Pewsey Wharf

Today's Canal - Kennet and Avon

With all of the loading and unpacking completed yesterday (in the heavy rain) we were able to make an immediate start today. However, we were facing the wrong way. We could have reversed a short (ish) distance to a winding hole but the wind was already gathering strength. 

So, we opted to cruise down to just before Devizes Marina and turn there. That's the line of boats behind us with the sky rather grey. However, in the other direction there was quite a bit of blue sky to encourage us.

The winding hole alongside the holiday homes is full length and with good depth and banks, As a result we were able to make an unusually good turn, not needing to make contact with the bank at all.

Back the way we had just come - passing very close to home (but inaccessible as on the non towpath side) and then our nearest bridge at Lay Wood.

Soon after we passed again the space we have just left. No doubt it will soon be filled. It might look long but we did fill it.

Then came the first swing bridge of this trip. Although there is a track - Church Walk - from one side of the bridge (here on the right) across the other side there is no way forward - must have been at some point in time, otherwise why set a weight limit?

Honeystreet Wharf continues to look a little unloved - the hire fleet from here seems to have relocated to Seend although we have heard that they may be looking for somewhere else, also below the Caen Hill flight.

The weather was still being kinder to us than the forecast - at times the sun filtering through the trees made a pretty sight. The wind, however, increased but not as much as we had anticipated.

We continued on to `Lady's Bridge where we manged to find a place to stop for lunch. One end was rather far out but as we were in Wide Water, there wa room for even the widest of boats to pass.

By now very heavy rain arrived, almost as soon as we were inside. It continued through our lunch and, as it was still wet, we made a start of tonight's quiche.

Setting off once more we passed through Wilcot and then under the unique private footbridge belonging to the nearby Stowell Park House. Originally built in the very early part of the 19C, the house was once part of the Wilcot Manor estate. It had several owners over the years, but from after the second world war until 2019 it was the home of Lady Rothschild from early childhood. Her sister was Nell Dunn, the writer (Up The Junction and Poor Cow)

Not much further and we reached Pewsey Wharf where we planned to use the services. A  boat was already on the water point and we had to wait for a while under the bridge. There was a steady stream of people arriving by car or van to fill up water containers or empty their cassettes. Eventually it was our turn.

When we came this way earlier in the year there was plenty of room on the extensive visitor moorings just after the Wharf. However, as we feared, all were taken, a number of the boats seemed to have taken root! Just as we were thinking that we might have to go one a bit further, a gap appeared towards the end of the boats beyond the designated moorings. We wondered if it might be too shallow (the bank looked as if it was well eroded) but another boater, walking his dog, offered to help pull us in and we were able to get the plank to shore at one end.

11.9 Miles - 0 Locks.