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Yesterday, the real-time messages and the pushpins on the map
did not appear until I fixed a software problem
when I got home.
Hopefully that won't happen today.
The first update should appear just after 0930.
Yesterday,
during the morning it rained on and off,
and it rained continuously all afternoon.
It's all very obvious
in yesterday's photos.
Today, the forecast is for
a dry day with some sunshine
with temperatures getting up to about 19 degrees.
So I'm planning to wear shorts today.
Today, I'm walking from Great Bedwyn to Pewsey.
It looks expensive to get two singles.
So I though about whether to drive to Hungerford and park there,
and then get singles from and to Hungerford.
In the end I chose to get a return from
Radley to Hungerford plus the two singles from and to Hungerford.
That's a total of 23 UKP.
The walk is about 9.25 miles.
Before lunch,
I plan to do the 6 miles to Wootton Rivers;
and,
after lunch,
do the 2.75 miles to Pewsey Wharf
followed by another 0.5 miles to Pewsey's Railway Station.
Although I said 9.25 miles,
map.google.go.uk makes it about 10 miles.
The big excitement about today is I get to the top pound,
the highest point on the route.
There are several exciting things happening today,
but more about that later!
From Bedwyn, it's about 1.5 mile to Crofton.
Here's the first surprise:
the Crofton Engine House
houses two 19th century steam engines.
It will be open by the time I get there
but the engines are only in steam at selected weekends of the year.
Crofton Engine House, Kennet and Avon Canal
© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
At Crofton, the locks come thick and fast.
The Nicholson's Guide say that the 6 locks take me up 61'0"
and all that happens within a mile.
I then reached the next excitement: the top pound.
It's only
2.5 miles long
running from Crofton Top Lock (lock 55) in the East
to Wootton Top Cadley Lock (lock 54) in the West.
It's at about 450 feet or at about 140 metres above sea level.
Half way between these two locks,
there's another piece of excitement:
there's
Bruce Tunnel which is 502 yards (459 metres) long.
Here is the eastern end:
Kennet & Avon Canal
© Copyright Michel Van den Berghe and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The "towpath" goes over the top,
and so in about 0.5K I will reach the western end:
Bruce Tunnel
© Copyright David Stowell and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
From the top pound, it'll be all downhill to Bath!
It starts aggressively enough:
at Wootton Rivers, there are four locks that take the Canal
down 32 feet.
But then there is no lock for 15 miles.
One possibility for lunch is the Royal Oak
at Wootton Rivers.
The Royal Oak, Wootton Rivers
© Copyright Colin Bates and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The Nicholson's Guide says it's
a very attractive 16th century pub in the main street,
serving real ale and a good choice of wines.
Very extensive range of home-cooked meals,
prepared with fresh local ingredients.
The Pearson Guide says that it serves
Wadworth beers and guest ales.
I only know 6X from Wadworth.
I wonder what else they will have.
There is more about the restaurant and pub on
one of the pub's web pages.
It's about 2.5 miles to Pewey Wharf:
Pewsey Wharf
© Copyright David Stowell and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
From Pewsey Wharf, it's about 0.5 miles along the A345 to
Pewsey Railway Station.
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