Dave_

Well all, we made it back after a fantastic week. Saw some of your boats along the way and managed to make it down to Bath then all the way to the Bruce tunnel, turned above the next lock and made it back to the Cross Guns for a last excellent meal on the Friday night, found "Tunnel Vision" to be very much to my taste! Most day's were 7-8 hours cruising with the Wed being 11, but what an 11 hours of stunning scenery going from Barge Inn (Honeystreet) to the summit and back to the Bridge Inn. The only thing we found, which has been mentioned on another topic, was that in many places the visitor moorings were taken up with boats which were not visitors. On one 24 hour mooring we saw three boats that were still in the same position when we returned three days later, I believe in live and let live but if visitors (hire boaters) find it hard to moor anywhere sensible then they will not return or recommend their friends to visit this area which would be a great shame as yours is a beautiful canal and would surely suffer from the lack of income. Anyway thanks to all for your advise which helped us to have an enjoyable time and now to start thinking where to go next year. See you again in a few years time, God willing. Dave.

Hi Oggdog No experience of this particular boat but have had several holidays with AW and not been disappointed with the boats yet, some are a bit older than others and certainly not luxurious but have found them functional and reliable. We are a family of four (2 teenagers) and always book a boat with 6 berths, to ensure adequate room for all. Enjoy your week, we've just come back from a week on the K & A with AW from Bradford on Avon. Dave.

Deletedaccount - thanks for the advise as boat is 56ft Serendipity - will probably do the scenic route into town then take the direct route back as will more than likely have sampled some local fare whilst in the town. Feel free to say hi if you spot us going by on Anglo Welsh boat "MAY." Dave

So many Indian restaurants available, will cost me a fortune in pump outs over the week

Hi all Well we will be off on our trip next Saturday and thanks to all for your advise, the Kennet & Avon family membership is still £25 so have joined. You will note from below that we have altered our plans with what I hope will be a fair bit of slack in the week to allow for slower traveling and longer visits. Have decided to stop at Darlington Wharf to save lock time rather than going right down into Bath (believe it's only a short walk into centre and apparently views of Bath from here are very good) and we do not have to go all the way to the summit if short on time and have also planned a short day on the Friday. If anybody can see any obvious problems with this please let us know, other wise hope to see some of you as we go by or maybe share a beer at one of the pubs on route. Kennet & Avon Canal. Saturday 29/05 Visit Crofton Beam Engines (SN8 3DW) on way to Bradford on Avon (BA15 1UD) 4 hours/1 lock (05/04) Collect boat – 13:00-14:00 My Birthday Head down to George Inn at Bathampton for meal then moor for night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday 30/05 (04) Move down to Darlington Wharf and moor to visit Bath (early start) Wind just before Bath Top lock (If too long in Bath then visit Claverton tomorrow) 2 hours/0 locks Then head back up to Claverton to see pumping station (be here by approx 3pm) 1 hour/0 locks (5)Carry on to Avoncliffe for meal at Cross Guns and moor for night -------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday 31/05 (5/6/7) Avoncliff to Foxhanger Wharf (bottom of Caen Hill flight) 5 hours/10 locks Visit Bradford on Avon on route and eat at either the Barge Inn or Three Magpies Bank Holiday! Moor for night at bottom of flt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday 01/06 (08/09) Foxhanger Wharf to Devizes (Caen Hill flt) 8 hours/29 locks Visit Devizes including K & A visitor centre Eat at Bridge Inn just on from Devizes and moor for night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday 02/06 (9/10/11/12/11) Bishops Cannings to Bruce Tunnel & back to Pewsey Wind between Bruce tunnel & Crofton just to make it to the summit 8 hours/ 08 locks Moor for night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 03/06 (10/9/8) Pewsey to Seend (2+hrs & no locks to top of Caen Hill flt) 8 hours/29 locks Eat at Three Magpies & moor for night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday 04/06 Seend to Hilperton or if time carry on down to Avoncliffe for meal at Cross Guns then wind and head back towards Bradford on Avon for night. 4 hours/7 locks or 5 hours/9 locks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday 05/06 Return boat to Anglo Welsh by 09:00 to be off boat by 09:30.

Hi Pariah Below is how we did the Stourport Ring last year with the wife, myself plus a pair of teenagers! The numbers in brackets refer to page numbers in the Pearsons guide if you have or get one. The Tardbigge flt is definitely something to enjoy (although possibly not on your 50th birthday, as was the case for me!) and we actually took just over 8 hours as was quite busy so over half the locks were against us. Hope this helps you, we note you are starting from Worcester where we spent the Wed afternoon and night leaving at about 10:00 Thu morning. We are doing the K & A at the end of May so will be doing the Caen Hill flt both ways this year! Have fun, we did Stourport Ring Saturday 23/05 (14) Collect boat – 15:00-16:00 3.5 hours/0 locks (13/12) Worcester & Birmingham canal Head towards Bourneville – approx 3.5 hours – no locks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday 24/05 (12) Visit Cadbury World in morning then continue along canal 5 hours/0 locks (11/10/9) approx 5 hours/no locks – follow New Main Line turn left to Netherton Tunnel at Dudley Port Junction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday 25/05 (34) approx 3 hours/9 locks-Netherton to Black Delph Junction 8(9) hours/25 locks (33) approx 5 hours/16 locks- Black Delph Junction to Newtown Bridge Bank Holiday! To go in to Stourbridge add 1 hour for town Arm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday 26/05 (3) approx 3 hours/8 locks-Newtown Bridge to Cookley 7 hours/14 locks (2) approx 2 hours/6 locks-Cookley to Kidderminster (lge shops-Tesco) (1) approx 2 hours/0 locks-Kidderminster to Stourport on Severn ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday 27/05 (1/19/18/17) approx 5 hours/8 locks-Stourport to Diglis Canal locks (Worcester) 5 hours/8 locks RIVER SEVERN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 28/05 (17/16/15) approx 7 hours/20 locks-Worcester to Stoke Wharf 7 hours/20 locks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday 29/05 (14) approx 7 hours/36 locks!-Stoke Wharf to Tardbigge 7 hours/36 locks Either stay at Tardbigge or continue past Anglo Welsh to Alvechurch for the night with turning point just past Alvechurch to return to Tardbigge for Sat morning. My 50th B’day! Eat at either New Tardbigge (Two for One) if moored at Tardbigge or the Crown Inn or The Weighbridge, both on canal side at Alvechurch. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday 30/05 Return boat to Anglo Welsh by 09:00 to be off boat by 09:30.

Hi Chester Anglo Welsh are advertising an adapted boat (Millie) available from their base at Trevor on their website. Dave.

Thanks all 8am, that will scare the wife & kids but will be worth it for the easier trip! Family ticket for Crofton is £18 plus on your advise we now also want to visit Claverton and the museum at Devizes, so very useful tip there and I'm sure I'll enjoy sampling the Wadworth's especially if the sun shines. Cheers

Hi All Thanks for the info, especially Rick as had not thought of visiting Crofton on route to B on A. This would actually make sense as we will be coming from East Sussex so only a minor detour and would then enable us to have a much more relaxed week and still be able to do the three things we would most like to do on our weeks holiday which are Crofton, Bath and the Caen Hill flt (think we have a fetish for flts of locks having done Tardebigge last year!). I also assume the flt will probably be busier than normal over the Bank Holiday w/end so again makes Rick's suggestion seem sensible. Thanks for all the advise, it's nice to "meet" such a helpful group of people. Dave

As mentioned earlier we want to see the pump engines at Crofton in steam and this is likely to be the furthest point of our trip. The information I would like someone to confirm is that is it possible to wind a 56ft boat at Crofton or do we need to continue to Great Bedwyn before heading back westwards. The reason for this question is that Pearson's indicates the latter whereas the K&A website suggests the former is possible. Thanks to all for your previous help. Dave.

Hi Roger We did the Stourport Ring last year and used the Pearson Guide book, found it to be pretty accurate. Hope this helps. Dave.

Thanks for all the advice, think we will definitely go from Bradford on Avon to Crofton to see the pumps working and then see how we go on the return. If everything goes in our favour maybe we will make it to Bath on the boat, but if not we will leave it till next year maybe. By the way our boat (AngloWelsh) is called May and she's 56ft so will maybe meet some of you during our week as we speed by! Having worked as a crane driver in a large port I am well aware of the effect of a passing boat, have seen a 50,000 tonne bulker break loose from her moorings and trust me the crack of 2 inche diameter mooring lines snapping is not something you want to hear as you are walking past them!

Having just read another topic where it would appear that some people can be quite unhelpful when locking in pairs, what is the accepted system when we will have at least two crew members (3 if SWMBO is not making me cups of tea/bacon sarnies) able to operate the locks?

Thanks for the advise so far, the advise about leaving the Bradford to Bath for the Saturday makes sense as this will then give us more time for the journey to Crofton. We did quite a few long days last year whilst doing the Stourport ring, but we actually enjoyed it as we prefer to enjoy the views from the water so to speak and keeping the journey "busy" stopped the kids getting bored. Also thanks for the information that the Crofton engines will be in steam as that will be a definite must I think ( Sorry but I am a self confessed Fred Dibnah worshipper!). As our trip up the Devizes flt will be on the bank holiday I guess there will be plenty of other boats to pair up with.

Hi All We are a family of 4 (ages-51/48/17/15) and we will be hiring a boat from Bradford on Avon starting on the 29th May. Last year we did the Stourport ring with no problems and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are now hooked. Having used the Pearsons guide we have worked out the following plan but not sure if we are doing this the right way round especially as the first weekend is the bank holiday i.e. would it be better to do Bath on the Sunday meaning we would be doing the Caen Hill flt on the Tue. Any advise gratefully accepted along with any idea's about places to moor at night. Saturday 29/05 Collect boat – 15:00-16:00 3 hours/3 locks Bradford on Avon – Seend Cleeve My Birthday Have meal at Barge Inn by Bridge 154 – moor after Bridge 155 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday 30/05 Devizes Flight! 7 hours/33 locks Spend night at Devizes – above Bridge 140 – Sainsbury’s & Morrisons here -------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday 31/05 Devizes - Crofton 7 hours/11 locks Bank Holiday! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday 01/06 Crofton - Pewsey 6 hours/11 locks Moor for night below Bridge 113 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday 02/06 Pewsey – Sells Green 8 hours/ 29 locks Moor by Bridge 149 for night ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 03/06 Sells Green - Bath 8 hours/8 locks Moor by Bridge 188 or Anglo Welsh? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday 04/06 Bath – Bradford on Avon 4 hours/1 lock Spend morning in Bath - possibly eat at Cross Guns – Avoncliffe Aqueduct ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday 05/06 Return boat to Anglo Welsh by 09:00 to be off boat by 09:30. My biggest concern last year was that the kids would be totally removed from all their usual pleasures, computers/x box etc, but they really enjoyed themselves so just goes to show they can do without all that electronic entertainment and return to basics which included domino and card games with real domino's and cards!

Hi Viewer We did the Stourport Ring (84 miles & 118 locks) last year in a week without much trouble, 7 to 8 hour cruising days. This was the first time we had hired a narrow boat and was my 50th birthday present from the wife and 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter. Great birthday present as we hit the Tardbigge flight on my birthday! My message is relax and enjoy, some days were harder than others and we had a plan of what we needed to do each day, some days we went further and some not but we always new if we needed to make up time to complete the ring.