Bathampton to Bath

Heather must have enjoyed her Sunday on Constance - she came back and spent two nights and a day on board the following week.
On Friday I prepared a sheet of 18mm plywood for the deck on which one stands whilst steering. Last weekend it had given way due to being almost completely rotten. The ply would need painting.
On Saturday it rained on and off for mst of the day. I managed to get the board primed and undercoated on both sides but as soon as I finished the second side of undercoat, the heavens opened. The surface of the paint look like the surface of the moon, Never mind, nobody will see it, it was the underside.

Painting at Bathampton.

Sunday was an altogether better day - warm and sunny. We decided to move on towards Bath.

Another part of the journey through delightful countryside, then into what is probably the grandest entrance any canal has as it goes into Bath.

The second of the wrought iron bridges of Sydney Gardens with Cleveland House in the background.

We made our way as far as Widcombe Top Lock, had lunch, a quick visit to the shops and then back a mile or so to find some un-restricted mooring. We are still close enough to walk into Bath. What an idyllic loaction!

Bradford-on-Avon to Bathampton

After a week behind the lovely Tithe Barn at Bradford-on-Avon, Heather & Phil came to join us for the day.

Part of the Bradford-on-Avon Tithe Barn.

We made our way through the beautiful Avon valley, first crossing the Avoncliff Aqueduct, then hugging the valley side, crossed again on the Dundas Aqueduct.

The view back across the Dundas Aqueduct.

Whilst I did the mundane, but very necessary task of 'loo emptying' and water filling, the others wandered off to the 'Angelfish' Tea Rooms along the stub of the somersetshire Coal Canal. After I found my crew again, we moved on towards Bathampton, meeting David along the way. We moored alongside about half a mile from Bathampton. David had prepared a meal for us - it was in his car. We all enjoyed David's lasagne, it was 'first-class'! Heather and Phil enjoyed their day.

Semington to Bradford-on-Avon

Mum & I joined Constance at Semington for the first part of our journey together. We proceeded along the canal to Hilperton, where we stopped for lunch. Here is an example of where some advanced crew training might have been useful... As we stopped alongside the towpath, I hopped ashore with the mid-line and pulled Constance in towards the bank where we wanted to stop. For the sake of safety, I did not take the pins and lump-hammer with me, but asked for them to be thrown ashore on to an empty part of the towpath. The pins came over OK, but the lump hammer bounced a couple of times and gently slid into the canal. Luckily the spare lump-hammer was easily located and came ashore without suffering the same fate. After the boat was suitably moored, a minute or so of trawling with the magnet retrieved the wet lump-hammer. All was OK again.
I walked back to Semington to fetch the car, whilst Mum prepared lunch. In the afternoon we moved on to Bradford-on-Avon and stopped for the night a few hundred yards above the lock. Again, I walked back to get the car. David joined us later in the evening and stayed the night.
Sunday morning we went down through the lock and moored behind the town's great Tithe Barn.

Mum enjoying the view from the cratch.

Whilst David was at the helm.

After mooring, we walked around the town, saw some of the 'Bath Lions' (large and small), the Saxon Church and the adjacent, newer church (only 150 years newer!), then the Tithe Barn.