Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal         Day 7: Friday 12th September 2008

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REAL TIME COMMENTS
time grid ref comments
1 0958 SU036641 Had a bacon roll and a mug of coffee in Swindon which was excellent. Fog has now cleared. Wearing shorts but it's chilly.
2 1028 SU032621 Pete, earlier today I saw the stones. The bus took 10 minutes to get from Avebury to the canal, so it'd be quite a walk!
3 1036 SU026625 Oliver, I got another flying heron. Using ISO 1600 and manual focus set to infinity to try to stop the action.
4 1120 SU001618 Now at the first lock. People say there's a TV crew doing a daily programme coming up the Caen Hill locks today. Not seen it yet.
5 1131 SU001618 Trying to avoid going to the Wadworth Brewery visitors centre. It's next door to the canal.
6 1150 ST995615 Got to the pub at lock 48 but it's too early for lunch.
7 1229 ST988615 Met the Odin again. Helping them through some locks.
8 1234 ST988615 Met the TV crew. Local ITV presenter Jed Pitman gets certificate for doing the locks. Not interested in people walking.
9 1237 ST988615 Just started to rain a lot. Changed from shorts to trousers. At the top of the 16 locks in a row.
10 1330 ST977614 Got to the bottom of the 16. Great fun. Should have changed my plans and stayed with the Odin all the way down!
11 1355 ST952618 Rain replaced by glorious hot sunshine. Need to change back into my shorts.
12 1440 ST951621 Had a half of Henry's IPA and 2 halves of Horizon both from Wadworth. At 1359 I managed to get cheese sandwich and chips.
13 1524 ST932614 Chat with Philip and Rachel, the couple hiring the first boat I saw through Bruce Tunnel. I haven't seen them since then.
14 1543 ST930603 That's it for today. Excellent day. Basking in sunshine at Seend Cleeve waiting for the 1548 bus to Swindon.

TRAVEL PLANS 
Radley   0728,0804,0827,0833
Oxford                  0842
Oxford                  0855
Didcot   0740,0815,0836,0907
Didcot   0756,0833,0842,0912
Swindon  0815,0853,0901,0931
SRS      0842,     0955,0955
         49,       49,  49
SBS      0910,     1010,1010
         49,       49,  49
BCnnings 0947,     1047,1047

SCleeve  1548,1703
         49,  49
SRS      1655,1804
Swindon  1711,1829
Didcot   1728,1846
Didcot   1745,1854
Radley   1755,1905

0728 Advance 19.00 Open 15.70
0827 Advance 15.00 Open 15.70
0833 Advance 11.00 Open 15.70
1711 Advance  6.00 S/C   8.30
1829 Advance  6.00 S/C   8.30
Open Return  31.40

Drive to BCnnings
catch bus back
Or drive to SCleeve
and catch bus to BCnnings

R-S ATR 31.40
R-S ATS 15.70
S-R OPS  8.30
S-SC Ret 4.40
Total   28.40
DIARY OF TODAY'S WALK

Use this link to see the photos for today.

Click on the middle of the photo to get the title of the photo. The photos together with the titles give a sort-of-diary for today.

   
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PREVIEW OF TODAY'S WALK

Today, I'm walking from Bishops Cannings to Seend Cleeve. Yesterday, I saw no locks: today I will see 32.

I'm planning to catch the 0728 train to Swindon (changing at Didcot) and then catch the 0842/0910 bus to Bishops Cannings. On the return journey, I'm hoping to catch the 1548 bus.

From Bishops Cannings, it's about 3 miles to the Wharf at Devizes: SU0061 : Devizes Wharf by Ben Croft
Devizes Wharf
  © Copyright Ben Croft and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The flight of locks at Devizes are in three sections: first, there are 6 conventional locks in the town itself, then there are the 16 Caen Hill locks and finally there are 7 conventional locks at Foxhangers. They drop the canal by 237 feet in just over two miles and typically it takes 6 hours to get through them.

Here's a view from the bottom of the Caen Hill locks:
ST9761 : Caen Hill locks by Roy Gray
Caen Hill locks
  © Copyright Roy Gray and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

ST9861 : The derelict Caen Hill flight in 1977 by Dr Neil Clifton
The derelict Caen Hill flight in 1977
  © Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

There are three other locks htat are near or in Seend Cleeve. Here's aview of one of them:
ST9361 : Seend Lock No 19, Kennet and Avon Canal by Dr Neil Clifton
Seend Lock No 19, Kennet and Avon Canal
  © Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And this is where I leave the Canal today: ST9361 : Seend Wharf Bridge seen from Seend Lock Bridge by Michel Van den Berghe
Seend Wharf Bridge seen from Seend Lock Bridge
  © Copyright Michel Van den Berghe and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Lunch at Lock 48?

   
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