Caen Hill Bottom Lock To Manifold Lock

0.93 miles, 2hrs 19m, locks 19, bridges 1, 8.74lm/hr

We woke to a sunny day again! The pound had dropped in the night and we were listing a bit! The lock keeper came down and let down a few lock-fulls of water and we were floating again!

So we set off at 10.00 with me and "crew" locking.


There was a bit of a wind so I let John start off until I was completely compos mentis! We were able to go ahead and set the locks as there was no boat coming down - very quiet in fact apart from the gongoozlers out for their Sunday jaunt.

Here is an illustration of what I was ranting about in my last post!

- The fishermen/boys at the top of the lock.

I spotted a new sign at lock 36. Peter Lindley-Jones wrote "Restoring the Kennet and Avon Canal published in 2003 - a book I mean to get, someday soon.


We found out further up the flight that it was unveiling day today - we met some of the Devizes boat club and Bob Naylor (Photographic Journalist, often published in the boating press and the Butty) who told us on their way down to the lock. So here is a first! Pre unveiling!

We arrived at the top lock, still no boats waiting to come down but by the time we reached AP Herbert lock 46 there were two boats waiting.

We went through our final lock for today and moored outside the Black Horse (above Manifold lock 47) at 12.20 - yes, less than 2 and a half hours! Not bad with a novice crew and with about 50% of the locks set against us! In fact (excuse my French) good!

A good roast at the pub and we all needed a snooze! The afternoon has been lazy, reading, writing, blogging! Now we are all quiet, busy but being entertained by John singing and playing his guitar. It is about time he exercised his voice! Occasionally we join in - not sure if we have an audience in the pub garden, perhaps we should have our hat out!

We certainly should have had it out this morning we would have made a mint - £5/photo or video? I think we may be featuring in a few holiday snaps?

I have to go to work tomorrow, - my holiday is over. The car awaits me in the pub car park and the boat will go on without me to Pewsey. So I shall have to rely on reports for my final cruise blog!