Dundas Aqueduct - why no celebration?

Sunday 29 August

We both set out to investigate Dundas Wharf junction on Sunday morning, but sadly didn't find any other way of gazing at the imposing Dundas Aqueduct than the path I'd discovered last night.  Checking out Captain Ahab's aqueduct blog, he extols the virtues of this mighty construction, but for some reason doesn't mention the lack of good access or why it hasn't been embraced and celebrated as the Avoncliffe Aqueduct, a mere three miles away, has.  So I was none the wiser - what a shame, it's likely that many people just sail over it without realising what beauty lies beneath them.

Dundas Wharf with the junction of the Somerset Coal Canal ahead, sharp left turn for the K & A

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        An unusually shaped bow/cratch                                Remnants of the canal past

 Looking back up the K & A towards Claverton

Still lots of hire boaters enjoying the canal - albeit precariously balanced!

The monumental structure of Dundas Aqueduct from the ridge ...

  the bottom of the path ...

and the other side, from the rowing club's jetty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some more angles, with the railway hugging the side of the river and preventing easy access

The view of The River Avon from the aqueduct

After Barry got his fill of photos (and scaring me half to death standing on the ridge of it to get one of the above photos!), we walked along the short arm of the Somerset Canal, browsing in the museum of the Somerset Coal Canal Society.  There's lots of permanent moorings along here, with day boats to hire, canoes and bikes - a hub of activity with a good cafe too.

Boat, canoe and bike hire from Bath & Dundas Canal Co, at the end of the Somerset Coal Canal - no wonder there's so many bikes on the towpath

Always busy at Dundas Wharf

We finally left Dundas late morning, travelling along this very pretty stretch of canal and moving through Bradford-on-Avon stopping only for Barry to get a shot of the watermill at Avoncliff Aqueduct. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the Dundas Aqueduct and past this brave and graceful heron, who didn't move an inch

Lots of people enjoying the sunny Bank Holiday

People are always a lot happier and chattier on a lovely day 

The canal skirts around the valley high above the river - more permanent moorers here

Across the valley the picturesque village of Limpley Stoke peeks through the trees

The old mill as seen from the Avoncliff Aqueduct

We had one lock to work in Bradford alone, then did the next couple with NB Captain Starkey and crew, a shared ownership boat.  Between the locks we'd collected our three pump-out cards previously purchased but forgotten to pick up from The Boatyard, and filled up with diesel and water - there's a very a helpful man there who tightened up our 'stern gland' (sounds painful!) and gave Barry lots of useful advice.

Families out on the day trip boat from Bradfod-on-Avon feeding the many ducks

The lock at Bradford attracts plenty of spectators ...

 most of them are just curious as to how it all works

We eventually moored at Semington, just after the junction of derelict the Wilts and Berks Canal.  Tomorrow we'll be tackling the 34 locks to Devizes, so we'll need a good night's sleep and an early start!  We're hoping to find another boat to share the Caen Hill flight with this time ...

Out in the countryside again - time to find a mooring for a restful night before the big day

Blue skies from Bath to Dundas

Saturday 28 August

After stocking up on provisions and having a final mooch in Bath, we left the city around lunchtime, sharing the Widcombe locks with Brian, Rosie and Heather on NB Nancy-Anne.  Brian had been reading our blog for some time - Barry had been chatting to him when he was supposed to be collecting me from the station on Friday, so it was a most convivial journey up the six locks, despite them being extremely slow to fill and having to wait for other boats at times.  And of course the sunshine helped!

One last shot of the old warehouses - in the sunshine for the first time

It certainly was a busy river with lots of hire-boaters out for August Bank Holiday weekend.  The water levels were very low in parts, with the 'Towpath Telegraph' suggesting that some naughty boaters hadn't closed the gate paddles last night, leading to a very muddy pound after Bath Deep Lock, and many boats grounded in the stretch after the third lock - but who knows if that's true or just a vicious rumour!

Being a bank holiday weekend the steam train was running

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back along the K & A - returning on the ascent through Bath Deep Lock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's even more awesome entering from below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We shared the locks with 'Nancy Anne' and crew - passing the the little cafe at Pulteney Lock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pounds were very low through this stretch, with boats getting grounded everywhere

Through the beautiful bridges of Sydney Gardens ...

with plenty of Gongoozlers about ...

and onto the top pound - no locks now till Bradford-on-Avon around nine miles away

Delightful views across Bath from the canal

Brian takes the lead passing the many permanent moorers on the outskirts of Bath - a persistent problem here we're told, as many of these boats class themselves as 'continuous cruisers'!

One last look at Bath and we were back in the countryside once more, though you're still surrounded by moored boats at every turn, so it's a slow journey despite the lack of locks.

Barry met a bloke at the pub on Thursday night who told him that Simon, who owns the boat on the left in the above photograph, is a bit of a local character. It sounds like he's had the odd run in with British Waterways and other authorities due to the appearance of his vessel - we've seen some strange sights along this canal and Simon's is definitely not the worst of them, in fact it's rather attractive in an odd sort of way. What do you think, could be from a watery 'Lord of the Rings', a bit 'Hobbit-like' ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We lost Nancy-Ann after the locks as they were in a rush to get to Sells Green to meet friends, while we weren't in any hurry.  Going through the outskirts of Bath, we spotted Jill and Tony on NB Tobias Maximus - we'd chatted to them previously in Goring, discovering that Barry and Tony have both had careers as professional photographers.

 

Jill and Tony from 'Tobias Maximus' - stopped for another chat and may catch up again as they're heading the same way as us eventually

 

 

 

Delightful countryside, and the moored boats begin to diminish for a while

Moving on after our catch up, we eventually arrived at Claverton Pumping Station - one of the places we thought we'd try to visit on our return along the K & A, but by the time we arrived it was closed for the day.  They were advertising a 'Pump day' for Bank Holiday Sunday, but Barry chose not to come back - maybe he's had his fill of steam engines for now?  So we just moored up, had a walk to the building and took a few photos ...

Claverton Pump Station, constructed to pump water 47ft up to the canal from the River Avon - the original pump no longer supplies water to the canal - automatically-controlled electric pumps, which keep the water in the canal within predetermined levels, now perform this task.

  What happens if there's a fire?

The river turned a huge wooden water wheel, which in turn drove the pump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The water control paddles for the pump and the exit stream back to The Avon

Back to the moored boats everywhere - few of them visitors as you can see from the collection of 'stuff' on the roofs

We arrived at our destination of Dundas Aqueduct around 1800hrs, and easily found a good mooring.  I suspect the hire boaters that are out are heading to Bath and back, not meandering along the way, as it was previously very busy on our way through. 

I went for a walk along the canal after tea, and had look at the Aqueduct from below - but could only find one almost hidden path which led to a rowing club - maybe I'm missing something, surely such a beautiful construction would embrace visitors to gaze admiringly at it?  We'll have another explore in the morning ...