Colthrop Lock going upstream was always very shallow but it has now been dredged and the concrete bank repaired. You will therefore not have the embarrassment of running aground as did Nb Mr David who stuck, firmly resisting all attempts to lift her free. The process was not helped by an elderly occupant of the cottages shouting helpful instructions. In Mr David’s opinion when you are in it, the last thing you need is someone telling you how to get out of it – loudly.
Until the outskirts of Newbury the woods and fields give a wilder impression than before, the views can match any on the canal system, and the wildlife is varied and ever present. Amongst the usual water fowl we saw water voles, definitely voles, not rats as seen in London, and deer both in the woods and thrashing alongside the stream trying to escape from the intrusion of the boat. The river water, however, is very disappointing – black and dirty with scummy lumps floating on the surface. You don’t think this could have anything to do with the sewage farms on the river banks do you?
Passing the boatyard, which has a good landing stage for pump out and diesel, further on the canal used to swing you round under a very low Bailey bridge with only about 6 inches of clearance. This bridge has now been removed and a new bridge constructed. It still retains the central pier in the middle of the river, so care is needed. The river approaching Newbury Lock is encased in a concrete jacket and curves through the town. There is a shelf below the waterline and it is difficult should you need to get the boat in the bank. It is however useful if the river is in full flow to drop off the crew along this stretch so that they can have the lock gates open for your arrival. Should you stop short of the bridge to await the gates opening you may not have the impetus to glide under the bridge and it will become a slow tedious process. There is a landing stage by the lock but it is short and the river joins the canal by the landing stage so take a fully forward rush from the bridge and straight into the lock. When travelling from Devizes and leaving Newbury Town Lock the river again rushes in from the left and pushes the boat into the Old Town Bridge with some force. The short landing stage is to your left, but in my opinion you are better taking your crew on board and leaving the gates open. If you time it correctly Newbury Lock will be swamped with canal watchers and if your conscience is pricking, get some of them to close the gates.
Newbury has ample well-established moorings both between the swing bridge and the lock and down adjacent to Victoria Park. Newbury also has first class shopping within strolling distance of both moorings and a small market three days a week. On the main town bridge is the finest butcher’s pie shop on the canal. There is also Newbury Racecourse for those interested in racing. In the Army, David had to choose a sport. He chose ‘The Sport of Kings’ but had to give it up when kicked by a horse. The horse ran off, thought about it, came back and kicked him again.
Whilst passing through the locks beyond Newbury it was noted that most off-side spindles have been removed. BW are adding three in one gears to the ground paddles, the completion has been delayed by emergency work. The gearing will make lifting the top paddle easier, but I would have thought that there were greater demands for maintenance on the K&A than making paddles easier to left.
At Kintbury extra new visitor moorings have been made on the towpath side. There is ample room here for visiting boats, although long stayers in the past appeared to be much in occupancy. A water point is in position by the moorings and an alternative one is hidden in the lock at the side of the bridge. Kintbury is also well served by the Dundas Arms either for the helmsman to catch a quick drink whilst the crew complete the lock or for a long more sustaining stay. Kintbury has the remains of a chalk mill whose product appears to have been used to make the towpath at Newbury – after a 24 hour stop in Newbury your boat will be covered in fine white dust.
Beware at Bridge 80, Brunsden Railway Bridge, the old wood shoring has given way and steel girders and bolts press out into the navigation awaiting a careless helmsman turning the corner. The river sections are becoming less now and the by-washes less daunting.
Hungerford offers good shopping, four excellent charity shops to fill out the boat’s library, and new trousers for Mr David. It is a toss up which he uses more, books or trousers. A good water and sanitary station has been modernised downstream of Bridge 48. This area was a meeting area for town youths who now appear to have gone elsewhere; boat squatters remain eking out their unlicensed existence. Hungerford is a stunning small market town where John o’Gaunt gave fishing rights in the 14th Century. On the second Tuesday after Easter at Hocktime Festival, two Tuttimen carrying decorated poles go around the houses trading kisses for oranges. Tried it, but no girls were interested in my oranges and certainly not in my decorated pole. BW have completed extensive dredging, improving the towpath bank, which was always treacherous to boats leaving Hungerford Lock. There are superb new moorings above the lock providing plenty of space for visiting boats.
Unlucky 13 locks to Crofton and its pumping station. Sterling work ahead for the crew, whilst you admire the stunning countryside. It is well worth struggling to moor near Froxfield Bridge in order to visit The Pelican at Froxfield, reportedly one of the best pubs on the canal. As usual it is only reportedly, as Brenda failed to let me off my chain in order to go and check on the pub for you.
Past Great Bedwyn where lies the tomb of Sir John Seymour, father of Jane Seymour, wife of Henry VIII. “Another awful husband" says Brenda, not sure what she means. Great Bedwyn also has the remains of a wharf with mooring for the Bruce Trust whose wide beam boats are seen on the K&A with smiling disabled adults and children enjoying the canal.
The locks from Crofton Pumping Station are all easy but beware at lock 60, the liftable walkway has been constructed on the inside of the lock (for the ease of tourists) and it is easy to trap the steering arm when the water rises. Good mooring here at Crofton between locks 61 and 60, with a fairly long walk to The Swan Inn at Wilton for refreshment, or closer ice cream and teas in the pumping station. But beware when mooring in the short pounds at Crofton as water levels can drop overnight, leaving you aground. The pumping station was smoking well on our journey up, a glorious sight with tourists scattered around the lock and the hill.
Now for the two and a half mile top pound with Bruce Tunnel. My kind of tunnel high, wide, dry and you can see the end in sight, a good chance for the crew to put their feet up.
An overnight stop was made at Pewsey Wharf. A good place to stay the night but the wharf has always seemed a lost opportunity. The old café was closed, and the mooring clogged with historic, trip and DIY boat building. There are signs of improvement, a new café and extensive dredging making it possible to moor nearer the loose bank, but on coming ashore the bank gave way and I ended up with one leg in the cut. The bad news is that permanent moorings seem to have grabbed the best part of the visitor moorings. Surely there are sufficient permanent moorings at Pewsey Wharf Boat Club, which prides itself on the biggest PRIVATE sign on the K&A, a joy to the eyes of a cruising boater.
To Gibson’s Boat Services for diesel and a pump out, available from an attractive and easy to moor old wharf. Honeystreet is the site of Robbins, Lane and Pinnegar boatyard, where many of the original K&A boats were built. I am reliably informed that the village name was changed from ‘Muddy Lane’ by upwardly-mobile home-owners. Near also is the very popular Barge Inn, never without boats moored outside. We had always found it hard to moor there, but exactly the type of moorings required at Pewsey have now been built outside The Barge Inn.
Under Lady Bridge, yet another ornate bridge over a canal, built at extra cost, time and trouble to appease a local landowner. In this particular example the bridge included a widening of the canal to form Wilcot Wide Lake. This is now an ugly silted expanse of water, complete with askance DANGER signs reporting shallow water. This is a popular mooring site and much could be done to improve the look of Wilcot Wide Water by those far more energetic than Mr David.
By Bridge 123, Alton Valley Bridge is a monument to 3 aircrew that who lost their lives on 25th October 1944. Their Albemarle bomber from RAF Keevil crashed near to the canal – lest we forget. We are now in the long pond: 15 miles of lockless cruising and yawning idle crew. Replacement moorings have been made here at the Bridge Inn, Horton. Despite the BW moorings here you need to speed up, cars have been known to crash off Horton Bridge and you don’t want to catch a flying car. Well that’s what I told the gesticulating moorers. A contradictory notice at the moorings states that the moorings are BW 24hr moorings but goes on to say that the moorings are for the patrons of the Barge Inn. Are the moorings for all or only for those poor devils, like myself who are forced to take to drink for the sake of a mooring?
Past Devizes Marina with all services, diesel at a very reasonable price (whilst stocks last) and one of the best chandleries in the country. Past the suburbs, slow for the stationary boats parked at the garden edges, as usual signs with requests for slow speed; one does not say ‘Please’ which always encourages Brenda to speed up. Through the sunshine embossed arch of Devizes Town Bridge.
The Devizes Wharf Company constructed Devizes Wharf from 1807, with the K&A completed in 1810. It is reported that in 1842 the wharf had eight sub-tenants mainly coal merchants. The wharf’s building now houses the K&A Trust (excellent society with a fine magazine ‘The Butty’ @ £17 per year). The Wharf Theatre opened in May 1960 in an old waterside warehouse, a gem of a small theatre with seats at all prices. Whilst it is difficult to obtain a mooring against the wharf there is ample room available on the opposite bank where much dredging and construction of ringed moorings, has produced room here for a dozen boats. A water point and sanitary station is provided at the eastern end of the wharf by Devizes Town Bridge. Should NB 512** be moored overnight and well into the morning you may have trouble obtaining water. It is just possible to secure your boat adjacent to them but this will mean you block the canal. Disturbing the occupants of NB 512** is not advisable as the plethora of beer bottles and glasses amongst the assorted junk indicates headaches would prevent intelligent discussion. In the event our engine revving, boat manoeuvring and shouted crew orders did not awaken these sleeping water point moorers.
The Devizes BW office has decamped to – go on guess. To a strategic canal centre? To a famous canal town? To a site were boaters can easily reach them? No, to Gloucester, I expect it’s handy and central for Hungerford and Newbury!
A superb journey with still ahead the locks of the Caen Hill Flight, the beauties of Bradford on Avon, the Avoncliff and Dundas aqueducts, and superb moorings at Bath, then onto the Avon for Bristol. We leave that trip for another time.
This journey was hard work, scary even through Woolhampton and Fobney locks, but an invigorating, stunning canal. BW appear to be working to solve the hogging of visitor moorings by semi-permanents and swamps, the price is that most visitor moorings are now 24 and 48 hour mooring. This is a pity. After struggling with the locks from Reading you may need a longer time to rest and explore the superb adjacent areas of the canal. 72 hour moorings might still keep away the rule benders and offer rest to the weary genuine cruiser. Lovable and homely the K&A is one of our favourite canals and we shall return often thanks to the K&A Trust, Inland Waterways Association, BW and all those volunteers who helped make the canal so accessible, and continue to improve it for Mr David to sail along grumbling about what happened to the gas lights on the Caen Flight? What did happen to those gas lights on the Caen Flight?

The Flight of Caen

Devizes moorings provide a perfect rest stop on the K&A to contemplate the Caen Hill Flight. There are 29 double locks to be completed before Foxhangers at the bottom of the flight, and the chance of a decent overnight stop, 16 of these locks are in the main Caen Hill flight. The 72 hour moorings at Devizes are spacious but very busy, and you get the usual Victorian person who insists on running their generator late into the night plus swampy boats blocking water point and winding hole. The town offers all the amenities you could wish for, including, just by the Market Square a cheap launderette plus on Thursdays an outdoor market. If you are lucky you will awake to the smell of the sweet malty taste of Wadworth’s Brewery mashing the brew, should you be unlucky you will wake to your partner smelling of the after effects of the product, but enough of Mr David.

At the copious moorings, the majority of the space lies opposite Devizes Wharf and down to Lock 50. The Wadworth Brewery Container Park noisily commands the moorings down by Lock 50 the top Devizes lock; the quieter moorings are directly opposite the wharf. A sanitary station with water tap and BW pumpout machine lies beside bridge 40, a further water tap and pumpout machine is located below lock 45. The Kennet and Avon Trust run an excellent shop and museum in one of the historic black and white frame buildings on the wharf. At the winding hole is a large BW sign giving the passage timings for the flight. Yes I know the flight in the old days was 24 hours a day with gas lights to allow operation in the dark, but that was before British Waterways took a liking to boaters. Passages through Caen Hill Lock Flight begin at Lock 44 timings are:-

8.00am – 5.00pm April to October and you have to be clear by 5.00pm.
8.00am – 1.00pm November to March and you have to be clear by 3.30pm.

No overnight mooring is allowed between locks 44 and 29.

The K&A canal is, of course, a wide canal and all the locks on the Caen Hill Flight are double locks; they tend to have gates of metal construction with the paddle gear recently enhanced by BW using three in one gearing. The metal gates are difficult to cross being very slippy in icy conditions or in the wet. Crossing is made doubly difficult as the metal gate top edge rises steeply by the hinge requiring one to leap the last two feet of the gate to the safety of the bank. Gate crossing is not, however, essential as almost all the locks have a small wooden pedestrian bridge beneath the lower gate.

The top lock, No 50 Kennet lock, at the end of the moorings has a convenient garage across the road should you wish to purchase an early morning newspaper. Locks 50 down to 38 have been given names, locks 37 – 22 remain mainly unnamed should you wish to put in a bid. Sponsorship of locks, like horse races, is now common but blatant advertising remains unknown, perhaps in future lock sponsorship will be sold to advertisers. The Dulux Dog Lock could be in the shape of an Old English sheepdog, I only write this in the vain hope of getting my licence fee reduced. Prior to attempting the locks make sure that all your boat windows are closed most lock walls spurt strong piddles of water.

Locks 50 to 45 are all separated by short, easily walkable pounds, there are normally young fishers here avoiding community service. One temporary BW sign on Lock 48 asks that you do not allow swans to enter the lock, not sure how you prevent a swan entering a lock if it’s a mind to. We had a swan in a lock and BW said to tempt him out with bread, but if all boaters do that all locks will be full of swans. Prior to Lock 47 is a pub mooring with room for 3 boats beside the Black Horse Inn, this is a useful mooring should you wish to make an early start down the flight. Lock 47 itself is an awkward lock the bottom gates have a twisted top and are very difficult to open, at least two crew are needed, in order to walk around the lock you have to traverse a walkway fixed next to the road bridge. Several locks have badly leaking top paddles evidenced by gushers of water rising in the lock as the water descends, this makes opening the bottom gates very difficult. Beneath Lock 45 are BW permanent moorings for 12 boats on pontoons, the first pontoon down holds the pumpout machine and a water tap. There are rubbish bins by the old BW Office car park, but it is a bit of a stroll from the locks. Prior to Lock 44 you have one overnight mooring and beside Lock 44 is the recently refurbished BW Café; this is mainly for visitors to the flight, the mooring of boats on the single café mooring is prevented by means of ‘No Mooring’ signs. The disregard for boaters is evident again as the café fence has been constructed only a few inches from the edge of the lock beam, lockers have to be very thin or scramble in the mud to get behind the beam. The cafe does offer passing boaters the opportunity of a welcome ice cream on hot days and hot soup on cold. To the right between locks 43 and 44 is the main visitors’ car park; on good days hundreds of visitors will want to ask if it is cold in winter.

Beneath Lock 44 is the first of the side pounds designed to hold sufficient water to allow the flight of locks to be positioned close together. From 43 downwards the locks begin their spectacular dive down the hill to the clearly visible plain below. There are white houses by Lock 29 the bottom of the main flight, they are your initial objective, but you never seem to get closer, despite constantly winding paddle gear and pushing gates.

BW staff zap along the towpath on quad bikes; they will help by setting locks ahead if they have the time. The gaps between the flight locks are only about 25 yards increasing once you get past lock 29. Fishermen sit beside the pounds, after Lock 29 chewing maggots on the lock bollards is their speciality and grumping about the boats. This is known locally as a fisherman’s grump. Eventually you pass Lock 29 and have the opportunity for a break or lunch. There are six locks left to complete to Foxhangers, the last is hidden away around a bend – just when you think you have finished. Foxhangers has a good boatyard and hire boat company with casual moorings. Two long lines of moored boats await you whilst you cruise along celebrating having done the Caen Flight. You can moor here or go on for two more bridges to moorings at Sells Green, if there is room amongst the long stayers. Rubbish disposal, water, a large campsite and the Three Magpies pub for a more formal celebration await here.

The flight is a rite of passage; it is one of the wonders of the canal scene, something to boast about whilst leaning on pub bars. It has been in the past a pleasure to do, the locks were all manageable, BW staff were helpful and the tourists polite. Our last trip was made a little tedious by the three in one gearing that BW have now installed. The installation is not a bad idea on the ground paddles they can be hard to lift but gearing has also been fitted to the bottom gate paddles. This gate paddle installation is a disaster, the paddle gear already had gearing and the paddles were not difficult to lift, now with the three in one gearing it takes up to 60 complete windless turns to raise or lower the paddles. The spindle on the gearing is short and stubby, the tapered diameter somewhere between the large windless hole and the small, your windless will probably therefore only fit loosely. The spindle being short and the windless loose there is a tendency for the windless to slip off the spindle. It is not possible for the windless to whip round as it is held but it is likely that your hands, fingers, and particularly knuckles will catch a painful rap on the gates. There are going to be accidents with these new three in one gearing on the gate paddles.

Because gearing has been added to gearing on the bottom paddle gear, the turn of the windless needs to be reversed, you turn to you not from you, unless you walk around the beam arm, this is an upside down situation. Not the first canal upside down situation created by BW. Yes, I know they mean well but did they check with a boater before fitting the gearing? Why did they not save the money and fix the leaking top paddles. Why did they not save the money and use it to re-install the Caen Hill Flight Gas Lights? This installation would produce a night sight not seen for years and which cannot be replicated on any other British canal. It would produce a tourist attraction that would boost evening visits and increase custom at the BW café. What an experience working the locks by gas light; lets ‘Light the Flight’. Come on, BW, shock the boating world, and stun the people by producing something wonderful and unique. On installation we might even get some bright spark to light the gas lamps!

Swamping to Bristol

You have completed the Caen Hill Flight, found the moorings at Sells Green, discovered The Three Magpies and celebrated too well your achievement. No rest for you this morning, seven locks and five swing bridges to do before Semington and the opportunity of a quiet overnight mooring.

A dozen long stayers have to be navigated past before the first swing bridge; you will need a BW key for these swing bridges as they are padlocked. I don’t know who BW thinks will want to steal a swing bridge but there you go. After the second swing bridge you can see the start of the five Seend locks, the gates are heavy on these locks and you need to ensure that all the water is out of the locks prior to attempting to open the bottom gates.

This is beautiful countryside small hump-backed hills with open farmland. Melksham can be seen in the distance to the right, the first glimpses of the golden Bath Stone. Between Locks 18 and 19 is the popular Barge Inn with its extensive gardens and benches overlooking the canal. Room for two or three boats at the pub mooring on the left, room for three or four of the BW moorings to the right, should you wish to stop for the hair of the dog. Here BW are trying environmentally friendly willow branches to hold back the bank, one individual with a black soul and the brains of a slug has dropped a plastic drinks bottle amongst the branches.

We took the opportunity to pumpout at the Seend Open-air Sanitary Station at the end of the moorings. The machine was difficult to get going but then decided to suckup like a royal lackey.

Just two locks before Semington, neither are any trouble. Before the top lock, during road construction there were large earthworks, it meant some prompt steering turns, but now the aqueduct is complete and you only have a central pier to avoid. I expect someone will hit it eventually. Between the locks is Tranquil Boats offering a dry dock and the hire of electric day hire boats. Beneath the locks is an interesting spot, here is the old junction of the Wilts & Berks Canal which wound its way through Melksham to Abingdon. Restoration plans are in hand and we hope to cruise it, in our lifetime. It will be a great addition to the canal scene.

Once under the A350 road bridge you have good moorings with rubbish disposal to your right. Should you be interested in gargoyles you can get a bus into Trowbridge approximately on the half hour at Semington village. Don’t bother with the church for the ugly faces just stand in front of the Town Hall. Some of my old girlfriends had connections with Trowbridge, I think.

An easy run now to Bradford-on-Avon, just one high-reach swing bridge shortly after leaving the mooring. The canal twists and curves through super, isolated countryside. Hosts of long stayers, swampy boats, and those for whom the mooring restrictions do not apply; one boat with a toilet on the front deck (different), and one rust bucket with more spots than Jennifer Eccles. Approximately halfway to Bradford-on-Avon is Hilperton Marina and the modern Alvechurch Boat Centre dominating the canal on the left.

No hard work now to reach Bradford-on-Avon, but a slow progression with moored boats everywhere and being Sunday a couple of fishing matches, so no chance of a water ski. Prior to the main Bradford-on-Avon to Trowbridge road bridge is Bradford-on-Avon Marina home of Sally Boats. They are a very nice family firm; passing boaters are very welcome - more than some hire companies; sorry still got a headache from those magpies. Round the corner under the Underwoods Bridge and there are extensive moorings on the right. BW have completed very good landscaping and building works at Bradford-on-Avon. The moorings are well constructed with banking boards, new sanitary station with pumpout, and a large car park for visitors who want to see boats and speak to boaters. The K&A trust have a new café and shop by the lock and run the widebeam Barbara McLellan for day trips.

The lock and moorings here are very busy and on a warm Sunday you will get hundreds of visitors. Over Underwoods Bridge there is a Budgens supermarket and a couple of Chinese takeaways. Down past the lock Bradford-on-Avon town centre is fifteen minutes walk away. As you walk into the picturesque Bath Stone town, note how the town planners, bollards to man, have allowed a steel ‘Contemporary Town House’ block to be built with a blue end. The block stands against the Georgian houses like a camel against swans.

Below the lock, Lower Wharf has the Canal Café ‘The home of the Boatman’s Breakfast’ and the Canal Tavern pub. The lock crew have an extended walk around the buildings to the pick-up bollards. Should it be a hot day and the tavern open you may not see the crew for some time.

Just beyond is the Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn, which is so superb it is designated as an ancient monument. You have visitor moorings between the lock and the barn, but this area is popular with long stayers.

The run down to the Avoncliff and Dundas aqueducts is one of the prettiest on the canal system. Wooded hills just coming into leaf above primroses on the left and the river valley lying to the right with fruit blossom much in evidence. The canal is encased in a concrete jacket with an underwater ledge making mooring uncomfortable. The ledge however does not stop swampys populating the banks whilst some of their exotic boats actually float.

As you approach Avoncliff there are 24hr moorings right up to the sharp bend onto the aqueduct. An adjacent cottage has a notice requesting no engine running. This sort of sign always gets up my weed hatch, why buy the cottage next to a mooring? A BW sign asks you to sound your horn prior to the aqueduct turn. I would blow it long and hard if I were you. Personally I never run my engine by a residential house, but I have been known to sit on the back of the boat calling ‘Brum-Brum’ loudly.

Just wide enough for one boat across the aqueduct and a small kink before the canal turns sharply left off the aqueduct, with more 48hr moorings on the left after the bend. It is worth stopping, and taking a walk down the hill to the Cross Guns pub, which has wonderful garden terraces down to the River Avon, with views onto the aqueduct side.

Another pretty run to Dundas Aqueduct and Wharf, you get a glimpse of the aqueduct through the trees prior to the turn onto it, with the Somerset Coal Canal visible beyond the railway. There are moorings both sides of the aqueduct, those to the east are quieter, those to the west busy with boats using the adjacent water point and pump out.

Just through a metal lift bridge is the Somerset Coal Canal begging for restoration. You can walk the first 450 yards down to Brass Knocker Basin, along a nettle lined path with two lines of moored boats and a small 60 foot winding hole at the basin. Anglo-Welsh boat hire, bicycle rent and the Angelfish Café; judge the café by use of its fish tank, six wagtails festering in an unloved tank!

Five miles from Bath the aqueduct is a good overnight stop for an early arrival in town the next day, you can sleep well despite the rumble of trains beneath your hull plate.

Exiting Dundas basin under the lovely white painted metal bridge note the spiked mooring on the right with room for 15- 20 boats to moor, with the equal number of long stayers after the mooring.

Bridge 170, Milbrook Swing Bridge, the first of the morning, there is quite a community here, boats double banked on the left. A large car park near the bridge allows the boaters to live on the canal and find employment away. At Bridge 180 you have, hidden away the Calverton Pumping Station; a water wheel based pumping station which uses the river to provide power which is then used to pump water up to the canal. A very ingenious system and the only one in the country. Pumping days are rare, basically the fourth Sunday in the month Easter to October.

The canal snakes through the gap between Bathford Hill and Bathampton, still a very pretty valley enhanced with stone houses marching over the hill. You pass by hundreds of moored boats during this journey along the K&A. Most have licenses, some are legally moored, and BW seems to be corralling boats into recognised mooring areas; the visitor moorings are therefore kept free. Here is a great problem for this canal, young people with boats requiring moorings. They have no hope of purchasing a property in the area due to the high prices, they buy a boat and manage to live, some move religiously, and some stay put. BW reports there are about 70 problem boats in this category, and wish the boats to be moved to BW licensed sites. The big problem is that BW wants to charge about £1,000 a year for a bank side mooring with no facilities, this fee cannot be found by the majority of the young boaters. We need young people on the canals, but rules have to be obeyed in a civilised society and boats should be on a mooring or continuously cruising. Perhaps if BW charges only £200 a year for mooring on an isolated canal bank with no facilities the problem could be solved. Mind you, in Gas Street Basin, with very little facilities, I pay per foot of length yet have only 6ft 10ins of towpath being fan moored. The cost to me therefore is about £143 per foot of bank per year. I would be interested in people’s views; these long staying and swampy boats are not causing any great inconvenience for anyone when they are not moored on a visitors’ mooring, the only inconvenience is to passing cruising boaters who are restricted to 2mph for long stretches of canal. There is, of course the environmental damage so many long stayers cause.

The boats range from modern, well kept vessels to near sinking, slop buckets covered in plastic sheeting. Every conceivable type of, construction and manufacture of boat is here, my favourite is one with a lawn and flowers growing directly on the roof, perhaps it is the roof! On one illegal mooring an unshaven man is constructing a wooden framed greenhouse presumably as a tribute to the self-sufficient Good Life. You see bicycles leaning against the boats, you see dogs wandering about unfettered, you see bags of rubbish, what you rarely see are the occupants of the boats. David thinks they are in bed, practising making babies, Brenda says he is just jealous. The only way of viewing the occupants is to go really fast past the boats and check out what comes out to complain.

The last swing bridge before Bath is No 182, Bathampton Swing Bridge; this has a long line of boats before it and a pump out/sanitary station beyond at Hampton Wharf. You have moorings at bridge 183, a small attractive park and The George old world pub. You now have Bath suburbs visible on the hillside. The canal line from Bridge 184 and 185 is a solid line of moored boats.

There is an attractive architectural welcome to Bath passing through Sydney Gardens the canal is surround by stonework with beautiful pedestrian footbridges crafted in iron and marked 1800. Cleveland House commanding the canal sits on top of the main stone lined tunnel. Then a gentle curve and you are onto Bath Narrowboats offering a wide range of services. Just beyond the bridge there are 48hr moorings before Bath Top Lock, room for half a dozen boats overlooking the town. There is a path beyond the water point which takes you directly on to North Parade and the town centre, enjoy.

There are six locks to be completed to reach the River Avon. Before Lock 13, Bath Top Lock you have a small 50 foot winding hole should you wish to avoid the river and skulk back along the K&A; with any longer boat you will need to reverse back to Bath Narrowboats. If you think 13 is an unlucky number for a lock wait until you see Lock 8/9. These six locks with the exception of 8/9, which combines two old locks, are all easy and unremarkable. There are some tight turns once in the short connecting pounds and some unexpected currents moving your boat about. The movement is such at times that I think you are better having the next lock gate open before leaving your present lock. You can tell that lining up the boat is difficult at the locks as chunks of the concrete forming the lock swim have been gouged out by careless skippers. Be wary also of the lock cills they are 2ft wide and 3ft deep, your boat tipping 3ft in seconds might cause you to lose your breakfast.

Lock 8/9 is the talking point on this flight of locks. The two locks were combined during Bath road scheme – cars before boats, cyclists before boats, fishermen before boats – no space to complete the list. This is the deepest unmanned lock on the system, my records give Tuel Deep lock at 19ft 4½ins and this lock at 19ft 5ins, however the lock at Sowerby Bridge has a resident lockkeeper who controls everything, this lock you do yourself. There is no reason to be concerned provided you keep the boat in the middle of the lock; you will come to no harm as long as the bank crew open paddles slowly. I’m a firm believer in having one person in command on the boat, with no ropes used. I think ropes just get in the way, all the skipper has to do is keep the boat away from the rear cill and the front gates, and even I can do that.

BW have signs at the front of the lock stating ‘Warning keep craft forward stageboards overhead’. Not sure what this is about, there are gate crossing boards running along the front of the lock gates. I would presume it is warning boaters coming up the lock about the walk boards, whatever; you should keep the boat away from them, whilst not getting to near the cill. The lock beams on the huge gates are short and difficult to budge, but here are plenty of passers-by to press-gang into a shove.

Once down Lock 7 you have the river joining you, running from the right, convenient steps are located to the left to pick up the crew – if you must. There are moorings upstream of the river by the Bath Rugby Ground and the Horse Shoe Weir, positioned in the centre of Bath. The bad news is that they expect you to pay £5.20p a night for the privilege of mooring. There are free moorings just downstream on the right against a metal fence, be wary however the river level does rise and fall. Room here for 20 boats, quiet, well placed for the town centre, plus an assortment of female joggers. The river is about 70-80 feet wide enclosed in a vertical metal piling jacket. There are warnings of a low road bridge; on a traditional narrowboat we cleared this bridge by 4ft. You pass under many different types of bridges; a pedestrian mini Clifton Suspension Bridge is good, the cycle track on the old railway line enclosed in black metal coffin bridges are not. Several bridges have central pillars in the middle of the river, these pillars are best avoided.

At Locksbrook there are 24 hour moorings by the Dolphin pub, but the bank is so heavily overgrown I doubt you could get ashore. Weston Lock is the first of the river locks; these Avon river locks are basically the same, set to one side of the river in a small cut and built of rough unshaped stone. None of the river locks were any trouble, Hanham lock the last BW lock was the most difficult. Just a couple of feet drop but very slow and the gates difficult to open. We thought this was probably a fond farewell from BW. Just by Weston Lock is a small gypsy-type caravan park, but the occupants were friendly and I don’t think them any danger to boaters. At Newbridge you have daytime moorings at The Boathouse; near to the pub is a Park and Ride Station running buses to Bath centre, should you wish to park your boat.

You have now left the suburbs of Bath and have entered into very attractive countryside, rising hills, many topped with houses for the financially un-distressed. I thought that rivers began narrow and ended up wide, this river appears to get narrower the nearer we get to Bristol, or is it my new glasses.

The lock cuts at Kelston, Saltford and Swineford are clearly marked; it would be difficult to go wrong, still perhaps new glasses would be a good idea. Saltford Lock is a lovely spot much visited for the views, with The Jolly Sailor pub directly adjacent to the lock. The only jolly sailor I knew had a very funny way with vicars’ daughters, but that’s another story. Just beyond Bridge 211 there are 24hr pontoon moorings, isolated and peaceful for an overnight moor. Just beyond the moorings you get to see some of the animals at the Avon Valley Country Park. Only some because the owners do not want the custom of boaters, no moorings are provided and rude signs face the river stating ‘Private Property, Keep Off’.

Keynsham Lock has a longer than usual lock cut and with good overnight moorings plus the chance to visit The Lock Keeper pub. When was the last time you had a beer from a lock keeper? A mile and a half cruise to Hanham Lock, the end of the K&A canal. There are extensive moorings on your right with the choice of two riverside pubs. The lock itself is not easily accessible from the moorings there being no bridge across the river. Once at the lock we found a water point but no sign of the reported resident lock keeper.

From now on you are in the hands of the Bristol Harbour Master there is a notice saying please call him on 01179 273633. I did not know if calling was compulsory. Rang, engaged, rang again, got through but they seemed surprised that I had called. A better contact is Netham Lock on 01179 776590. He controls the lock which gives entrance to the feeder canal. Should you have any doubts or concerns about the state of the river or tide, he is the best person to call.

The three and a half mile stretch to Netham Lock was easy, the river was as a millpond, but a line of plastic bags in the trees 2-3 feet above the water line gave testament to the water rise. One entering Netham Lock there are notices asking anyone without a Harbour Permit to report to the lock keeper. Being middle-aged and boring we moored and dodged around the road traffic to the Lock Office, no idea what happens if you just sail through and stay in the harbour.

On reporting you get a detailed briefing on the Floating Harbour, so called I think because of the amount of rubbish floating in the water. You have the choice of 24hr, 48hr, 7 or 15 day licences, Nb Mr David 57½ft long cost £69.70 for 7 days. The harbour is huge, only one bridge, Prince Street Bridge we found was low; our chimney cleared the bridge by about six inches. The reported clearance at this bridge is 2.2m, should you need it swinging you must ring the swinger on 0117 929 9338. Just beyond the low bridge are the visitor moorings on pontoons and beside the harbour wall up to Peros Bridge (with the horns). The pontoons are easiest to moor against, but full of winter moorers when we visited in April. The pontoons lack an entrance gate and therefore suffer from drunks loosening ropes at night having smelt some vodka. The harbour wall is a more difficult mooring, impossible for disabled boaters due to the four foot harbour wall. These moorings only suffer drunks jumping onto the boat roof. The lock keeper gives a very full briefing on the harbour so you don’t need me to waffle on – the harbour is huge, interesting and beautiful.

We discussed the possibly of more secure and accessible Visitor Moorings with The Harbour Master. He was approachable but reluctant to upgrade the moorings due to limited funds. He said the permanent moorers were content with security and never before had any visitor complained about access or security.

If the Editor has managed to print all the parts of my K&A report you have the complete journey from Reading to Bristol and what a journey. Great towns, wonderful isolated countryside, abundant wildlife, locks and bridges of every description. Hard work, challenging, but no longer dangerous or difficult. I could easily spend my time cruising back and forward along the wonderful K&A. Swampy boats are a problem on this canal but, if I were 40 years younger, I would have a heap of a boat, a heck of a girl and have the time of my life happily avoiding British Waterways.