Day 5 (Tue)

Pewsey Wharf - All Cannings - Horton Bridge (nr. Bishops Cannings) (Bridge Inn)

Pewsey Wharf at dusk

We returned to our Sunday lunchtime stop, as we knew that it was a good mooring place. But this time we planned to have lunch on the barge. Once moored up at Horton Bridge we found that we had a little time to explore so we set off for Bishops Cannings village. The footpath soon disappeared into a field of maize, we skirted this and picked the path up on the other side which took us into the village. The church in the village was obviously very old, it actually retained parts dating back to the 12th Century.

A wooded cutting in the Vale of Pewsey. The canal passes by the landscaped grounds of Stowell Park.

We returned to the canal, by which time the Bridge Inn was open and serving food. Again, we were pleased with the service. The food was well prepared with large portions and the staff were friendly. The Bridge Inn actually sits alongside the canal and there was an amusing notice inside:

"Parents, please do not try to dispose of your children in the canal, it upsets the piranhas. If you arrive with 3 please leave with 3. Thank you."

Day 6 (Wed)

Horton Bridge- Devizes - Sells Green (Three Magpies)

Moored up at Devizes Wharf, before descending the Caen Flight. The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust has a museum and shop here.

Another fairly long day, although the descent on the Caen Flight seemed to pass relatively quickly, even though we were on our own this time. This was mainly due to the fact that we happened to be the last boat of the day. The lock-keeper was helping our progress by motoring ahead on his quad bike and pre-filling the locks. This also saved us the task of dropping the paddles and closing the gates of the lock we had just vacated (which is the normal practice).

The lower pound of the Caen Flight, which can be seen top-right

In the periods when we were waiting for the lock to empty, he told us some pretty amazing facts about the Caen Flight. Each lock in the flight has it's own reservoir or 'pound' of water. The pounds were designed to hold sufficient water to allow the locks to be placed close enough together to follow the slope. The bottom pound of the flight (at lock 29) contains XX million gallons of water alone, and the entire flight holds 200 million gallons.

After completing the series of locks we continue to Sells Green and moor up. The Three Magpies pub, only 100 yards from the towpath, does not disappoint and offers very good value with a large non-smoking section for dining.