Wendover and Aylesbury Arms of the Grand Union ‎

We had a late start, but we couldn't waste such a lovely day so we decided to continue our 'canals' theme and Rosie put together a walk on the Grand Union canal. There were three distinct parts of the canal:

• the Wendover Arm, which is being restored but which has a lots of overgrown area rich in wildlife
• the main line around Tring reservoirs, which is clearly a major leisure amenity and was bustling
• the Aylesbury Arm, which was narrow and quiet - the top gates of all the locks were single-span rather than than usual twin gates in a V

We'd planned to have lunch at one of the pub marked on the map. Once again, we'd chosen one that is now closed. However, the Bluebell Cafe was next door. We decided to share a cheese baguette and a cake. Both were much larger than we'd expected, and the baguette came with perfect chips. I've had Heston's famed thrice-cooked chips and these were better. Recommended.




View Wendover and Aylesbury Arms of the Grand Union in a larger map

Bath to Pewsey on the Kennet & Avon - a three-day stretch

We'd done the bits of the K&A where the canal follows the railway - these were easy to do in linear day walks using the train. But the two routes diverge at Great Bedwyn, so we needed a different approach and decided to tackle Bath to Pewsey over an extended weekend. We'd initially intended this to be Friday-Sunday, but slipped a day because of heavy showers forecast.

Saturday: Bath to Trowbridge

We drove to Pewsey and took the train Westbury. This turned out to be an HST bound for Paignton. I didn't realise that trains had personal videos screens these days. Changed at Westbury for Bath Spa, located the junction of the K&A with the Avon and followed the towpath. The canal starts with a flight of very deep locks that must be pretty scary for those whose first taste of canal boating starts here. It was a humid day and we had the hint of some drizzle in the morning.
Lunch of pasties at the Claverton Pumping Station, which pumps water from the Avon into the canal using the flow of the river to power the pump. It is very spectacular when operational (not today).
Onto Dundas Aquedect before a diversion to Limpley Stoke for a post-lunch pint, followed by a brief stop at Avoncliff for a well-deserved ice cream.
Accommodation had been hard to find near the canal at Trowbridge and we ended up in a cheap hotel that turned out to be comfortable enough, if somewhat hard to find. Nice Thai dinner at Beijing Palace.

View Bath To Trowbridge in a larger map

Sunday: Trowbridge to Devizes

Took advantage of full English breakfast (but I declined to even try the sausage) and resumed our Eastward path. Reached The Barge Inn at Seend at lunchtime and wished I'd skipped breakfast - the barbecue smelled delicious. I was consoled by a couple of excellent pints of Wadworths (6X and Henrys since you asked).

With loins duly girded, we tackled the Caen Hill flight of 15 locks. This took us an hour or so (with a stop for a cream tea), but takes boaters around four hours. Only a few boats were venturing up or down.

Our accommodation this evening was a Travelodge (it really was hard to find places at short notice). Luckily there was a decent pub close by for dinner.

View Trowbridge To Devices in a larger map

Monday: Devizes to Pewsey

Instead of the Travelodge offering breakfast, they have a built-in Subway outlet! Unfortunately, it was one without orange juice or any of the advertised croissant/muffin/pastry items. Coffee was Ok though.

I'd finished Sunday with a fairly painful blister, so followed Rosie's recommendation and applied some a Compeed plaster. This was a miracle cure - I can't recommend it more highly.

It was a sunny and warm morning - we started at 8:10 in shorts and wearing sun hats and sunglasses. In contrast to Sunday's stretch, it was completely flat - there were no locks at all between Devizes and Pewsey. However, we did get nice views of the 'Pewsey' White Horse. It was interesting to note that there were no 'hire' boats on this stretch at all, just residential ones. Indeed, along the length of the canal, there were very many more residential boats that I'd expected. In this stretch, they must have a very quiet existence. We reached Pewsey in time for a pub lunch and then drove home.


View Devices to Pewsey in a larger map

Butterflies not quite on The Test Way

Rosie and I had not walked near the River Test in Hampshire since our pre-kids walk along the Clarendon Way from Salisbury to Winchester, so we were pleased to join David and Alison in that area today

We took a wrong turning near the start of the walk (see the track below), but this was a lucky mistake. On the 'wrong' path, we saw several interesting butterflies, including White Admiral, Purple Hairstreak, a large Fritillary (probably Silver-Washed) and Marbled White.

The Test is probably the most famous fly fishing river in England and, sure enough, we saw plenty of trout today, notably from the garden of The Mayfly pub. Good lunch there and excellent local Double Drop beer from a brewery in Romsey. It was amusing to be served by a girl who modelled her looks and speech patterns on Tour Guide Barbie from Toy Story.

White Admiral	A family paddling in The Test - could be a scene from a TV show set in the 50's
Lunch stop

View Test Valley in a larger map
Battery in my phone ran out before the end of the walk!