This is the life

Life on the canal is a lovely leasurely pace. One person sits at the back of the boat and steers all 79 feet from there. Another one or two people are needed every so often to open swing bridges and locks. The locks are used to get the boat either up or down from one section of the canal to another that is at a different height. Assuming the water in the lock is the same level as the boat, you open the first gate, steer the boat in and then close the gate behind you. Both gates need to be shut then you use a windless to open the paddle which lets the water either into or out of the middle section raising or lowering the boat. The second gate is then opened and the boat can move on. I hope this kinda makes sense and isn't too confusing (lol).

Apart from that, there is plenty of time to sit and admire the view, read, sleep or chat. Sleeping on board.


There are also many interesting characters and boats along the way!!

We stopped in a beautiful town called Bradford on Avon. We had a walk around having a look at the old buildings and then had a lovely afternoon tea in the bridge tea rooms.



And Tieve posted a letter to Grandma and Grandad.