Feeding the Soul, Mind and Body

Friday – Sunday 23^rd 25^th June 2017

Tewkesbury

The first thing to do once safely moored is to visit the lock keeper in their little hut by Avon Lock to pay our dues (£3 a night) and to discuss our transit down onto the Severn on Sunday.  I am afraid the one thing we never gave a moments thought to was tides.  For the most part the Severn is only tidal up to the Partings, where it splits into two arms just north of Gloucester.  Our chosen day for transit to Gloucester happened to be the highest spring tide of 2017!  This would mean we could not leave until around 2pm having called the lock keeper in Gloucester to see how much rubbish had been brought in with the tide.

If you walk to the end of the lock you get a good view of the river Severn - left to Gloucester

and right to Worcester. There are a few moorings on the river, however the side is very high and not ideal for Monty.

So what is there to do in Tewkesbury?  First to feed the soul the Abbey is a must.  A truly magnificent building inside and out.  I would have loved to have done the tower tour, but none were available when we were there.  The added bonus for us is that they allow dogs inside, something we really appreciated.  I have to say that a well behaved dog on a lead is probably less bother than a bored toddler!  I have memories of trying to keep a very bored three year old amused when taking an elderly Aunt (yes she was older than I am now!) who wanted to stop and read everything (something I now appreciate) when we visited Norwich Cathedral many years ago.

Just a few pictures to give you a feel of the magnificent interior

This is a view of the ceiling in a mirror - very clever and very effective

We were rather taken with this sculpture outside the Abbey

There are many splendid buildings to admire

It was not just the building below that drew our attention - how many years ago did Green Shield Stamps cease to exist?  What a wonder this internet is - I now know that they started in 1958 and ended in 1991, being most popular in the 60's and 70's.  I can certainly remember pouring over the catalogue with my parents deciding what they were going to get when they redeemed their stamps.  What I had not realised until now that eventually people could supplement their stamps with cash to purchase from the catalogue and that when the stamps were withdrawn the catalogue was re-branded as Argos! If you want to know more look HERE

On Friday we shared a ploughman's in The Berkeley Arms - and very good it was too.

Apologies for missing off part of 'shall' on the right, but a good sentiment nevertheless.

The Royal Hop Pole is now a Weatherspoons

A place of interest to Dickens enthusiasts

Tewkesbury is a town that is rightly very proud of it's history and the famous battle of 1471. Many buildings along the main street display coats of arms

Some (but sadly not all) have information in the window with details of whose coat of arms it was in 1471 with some details of their life, family and death.  Well thanks to the wonder of the internet I was side tracked again to the web site of The Tewkesbury Battlefield Society and what a wealth of information there is to be found HERE.  It looks as though the street banners are very new as they appear to have been created every Monday afternoon from January to 6th June this year.  Having found this site, I think we have to go back to Tewkesbury as there is more to discover.  A little light reading to feed the mind.

We think the society's efforts are definitely worth while - they certainly make a statement as you look along the street.  As this is so recent, it has to be hoped that information about them all will be added in due course.

There are several bookshops to feed the mind - this one does have a 'proper shop' as well as this rather charming alleyway.

Despite quite a few of these signs there are still a multitude of eateries and watering holes to be found in the town to feed and body

 Some have already been mentioned - I took this picture because of the name.  Our boat was built by JL Pinders & Son (now trading as Crafted Boats) and they have built three boats for the same couple - Theoc, Theoc I and Theoc II.  We did meet them once and I am sure I knew the reason for the name, but I cannot find anything on the internet to help and whatever they told me has flown from my brain never to be recaptured I am afraid.  Having looked at the website for THEOC HOUSE, I think it is somewhere we will go next time we visit the town.

Yet more food for the body - on Saturday and Sunday there was a food festival in the Abbey grounds which certainly gave us a view of the Abbey that is not normally seen.

There was a lot of fast food on sale as well as a large food hall full of things to tempt one to part with your money.  We did have a look round, but came away empty handed as nothing really took our fancy.  It was the rightly famous delicatessen in the main street, 1471, that made us open our wallets - they sell Chaume - a French cheese we both like which is hard to find these days.  The proprietor took great delight is telling me he had a whole one out the back.  Sadly there is no room for such a delight on a narrow boat.  We left with a small piece and some wonderful granary bread - a simple meal, but thoroughly enjoyed by us both.

Lunch was partaken at this dog friendly Italian café - somewhere we would both recommend.

Round the back of the Abbey there is a camp site that was hosting a Steam Rally - we did not attend, but this delightful vehicle made its way along the main street as we were passing by

What was there of interest at the water side?  Well interesting happenings at St John's bridge as the boat on the left was trying to moor in a rather tight space.  I am pleased to report that no contact was made and the mooring effort was successful.

Mooring at times was at a premium and on Friday evening nb Kings Gambit breasted up with us

They had a very important crew member - Harley - a male look alike of our sometime crew member Kiera.  He is a beautiful dog and very well behaved, but feeling very sorry for himself as he had hurt his left front leg and had had to visit a vet for treatment.  They are fairly certain it is a ligament problem that will right itself given rest and time.

There were other times we were alone

but never for long

It is not often you see one of these on a canal or river!  I had to take it through the window, hence the dodgy colour.

At this time of year there is usually a local family who pays a visit or two.  I really must get some oats or other food, so I can feed them.  It does upset me how many people still feed water birds with bread.

For us there are always Monty walks to be done.  One day I took him along to St John's Bridge, just because I wanted to see what was there  - well a good view looking back at the boat

and then this rather sad view of what was a "bear's" garden

Leading at the corner to Ye Olde Black Bear

 

Sadly shut and it does not look as though the oldest public house in Tewkesbury is going to open anytime soon.

I am afraid it is a very sorry sight

Apart from that there was not much else and certainly nothing approaching Monty acceptance, never mind Monty heaven.  There is a park near the Abbey which he enjoyed, but the best walk was along part of The Severn Way

Wide open space with a great view of The Abbey and the weather was cool enough for ball games - real Monty heaven

You don't see much of the river - just glimpses here and there

It is accessible at some points, but despite being fairly warm there is no way Monty is getting his feet wet!

Further round tucked away you get a stunning view of the weir

All in all a thoroughly good few days in a place we loved and will go back to.

Where are the coats?

Thursday 22^nd June 2017

Pershore to Eckington Wharf

7 miles, 2 locks

Oh, it was grey, dull and even chillier this morning – jackets had to be dug out and put to use!  After a quick walk with Monty I helped Chris pull the boat back onto the water point.  I left him to empty and fill as required whilst I made a quick dash to Asda.  On my return Waka Huia was where we had been moored waiting to take their turn for the empty and fill routine.

We had just two locks to do today, the first being Pershore almost within sight of our mooring.  With a nine foot drop, it is a big one.  

We wanted to check out the possible moorings in case we travel this way again.  There is space for 2 or 3 narrowboats not long after the lock at Pershore – not as handy for the town, but better than nothing.

Fairly soon the countryside really began to open out with good views all round – it was just a shame it was so grey.

The next moorings are at Tiddlesley wood where there is room for one, but it is very near a fairly busy road.  Moving on there is a lovely mooring at Comberton Quay – definitely worth considering another time.

And so, we arrived at the last lock of the day – Nafford.  We approached with some trepidation as we had heard some horror stories from a couple of boaters who passed this way last month.  The first sight you come across is a very sad one.  We knew it was there, so at least it was not a shock.  Apparently it is too remote to get a crane to, so it will be there for ever more.  Such a sad end for someone's pride and joy.

This is not the longest of locks, no problem for us at 59 foot, but with us right up to the gate

There was only about 9 foot from the end of our fender to the cill (the blue lines below), so we quite understand why those in 70 foot boats have so much trouble.

Just to add to the fun there is a bridge that has to be swung before you can enter the lock and has to be closed again as you leave.

I found the hardest bit was releasing the handle from the catch – a third hand would have been very useful

Looking back at the lock once we were safely through

We had thought we might moor for the night at a place called ‘Swan’s Neck’ (the river does bend like a swan’s neck), but there is only one space and we were too late.  It is a little dark, however, it would have been perfect for Monty, but hey ho, on we went

to Eckington Wharf and lo and behold as we arrived the only boat there left!  

We pulled in at the end furthest from the bridge when another boat came to join us who had passed a boat who had moored here the night before.  They told him that there had been drugs bust in the car park by the mooring.  I gather there were three police cars with blues (we are not sure about the twos) and some people were slapped into handcuffs and taken away!

The boat who had joined us moved off after lunch – Waka Haia and their two travelling companions took their place

Once again, we had splendid views from the side hatch

The three of us went for a walk across the other side of the bridge.  This view shows the car park and the site of the drugs raid! .

 The views were fabulous, but the weather did not lend itself to good photography

We had been following this building on the hill most of the day – it is covered in scaffolding, but we have no idea what it is.

We hoped our route would take us round to Swan’s Neck and sure enough it did, giving us a good shot of Fenakapan – a wine trade boat.

A young man posing beautifully in the long grass

Eckington Bridge is yet another splendid construction.

I am glad to say we had a quiet and undisturbed night with no repeat of last night’s shenanigans.

Friday 23^rd June 2017

Eckington Bridge to Tewkesbury

7.5 miles, 1 lock

It was our 44^th wedding anniversary and a year since the Brexit vote when we were on the Canal du Midi and we woke up in  Trèbes and went to bed in La Redorte, France.  The weather was very different – no long hot sunny day, but rather a windy and chilly one.

I took Monty for a quick walk whilst Chris got ready for an early departure. 

How is this for a large ‘nursery school outing’?

Stensham lock held no surprises and was quickly done

Before long the church and Bredon hove into view

You cannot avoid motorways for every – this is the M5.  Going under is far better than travelling along it.

It is a slightly better view looking back with Bredon church in the background

This stretch of the Avon is wide open lush meadowland 

The silage is ready to go

Suddenly you are awarded with a glimpse of Tewkesbury Abbey

To enter the town, you have to go under another wonderful bridge – King John Bridge.  Visibility is limited, so a blast on the horn is advisable.

Would we get a mooring?   Well someone was smiling down on us as this boat pulled out as we arrived

And we were able to tie up on the first mooring past the water point that has a lovely long hose which meant we would be able to water up before we left without moving the boat.

Waka Huia and her two travelling companions arrived shortly afterwards and managed to find moorings a bit further along.

Fellow bloggers on a boat called 'What a Lark' had mentioned this restaurant when they were here in May and we liked the look of the menu, so had booked a table.

Did we enjoy our meal?  Resoundingly yes.  And so our first trip down the Avon was over - a truly lovely river and one I am sure we will do again.