All Stop - Friday 12th April 2013

Our over night mooring in Theale was just the job after a days cruising with a lovely old mill opposite which was in the process of being restored, and great views up the canal.


Whilst we were preparing to leave the mooring this morning a Stoat decided to pay us a visit and a lovely little thing it was darting in and out of the staging.

James steers Nb Chance out of the lock and down a canalised section.

It would appear that Phoenix has her own Canal Carrying Company and here is one of her boats.

June and Doug pass one of the more interesting wooden boats on the canal.

We soon reached Aldermaston Wharf where we filled with diesel and water and then negotiated the lift bridge over the main road before entering the lock. The Bridge is on a timer so that it can’t be opened again for another 10 mins to ensure that the traffic is not held up unreasonably. As we went up the lock a boat winded in the pound below us to go back through the bridge.

We motored on passing Nb Waiouru with Tom and Jan waving hello and then past Frouds Bridge Marina to Woolhampton Swing Bridge and Lock. We moored at the landing stage and I went to have a look at how the river would affect our transit only to find 2 hire boats waiting in the lock exit as they had reported the bridge would not work to C&RT who had visited the site and decided that the contractors would need to be called from Leicester. This meant that we would have to stay overnight as they are unable to come until Saturday morning. Fortunately we had a great mooring on the bridge staging and so were not too concerned as we had planned to moor above the lock for the night.

The problem bridge with its difficult angled approach.

The Rowbarge Pub where the gongoozlers sit and watch the antics of us boaters negotiating the swing bridge and fast flowing river across the front of the lock.

Our mooring spot for the night on the bridge landing area.

After lunch I walked Pheonix into the village which must be very old since it still has the old corner shop building which dates back from the 1500’s and some interesting houses unlike any around the midlands. The new village shop is very good with papers and local produce for sale.