Beautiful Bath.

Yesterday evening our friends, Bex and Craig, took the 9 minute train journey from there home in Trowbridge to spend the evening with us in Avoncliff.

The tiny Halt at Avoncliff  (population about 50) has a platform barely long enough for one train carriage, so if your not in the front one when it stops you can’t get off!

Bex, Craig and Doug having a good evening in The Cross Guns - a lovely, atmospheric old pub dating back to the early 1600’s.

Today started, as always, with chores……..

……. and just to prove it James tried to take this surprise shot of the action but Doug turned round at the wrong moment. On the end of the hose is a superb new Dyson, a 1300 watt miracle of domestic engineering which he loves playing with!

We started earlyish at 8:30 and headed towards the next aqueduct at Dundas where we caught up with Bob and June on ‘Autumn Myst’ who had travelled on a bit further than we did yesterday. There’s been an incredible amount of cutting back all along this canal which was well overdue and has opened things up on the non towpath side as you can see.

Here we are half way across the Dundas Aqueduct with ‘Autumn Myst’ just in front watering up.

Our journey was a slow one today as there were rows of moored boats virtually the whole way along.  However, with that behind us the approach into Bath was lovely with magnificent architecture and superb bridges.

Marvellous atmosphere!  Cleveland House is built over the Sidney Gardens tunnel.

We moored up just before the top lock in Bath and we have lovely views over the city.  With all the important things done we went for a walk around the city – which we know very well as we have both worked in Bath in the past.  This is the lovely Pulteney Weir on the River Avon just below Pulteney Bridge.

We found this cute little square off the city centre – The Crystal Palace pub is one which Doug has frequented quite a lot in the past!  The vast London Plane tree in the middle of the square has a bole which is over 8 feet in diameter.

We went to have a look at the new shopping complex which was under construction when we were last in the city.  This is just a small part of it – it’s built entirely of Bath stone (of course) and is stunning.

Continuing on our walk we got to The Circus. A circle of beautiful Georgian houses in four sectors – and, quite by chance, the cars going through match the houses.

Yet another tourist posing in front of the extraordinary Royal Crescent.  John Nash, both father and son, are responsible for a lot of this city’s beauty which is now a World Heritage Site.   

These are our moorings during our two day stay in Bath.  When we arrived Ian and Karen on ‘Tacet’ had already been there a day and there were two spaces next to them ready for us to claim.  So, here we are, three bloggers sitting like the three proverbial three wise  monkeys, enjoying the city, the peace and the view……….

…….and later on this evening the crews from all three boats had a drink and get together on board ‘Chance’.  Bob, Ian, Karen, James and June.