Civilised Weather

They’re sensible down here in Gloucestershire. Fine, warm and dry through the day, rain at night. Now that’s what I call good management.

I got the roof scrubbed clean yesterday. I’ve cleaned it before this year, but not too thoroughly. Now the stains from winter logs and bags of coal have gone.

BW are keen to avoid encouraging overstaying on the official mooring spots.
We moved off today at around 10:00, under Sellar’s Bridge which is high enough for narrowboats to sneak under without it being opened.

Sellar’s BridgeAs he’s time on his hands, the bridge keeper keeps the area very clean and tidy.

Mowing the banks.
And no, he reckons he’s never lost it in the canal…..

Another of the distinctive keepers cottages at Hardwicke. There’s no bridge here now though.
We moved on down to Saul Junction, a canal crossroads where the Stroudwater Canal meets the G&S. It’s a busy spot, with a marina and extensive boatyard, services and the heritage centre for the Cotswolds Canal Trust, the body looking after the ongoing resurrection of the Stroudwater and associated waterways. The Stroudwater connected to the Thames and Severn, which reached the Thames at Lechlade.
When restoration is complete, it’ll make part of a superb cruising ring.

Saul Junction
After filling with water and emptying the loos we pushed on another couple of miles to the delightfully named Splatt Bridge, mooring up just the other side.
I’m disappointed though. This is the closest we’ve been to the Severn estuary, but I can’t get to it. No footpaths heading that way, only No Entry signs.
We’ll move on tomorrow, down to Sharpness. We’ll make a stop at Purton on the way to have a look at the Purton Hulks.

There are a lot of big boats on this waterway. If and when we finally decide to hang up our windlass and stop cruising, this sort of thing would be my ideal home.

Something with character
Maybe a bit too much character…..or a bit too much mowing!
Locks 0, miles 6.