On our way to Devizes

Saturday 28th September

A chilly morning – out came my woolly hat for the first time this autumn!  We pulled pins before 9 and were soon through the Bruce tunnel and reaching the end of the summit pound at the top of Wootton Rivers locks.  We were speedily down, just avoiding getting a soaking in Heathey Close lock;

We passed Helio who were at the visitor mooring, and bought some onions from the lock cottage before pausing briefly below the lock to dispose of rubbish and pop up to the village hall which has recycling facilities.

We moored at Pewsey around midday – we were expecting the visitor moorings to be much worse than they actually were and managed to get two rings.  We walked down to Pewsey where we bought some cakes in the bakery then walked down to see Alfred the Great;

We set off again after lunch, not able to stop at the service area which had two liveaboards on it (a widebeam and a tupperware) watering up and also enjoying a pint as they waited.  We enjoyed the luxury of the long pound with no locks, catching glimpses of the White Horse, but took no photos.  We are finding this stretch less beautiful or interesting than we expected, we think because the vegetation is so thick and high (except where the nettles and burdock are beginning to die back and go brown) that we can’t see the views.  Looking forward to spring when we’ll be coming back up!  We filled up with diesel at Honeystreet, but decided reluctantly not to stop by the pub as we want to go down the Caen Hill flight tomorrow.  Some stretches seem to be very narrow and we wonder what happens when two widebeams meet;

We stopped at Horton Bridge, a couple of miles short of Devizes, at about 6.  The pub moorings were full so we moored on the decrepit 48 hour moorings.  It had been a long day so off we went to the pub. 

4 locks, 2 swing bridges, 15 miles.