Tuesday 16th July 2019



We shopped in the nearby Sainsbury’s quite early and once back on the boat, did a wash before setting off. We passed through Bradford Lock and stopped at the service point above. Bradford Lock is an awkward one. To get to the lock from downstream, it is necessary to cross a busy road, similarly for retrieving crew after passing downhill. There are always many volunteer lock keepers here but they do not seem to hear a boats horn wanting to lockup.

The area at the top of the lock is known as Bradford Top Wharf. With a lock, service point, a boatyard with a lot of hire boats and hordes of people, it is a busy place. When there are a few of the hire boats at the yard, they completely block what is supposed to be a winding hole. Naughty of them. There are also several canal-related buildings here including workshops, lock keeper’s cottage, stabling and a Canal Managers House.




Bradford Top Wharf



Beyond the wharf is yet another long line of a mile of uncared for boats, permanently moored. We crossed the double aqueduct over the River Biss and the south-bound railway out of Bath and stopped at Hilperton Wharf for gas and some plastic fender hangers, then stopped again a hundred yards further on at The Boatyard for fuel. Also bought a locking diesel cap from here, been looking for one for a while.

We had caught up with Tony and Jan who we had seen a few times before, but left before them. There then followed a slow cruise through countryside and a lovely day, passing through Semington Swing Bridge and reaching Semington itself where we wanted to moor. All the best moorings were taken but we just managed to squeeze between two permanently moored boats but the bank was not good and crumbling in places.

Tony and Jan arrived and breasted-up until a boat moved off the nice moorings which they moved onto. We had wanted to BBQ but the towpath was too narrow so finished up having a BBQ style dinner done on the hob and stove.



Weather: hot, hot, hot.



Day Total: 1 lock; 5 miles; 0 Tunnels; 1 Swing Bridge; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 3.6

Overall Total: 561 locks; 1083 miles; 48 tunnels; 39 Swing Bridges; 5 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 677.2hrs





  


Comments

  1. NB SanguienJuly 18, 2019 at 12:45 PM

    Hello Bill and Brenda, it was lovely to meet you - we did enjoy our time with you and hope to catch up with you again soon! Jan & Tony xx

    ReplyDelete

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