Changes at Church Lock

When we first bought Constance we had a home mooring on the non-towpath side just above Church Lock at Great Bedwyn.

We used to live in that gap...



C&RT have built a new- by-wash on the towpath side.

Very smart it is too.

 Apparently the EA do not like canal water spilling into their rivers (in this case the Dun) because canals have too little oxygen and too much algae. C&RT would rather keep their water that lose it to the rivers. This by-wash links to the next pound and allows excess water to flow past the lock rather than running over the top of the lock gates.

Looking back...





Over the top...

After our return from our trip to Cappadocia it was time to move on from Pewsey and continue our journey east. I had been advised that there was to be a kayak race on Sunday morning involving about 500 kayaks travelling from Pewsey to Newbury and that the Bruce Tunnel would be a bottleneck. Whilst playing car and boat leapfrog I managed to get to Crofton Top Lock for the night. It was just about dark as I arrived but Sunday morning started off nice and sunny.

Had the old railway still been there Constance would have been under the bridge

Crofton Top Lock

 The descent from Top Lock to Crofton started off nice and sunny and on my own. Shortly the kayakers caught up and raced on by.

Then the heavens opened with quite a hefty hailstorm. I was able to shelter inside but I pity the poor kayakers! Upon arrival at Crofton it was - back to fetch the car, take the car to Great Bedywn and walk back to Crofton which, by then, was bathed in sunshine.

A few days away in Turkey

We decided to have a few days away and went to the Cappadocia area of Turkey. We flew to Antalya and spent a couple of days on the coast before the very long coach journey to Nevşehir which is in the Cappadocia area.
Cappadocia is famous for its strange rock formations. Lava from ancient volcanic actions over time have built up into layers, some harder than others. The wind and rain have eroded the rocks and left strange rock formations.


This place is called 'The Valley of Love', can't imagine why...

 We saw hundreds of these 'fairy chimneys' as they are called. Most are hollowed out and a few are still occupied.

This hollowed out rock contains the local police station, gotta be the strangest police station in the world!

This is a typical room inside one of the rock houses

Hot air ballooning is very popular here

The Monks of Monks Valley

Hadrian's Gate in Antalya

Pirates still come to Antalya harbour!

A spectacular waterfall, the river goes straight over the cliff edge - Antalya