Living in a hallway: August 2017

Wednesday 16 August 2017

Tough Decision

This English weather just won't make up its mind. A week ago it was pretty miserable, a couple of days were that bad we just sat around reading books and even lit the fire. This week has been magnificent! We've even had a couple of Barbys.

We've been traveling back towards the Thames, making new friends on the way by sharing locks as we travelled back down the Kennet and Avon.

Once we reached the Thames we resumed our journey upstream to catch up with Sarah and Karl in Abingdon. Its a picturesque market town where we spent the day exploring its historical sights. We had tea at the Nags head after they came to scrutineer our boat, then we returned the favour by scrutineering their flat which overlooks the market square in Abingdon.

On the Sunday Sarah and Karl came to meet us at our new mooring just outside Oxford. We had a BBQ lunch on the bank of the Thames and then went for a cruise through Oxford while enjoying a few cans in the sun.

We're now on the Oxford Canal and back to skinny locks, heading north enjoying the nice weather and the picturesque countryside.

Now for the tough decision.
Over the last few weeks we've decided to sell the boat. We've talked to a lot of people about travel and there are lots of places in the rest of the world that we would like to see. We wouldn't be able to do any of that if we spend all our holidays in England every year.

It was a very hard decision to make as we've really enjoyed the narrow boat lifestyle. We hope to revisit it sometime in the future.

The Rain

Full Moon on the Thames

Horse Drawn Canal Boat -Kintbury Kennet & Avon

And the Horse for Lindsay

Hungerford - In the rain

Leaky Lock

Entering the Lock at Newbury

Medieval Building - Newbury

Monkey Marsh - Turf Lock - Kennet & Avon

Abingdon on the Thames

Town Hall - Museum Abingdon

Abingdon

Market Square - Abingdon

Brewery Tap - Abingdon

Alms Houses - Abingdon (still being used for their original purpose, housing the poor)

Posh house on the Thames

Glass box - overlooking the Thames

Debtors Prison - Oxford

Oxford

Old Warehouses on the Thames at Oxford

Whitchurch Toll Bridge - 60p each way

Pangbourne Meadow

Our Mooring - Pangbourne Meadow

Royal Mail Box - On the Thames

Wallingford

Wallingford Bridge

Wednesday 2 August 2017

You call that Summer?

After nearly a fortnight on the Kennet and Avon, as a canal its a little disappointing. There's a distinct lack of quality moorings, and heaps of shit box boats cluttering up the place. We think this is where the hippies have to come to die.

We've still managed to find some quaint villages and interesting sites to see. One of the highlights being the beam steam engines at Crofton. They used to pump the water to the top of the canal at Crofton to feed the system. They're still operational and can be used as a back up to top up the system when necessary. One of the engines is over 200 years old.

An interesting feature of this canal is that it was part of the GHQ Line during the second world war. A lot of the defence's are still in place, there are pill boxes everywhere and some of the bridges still have the concrete bollards to stop the tanks.

Another unusual feature are the turf locks, there are are two remaining which are listed as Ancient Monuments. Quite impressive that an ancient monument is still in use.

On our way to Pewsey lo and behold we ran into our old mates Mary and Colin on Wigtwizle, moored up at Wootten Rivers. Its always nice to catch up with a familiar face or two on the cut, especially when they are Aussies. Hopefully we will see them again on our way back up the Oxford.

After leaving Kintbury heading for Great Bedwyn we picked up a hitchhiker, a fellow boat person who was waiting for some new batteries to be delivered to the pub. He was out for a wander and heading for Hungerford. He had to work for his passage and help with the locks. (2 Crew members is the perfect number).

We are now on our way back towards the Thames and the Oxford Canal.

As you might have gathered from the title the weather has deteriorated. Only one BBQ in the last fortnight and a couple of days of serious rain. We tried to beat the weather this morning and were making good time traveling with another boat. About an hour from our destination (Hungerford) it started and we are all saturated. :(

No video this week so you will just have to look at the pictures.