Yesterday I extricated the fold-up bike from its locker and cycled to Claverton as it was the one day of the month when the water wheel is in operation. It was a good ride on the well made up tow path although there were many walkers out. Found the lane leading down to the pumping station which was on the otherside of an uncontrolled level crossing over the Bathampton to Bradford on Avon railway line. Actually, I couldn't find the place initially, although there was what looked like a cottage to the left. This was it! The small stone building was rather deceptive in its size. The part I could see from the lane housed the beam engine, the large water wheel being house in a wooden structure across the mill-pond. The working engine was most impressive and much larger than I had expected.
Today, our expected guests not able to be with us, we left the mooring at 8:20, having taken water earlier. A very slow passage followed due to the mutiplicity of moored boats and the shallowness of the canal particularly nearing Avoncliffe. So many boats were so badly moored that it was inevitable that they would crash and bang against the concrete walls of the canal in this section. We stopped at Avoncliffe for a look around and dog walk through the country park. After lunch onwards for the remaining 0.9 miles to Bradford on Avon where we moored near to the 14th Century Tithe Barn. I had a look inside - the orignial roof is a massive structure and more typical of a cathedral.
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