There
appeared to be a mix up in our starting time this morning. We were all ready at 10am but there was no
sign of life next door until 11am.
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| Shenfield Mill from the front (taken from Rightmove) |
Opposite
the moorings at Theale is a beautiful old house which is having a lot of work
done on it. Research shows that it used
to belong to Kate Bush and was on the market last year for £3.5m! It looks as if the new people are rebuilding
the old mill as well – I shall look forward to coming back this way in the
spring and seeing how things have moved on – probably find there is a 6 foot
fence round it by then!
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| Shenfield Mill from the canal |
After
Sulhamstead Lock there is a great deal of bank work going on with two large
C&RT boats but not a person to be seen at 11.30 on a Monday morning! They are putting those horrid coir sausages
down which I know will look nice – eventually.
However I always think they look so horrid and we once got one caught
round the prop and had to get RCR out to free it.
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| Coir sausages |
We
stopped at Tyle Mill to use the services and then ascended the lock. I realised that Autumn is now here as I looked
back down the canal. The leaves are
changing colour and the water is covered with fallen ones. Being on the Thames I hadn’t realised how
advanced the season is as you just don’t get the same amount of trees.
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| Tyle Mill Lock |
At Padworth Lock we met a hire boat coming down the lock backwards! The hire company had suggested that they do
this and wind at the bottom to save time.
Great – but these people were novices and winded the boat like a car – a
12 point turn!
At Aldermaston
lock Diane and I let the men do the hard work – Richard says that the bottom
gates are getting worse and worse.
However C&RT are closing the lock for 4 weeks in January/February so
hopefully when we come back this way in the Spring there will be nice new
gates! They are also going to be working
on Bulls and Fobney locks during the winter.
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| Woolhampton Swing Bridge |
The
swing bridge and lock at Woolhampton were nice and easy today. We picked up another boat at the bridge who
had already prepared the lock so I operated the swing bridge and all three
boats went through. Daisy Chain had to
wait to use the lock but there was very little flow coming out of the Kennet
where it joins the canal below the lock so there was no problem.
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| Woolhampton lock and moorings |
The
three boats took the last three spaces on the moorings. Steve said that the other boats that are
moored here were there when they came past two weeks ago. He also said that the wide beam has been here
for months. C&RT – where are you??
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| The Rowbarge |
We
went to the Rowbarge for dinner to celebrate Steve’s birthday and lament our
last night on the water. I had a rump
steak and it was one of the best I have ever had. It was a lovely evening though rather sad in
a way.
5.93
miles
6
locks
Linda. ... Imhave spentmtwo winters complaining to CRT about boats,positioning,themselves in Oxtober and waiting,for mthe K&A to shut,down for the winter! 23 Dec last year by which time some boats had been in Newbury for 6 weeks. One member of enforcement team said this was an acceptable cruising,pattern. I asked if I should give that info widespread publicity. Said boats were still in Newbury when we left at end of March!
ReplyDeleteJan, that is crazy! We are now tucked up with Derek and Emma :-) Hopefully we will get out in April! Enjoy your new mooring, it looks lovely.
ReplyDelete