It Was A Grey Old Day

Epiphany is moored above Seend lock (18)
3 hours 50 minutes, 7.19 miles, 5 locks, 4 swing bridges, 3.18 l/mph

A quiet night below Bradford Lock. It was a dry day, but grey skies.
Two hire boats came out of the lock just as we were ready to go up. Convenient. They left the gates open and both paddles too. I don’t think they had seen us! Maybe it was their first lock?

We tootled past all the moored boats, all the way from the lock to the next bridge, Underwoods Bridge (171). Lots of boats again around Bradford Marina and then again at Ladydown aqueduct and Balls bridge (168) which is the nearest to Trowbridge.

As we knew from all the hire boats passing the Alvechurch at Hilperton Wharf was empty!
The new marina is on the offside.


Semington Swing Bridge caused us problems. We remembered it being very hard to do even with two of us. John got off to do it and couldn’t budge it. A passer-by helped him to open it, but then it was impossible to close properly. It looked as if it had been damaged.

A farmer arrived in his land rover, a can of grease was in the hedge and he plastered some grease on towpath side under where the bridge rested (the off side of the bridge) and with a bit of effort they managed to shut it. Apparently he does this regularly. Anyway we reported it to BW, as it would continue to be a problem for others.

We caught up with Nb Tottleworth at Buckley’s Lock, Semington. They had been “ghosting” us on and off all fortnight! It is an Ownerships share boat, one of two based at Devizes Marina. So we locked up the 2 locks and through the following 3 swing bridges together.

We continued with them up Seend Bottom Lock and Seend Lock, mooring opposite the Barge Inn. A drink for us this evening and handy to water up and empty the cassette before we set off tomorrow.

A pair of legs walked by as I relaxed reading and I saw a wave. On their return journey I saw they belonged to John (Nb Skylarking) from Bath Narrowboats. He was doing what we did a few weeks ago! Moored at Sells Green it is handy to drive (in a car!) down to Seend to empty the necessary – it is the nearest one! We had a natter and may see him and Ann tomorrow, as we pass or even moor at Sells Green.

We had some other visitors too....


and finally gave in and fed them with some bread!