First time out - any local knowledge appreciated :)

[Spen]

We're taking our first ever holiday with Foxhangers starting on Monday 27th, and as we have a week and are beginners we will be travelling West down the K&A. We have hired their 50' boat Foxtail.

 

We did complete the Helmsman course last August, but that seems aggggges ago, so any advice on what to look out for, must see sights etc are welcome.

 

We have been told that Bath and back from the bottom of Caen Hill is possible in a week, but we have decided to take it slow and are picking friends up at Avoncliffe, so that is our 'must reach' point by Friday 31st.

 

We are sooooo excited! Finally we get out on the canal for longer than a day!

 

Spencer

[Sir Nibble]

Foxhanger to Avoncliff by friday is no problem, but back again in 2 days would be quite a thrash. A fair few locks and a couple of swing bridges to slow you down until you reach semington, then one uninterrupted pound till Bradford on avon. I recommend going ashore to see the tith barn here, but once through Bradford on avon lock you are back to clear cruising till past the dundas aqueduct. You have picked a lovely bit of canal to play with.

[Spen]

Foxhanger to Avoncliff by friday is no problem, but back again in 2 days would be quite a thrash. A fair few locks and a couple of swing bridges to slow you down until you reach semington, then one uninterrupted pound till Bradford on avon. I recommend going ashore to see the tith barn here, but once through Bradford on avon lock you are back to clear cruising till past the dundas aqueduct. You have picked a lovely bit of canal to play with.

 

 

Thanks for the info snibble.

 

Are you saying that getting the boat back to Foxhangers by 9AM Monday morning from Friday afternoon is going to be difficult? I suppose we will get a good feel for how long it takes on the way West, and we really wanted to take it easy and enjoy the experience rather than rushing.

 

Fingers crossed for some serious downpours so I can test my waterproofs

[Sir Nibble]

No, I'm not saying it would be difficult, but it would be two long hard days. Whereas monday to friday getting to avoncliff would be a very slow cruise indeed. Why must you pick up your guests from avoncliff? can they not be more flexible?

[Spen]

No, I'm not saying it would be difficult, but it would be two long hard days. Whereas monday to friday getting to avoncliff would be a very slow cruise indeed. Why must you pick up your guests from avoncliff? can they not be more flexible?

My guests can be very flexible! In your opinion, where is the mid-point on a weeks relaxing cruise from Foxhangers?

[Sir Nibble]

I would say Avoncliff is a good enough mid point but a rendevous thursday am would be better. If you must meet up on friday then better to pick them up at Trowbridge on the way back.

[Supermalc]

Why not keep your plans 'fluid' If you have a week, travel the first 3 days at your own speed. Then having defined the far point of your journey, arrange to meet your friends the next day at the first pickup point of return, or meet them and then shuffle cars about.

 

Lincoln to Nottingham is 1 1/2 hours (without delays) by car, but takes TWO DAYS by boat. This is just to give you an example of the time it takes to travel by river or canal, instead of by car.

 

You may like to read of my boating stories these last few years. http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/malcsworld/

 

Hope you have good weather.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Supermalc

[Bullfrog]

"This is just to give you an example of the difference in travelling in time."

 

So now super malc is in to time travel! I thought that was Dr Who's job

[Supermalc]

"This is just to give you an example of the difference in travelling in time."

 

So now super malc is in to time travel! I thought that was Dr Who's job

 

I wish If the genie appeared out of the bottle for me, that's what I'd wish for.......

 

I'll rephrase it for you..... This is just to give you an example of the difference between travelling by road in a car, and travelling by river/canal by boat. Road speed 60/70mph, river speed 4/6mph. Plus stoppages, hold ups on water, not counting locks, bridges and other hazards are often encountered e.g. props fouled by weed or rubbish etc.

[Sir Nibble]

Since you mentioned "must sees", the avoncliff aqueduct itself is worth a look. There is mooring on your right as you approach, spot your space, then there is a hard right to cross the aqueduct and the only place for miles to wind the boat is on the corner at the other side just as you clear the aqueduct itself. Best place to view is the garden of the crossed guns where you can go down to the riverside and look up at the aqueduct whilst enjoying a pint of good ale.

[Spen]

Since you mentioned "must sees", the avoncliff aqueduct itself is worth a look. There is mooring on your right as you approach, spot your space, then there is a hard right to cross the aqueduct and the only place for miles to wind the boat is on the corner at the other side just as you clear the aqueduct itself. Best place to view is the garden of the crossed guns where you can go down to the riverside and look up at the aqueduct whilst enjoying a pint of good ale.

Thanks everyone. I am hoping for a mix of weather to fully experience the lifestyle. Seems like I slightly overestimated where I would be by the Friday so my guests will be joining me at a different place!

 

If anyone sees a 50' hire boat on the K&A looking confused next week - please play nice

 

Spencer

[Webchem]

People are right, this is one of the nicest stretches of Canal in the country, Dundas is a really magical place (even though its lots busier now).

 

In 2001 we did Bradford --> Bath then back up the Caen Hill followed by back to Bradford in a week. The Caen Hill is well worth the experience! Hard work though!

 

Its one of the few canals which are busy, but mooring (until Bath) is not really a problem.

 

[Keeping Up]

Its one of the few canals which are busy, but mooring (until Bath) is not really a problem.

Before we came along the K&A in 2004, lots of people had warned us about how difficult it was to find an overnight mooring, and how difficult the locks and bridges were.

 

As it was midsummer we expected to find it particularly difficult to moor. In reality we never had a problem, even at most the popular places. Sure, on a few occasions we used mooring pins and on a couple of nights we had to use the gangplank, but that was OK by us. The locks weren't really any harder than some of the ones on the Grand Union.

 

We had a great time, and the canal was beautiful. Enjoy your trip.

 

Allan

[Rob Dean]

It's a lovely trip and you'll have a great time. You'll easily get to Bath and back and the trip is well worth it. Try having a play with Nick Atty's excellent canal planner at:

 

http://www2.mihalis.net/canal/cgi-bin/index.cgi

 

That reckons Devizes bottom to Bath bottom in about 11 hours. Allowing for lots of stops and lazy days, you can do that comfortably in 3 days.

 

Don't worry about lack of experience, this is all easy water and, if you've done the helmsman course, your better qualified than most you'll meet (!)

 

Make sure you stop to climb down and look back up at Avoncliff and Dundas aqueducts. The latter is truly a thing of beauty (there's some photos on Canalplan that I submitted).

 

The run down into Bath is good fun too with Bath deep lock at 19 odd feet an exciting experience.

 

HOWEVER, if the river is in flood (and this rain seems set to continue), I recommend you don't go all the way down as life could get suddenly more challenging . . .

 

Have a great trip and remember to report back.

 

Rob

[David Schweizer]

I live in Winsley just above Avoncliffe, and have done that stretch of the K&A so many times, I could do it in my sleep. Foxhangers to Avoncliffe can be done in one (longish) day, so three days will be a doddle. I would suggest:-

 

1st night - Sells Green (bridge 149) Good Moorings and decent pub (three Magpies) about 200 metres up the lane, or Seend (bridge 153), decent moorings opposite the pub, outside the pub and below the locks. The Barge pub has good food but is a bit more expensive than some.

 

2nd Night - Bradford on Avon, moorings below the lock are much better than above it but check availability first before going through the lock, The Canal Tavern (next to the moorings) is a friendly pub with decent food, or there is the Lock Inn which despite its name is really a cafe/restaraunt next to the Canal tavern. There is also the Boat Inn opposite the Waterpoint, food there used to be dreadful but I have not been in since the new tenants took over. If you want something more exotic there is a good Indian Restaraunt opposite the Canal Tavern, or Thai, Chinese, and Italian Restaraunts in town. Bradford on Avon is worth a visit about five minutes walk from the canal. BoA is an attractive stone built Market Town retaining most of it's old buildings with very few modern interlopers, Favorite tourist visits include the 15th Century Stone Tithe Barn, the Old Saxon Church, The Medaeval Town Bridge with stone Chapel on it, and the old Merchants Houses in Church Street. There are several good cafes and coffee houses in town. If you need provisions there is only one (poor) grocery store in townh however there is a Budgens Store about five minute walk from the Lock (in the opposite direction from Town, or back along the towpath and accesible via bridge 171)

 

3rd Night - If you are going to stay at Avoncliffe overnight, try and find a mooring before the Aqueduct, the moorings on the Bath side are very shallow, even for a modern boat. The Pub at Avoncliffe is ok and sells decent enough food, but it can get very busy so be prepared to wait. If you do not wish to stay (or eat) at Avoncliffe, I would cruise on to Dundas, there are a few moorings before the Aqueduct, a few more in the basin, and plenty after the Basin. The nearby Viaduct Hotel has closed so the only eating place nearby is the Angel Fish Restaraunt on the Somerset Coal Canal, which is accessible through the gates off the towpath at the Bath end of the Aqueduct.

 

4th Night - Bath. Finding a mooring could be difficult on the canal depending upon how many residential boats are blocking the visitor moorings, there are a few moorings at Bathampton, the George Inn used to be good but I have not been there since it's "facelift" some reports suggest that it has gone a bit upmarket. After there it is a question of try and find somewhere (there should be some between the locks) or go down through the locks and moor on the River Avon in the centre of Bath. To find these turn right out of the Canal and the moorings are along the Stone Walled Bank on the right hand side, you have to pay the City Council for these (used to be £4 a night), but are worth it if you want to be in Bath, and there is plenty to see in Bath.

 

Enjoy your trip.

Edited March 25, 2006 by David Schweizer

[Spen]

Thanks for all the replies I am getting, it is reassuring to hear from those of you who have already experienced our little trip lots of times before. David, thanks for taking the time to detail an itinerary for us, much appreciated. Rob I will be sure to check out the link and will certainly report back. I am also hoping for lots of inspiration for my cartoons as I am hoping to be published in Canals & Rivers from next months issue

 

Spencer

Edited March 25, 2006 by Spen

[Spen]

Thanks for all the replies I am getting, it is reassuring to hear from those of you who have already experienced our little trip lots of times before. David, thanks for taking the time to detail an itinerary for us, much appreciated. Rob I will be sure to check out the link and will certainly report back. I am also hoping for lots of inspiration for my cartoons as I am hoping to be published in Canals & Rivers from next months issue

 

Spencer

 

I promised to report back on our holiday, and here I am. We had a great week on the K&A, the weather was mild although quite wet and blustery at times. We hired our boat from Foxhangers, and the 50' Foxtail set us back £600 for 7 days.

 

Once we had learned not to leave the boat to her own devices in gale force winds and use the ropes and bollards provided the holiday went very smoothly indeed. I do believe though that my experience at creating canal road blocks will put me at an advantage should I ever be asked to stop any jewel thieves making their getaway on a narrowboat

 

We didn't thrash it, only making it to the Dundas Aqueduct and back, but this made the whole experience very pleasant indeed. Although we were obviously hirers ourselves, we encountered many people in the various hire boats who had obviously not read into the rules or ettiquette before they went, and one particular family who were a danger to themselves and anyone unfortunate enough to encounter them. We also met lots of friendly and helpful people - a particular thank you to Barbara and Colin from Hydeaway who were invaluable on our first day of locks and bridges.

 

The result of this taster trip is we are now certain that this is where we want to spend our time, and as soon as this house sells we will be looking to buy our own boat and continue the experience.

 

Thanks again to those of you who responded to my request for info.

 

Spencer

[Sir Nibble]

Pleased to hear from you Spen, I was at Hilperton over the weekend and I was looking out for you!

See what I mean about the view from the crossed guns?