Retirement with No Problem

Great Bedwyn to Hungerford, Kennet & Avon Canal, 4.5 miles 9 locks

We are on the move.. Norbury Junction by the end of October, so it is rain or shine time!..

It wasn’t raining by the time we got to Little Bedwyn, and Louise is on lock duty.. A very pretty lock this, although the bridge just behind her takes a footpath over the railway line.. so between the silence the trains were thundering past..

A few heavy downpours today and a couple of real soaking for us, but it was warm enough..

The air was fresh after the showers, and the colours of the countryside seem to take an instant “Thank goodness for a bit of water” look.. more clouds were looming though..

This is a very rural stretch of the Kennet & Avon, very overgrown as you can see.. the towpaths are uncut at the canal edge and the sides dreadfully shallow, there is no chance at all of mooring anywhere, so a stop for lunch on a lock landing did the trick..

Much maintenance needed as well, with only one paddle working on some of the locks, making them very slow to fill or empty.. they are badly leaking too..

This lot was coming from under that gate, not between the two.. a stop in one of the locks as I spied loads of plum trees..

But we weren’t the first to discover them.. boat hook and Vic needed to grab a bag full… ho hum, jam duty again tomorrow!

It was pleasant between the showers, and this evening the weather settled with some late sun when I took Lucy and Meg walking across Hungerford Marsh, I was just hoping that there was no bell ringing tonight, we are moored just around the corner right by the church..

The bell ringers stayed at home!