A Boater’s confession at Hungerford, then on to Kintbury
Hungerford to Kintbury, Kennet & Avon Canal, 3.5 miles 4 locks
This is a huge problem on the Kennet & Avon…
“Oh I have been moored here for 9 weeks, they don’t bother you round here, in fact the guy that was here before was moored for 9 months.. There are only two Patrol Officers from Reading to Bristol and they don’t bother people”
What a statement from a moored boater as we filled up with water on the opposite bank.. but it is the same for hundreds and hundreds of boats moored along the edge of this canal, sometimes there are over 2 miles of ‘communities’. British Waterways are not in control of this waterway..
On down through this lock then from our overnight mooring above and past the wharf at Hungerford..
‘Tis a shame that they let the towpath side of the canal get so overgrown, it could be very pretty around here, but I guess the people in the houses on the left don’t want boats moored outside their houses.. The owner of this building the other side of the main road bridge certainly doesn’t as there is a sign to deter boaters from stopping..
Heh, it’s not very inviting anyway!.. Just a little further on is the service block where rubbish is starting to pile up by the elsan tip out building. The rubbish bins have been taken away some time ago due to “Access problems with the Council”.. but there are signs at Bedwyn displaying that Hungerford is the next rubbish disposal, and there is a sign by the swing bridge in Hungerford directing boaters to the non existence rubbish bins..
They used to be on the left just under that cock up bridge.. I guess the council have stopped collecting because they have to pull the bins across some loose shingle to the lorry!.. sheeeesh! 
A good rural stretch now on the way to Kintbury with only the odd train rumbling by from time to time..
Wire Lock is in the area of Avington Manor with the fishing lakes to the left in the photo. A days fishing there will set you back £90 I think, but there is plenty of trout as I saw when I walked the girls across there last time we visited..
She’s always very patient you know, while we lock through! 
Sue
Updated 23rd January 2012
September 9th, 2010 at 1:23 am
My favourite canal!! Hope you are finding all the geocaches along there!
September 9th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Hi Sue,
Just an update to your diesel list- Valley Boat Services (above Lock 52) on the Stratford Canal said YES to self declaration.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Hi Sue
Love reading your blog and was so insenced by the K&A boaters comment, I have written to British Waterways and passed your comments on, I do hope you don’t mind, we were on the K&A in 2008, it was bad then, full of permanent moorers taking up temporary moorings for months on end, and calling themselves continuous cruisers!! Well done for writing about it as its the only way that perhaps something may get done, we did see a BW official taking boat registration numbers in Newbury last week, where mooring is for 24 hours only, he obviously needs to take his cycle a little further along the canal!! We love the K&A and believe its probably one of the nicest canals in the UK, its just a shame about the number of permanent boats that live on it… Have fun. Regards Doug
September 9th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Hi Sue,
Re the wharf in Hungerford, the reason they don’t allow mooring for part of the way above the bridge towards the lock on the towpath side is not to do with the residents. It’s so the trip boat ‘Rose of Hungerford’ can turn – they can only just get her round provided no boats are moored opposite! I think its a bit overgrown simply because boats can’t stop there. Its better nearer the lock where they do.
Agreed about the ridiculous rubbish situation at Hungerford and also, it means the bins at Kintbury fill up to overflowing in no time!
You’ll pass us soon – moored at Greenham Island, Newbury, just after the main road bridge, on the right.
Regards,
Tony, nb Wild Jasmine.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
We received the same ‘confessions’ when we cruised the K & A – one unlicensed boat that we shared locks with on the K & A (he was a single-hander and had waited all day for a boat with crew to do the work) was bragging about his unlicensed continuous moorer status – we felt exploited. Freedom is a fine thing, but only if it’s not at the expense of others……
September 9th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Jane,
Yes I think I have got most of them, although I must admit I haven’t looked for newer ones this time, I will leave that to next year!
Elsie,
Many thanks for that I have updated the page… http://www.noproblem.org.uk/blog/links/diesel_split.htm
Doug,
That is fine by me, I won’t name and shame, it is for BW to sort this canal out not me.. We too have had our number taken a couple of times along the canal here, but it seems there are very few ‘notices’ on boats. I had a word with a guy at Kintbury today and told him that I thought BW was not in control of this canal.. he didn’t comment, but took my card.. BW have to gain control and think of some effective way of dealing with a problem that has got totally out of hand. Many thanks for your comment today..
Tony,
Yes of course, I didn’t think about the trip boat, of course it turns there.. but you know there could be some no mooring signs at the point of turn, all boaters seem to adhere to that type of sign.. it looks scruffy, it could look better than that, Hungerford is a lovely town, it is a pity it lets itself down to the passing boats..
You are right about Kintbury, the bins were overflowing with bags strewn everywhere across the carpark. Trouble is the bin men won’t touch the bins if they cannot get to them without having to move rubbish in front.. That is what happened when we were putting water on at Great Bedwyn, they arrived to empty the bins, saw all the rubbish piled up in front of them, took some pics with their mobile phones and drove off!
I’ll give you a toot in the morning then!
Sue,
They seem quite open about the way they treat the canal and the authority.. Trouble is this canal is going to fill up fast with the same type of boaters soon it will be tickover all the way from Reading to Bristol if nothing is done..