Wire Lock

Today's Canal : Kennet and Avon

The day promised mixed fortunes with the weather although a low probability of rain, just sun and clouds. This pretty much how it turned out, with periods remarkably hot, and hyet others where a pleasant breeze picked up.

Rather later leaving than in recent days, here the mooring was just below the lock. 

The first lock was Cobblers Lock, a pretty former lock keeper's cottage right alongside. It was sold off by BW about 12 years ago with no illusion but that it was a difficult project. One of the problems was that the property had no right of way for vehicle access from the nearby A4 and also that water leaked through the walls of the lock into the basement. It seems that it took some time for someone to come up with a successful plan but it is now looking splendid. The couple living there now have been so for just a year and enjoying it. It seems to have quite a sizeable garden, perhaps the original lock keepers had to be as self sufficient as possible. 

This photo from below shows how the lower part of the property lies below the level of the top of the lock. This is not uncommon, especially on the Grand Union.

Next came Hungerford Marsh Lock, adjacent to an ancient grazing marshland, Freeman's Marsh. The lock is unusual in that it still retains a swing bridge across the middle that connect two parts of the marsh.

This is another 'Leave Empty' lock with a strange explanatory notice on the bridge. We just wonder what incident must have given rise to this request - it is not an official CaRT notice.

Even stranger is the hand scribbled note on the top ground paddles. What is it that should not be lowered before checking that the bottom paddles are closed? If it means the top paddles then it ought to be have been obvious that water was running through the lock at a fast frate. If it refers to the bottom paddles, why check that they are closed before attempting to lower them? In any event we eventually got through intact!

On then through Hungerford Church Swing Bridge where we were fortunate that another boat coming the other way had just opened it. We also dropped down Hungerford Lock and were also fortunate that a wide beam was just leaving from the closest moorings to the shops. 

We went up the main street - on our way to Tesco we spotted a good butcher (so popular that there was a long queue and so we opted to come back later) and a bakery where we picked up some bread, cakes and a pasty! We collected quite a range of items from the supermarket - being laden down is our excuse for forgetting to take any photos of the town centre.

After lunch we set off once more/ Just after the main road bridge we noticed this rather unusual house. (If we had noticed earlier we might have taken a picture of the listed pedestrian bridge that gives access to the house at the upper level.) According to here, the house was originally built before the canal and so was at the level of the road. The canal builders had to raise the road to cross the canal (presumably it was already quite a busy street).

At the next lock we had a delay, firstly because a K and A Trust trip boat was about to go down and secondly because only one top paddle was working. One of the trip boat crew said that it now awlays takes 9 minutes to fill.

At Wire Lock we also had to wait for the trip boat. It had given its passengers a change to disembark and watch whilst it went down to the nearby winding hole and return to ascend the lock once more. Then the passengers had to climb on board again. A boat which had just arrived at the previous lock as we were leaving now appeared in the distance so we waited. Alas, they decided to moor just above the lock so we had waited in vain. In any case, we now took the opportunity of a good mooring below the lock to end our cruising for the day, just one lock short of our sort-of target for the day.

The bridge below the lock has taken quite a battering, not for the first time it looks. The very minor road that crosses the bridge has a sharp bend just before the bridge. Alas, CaRT has to pick up the tab for the repairs most of the time, money that would be better spent on repairing the lock!

3.3 Miles - 5 Locks