Pretty Pershore.

The other boat was a way a little before us but we left before 1000 and the sun was trying. It was successful later in the day.

Our over night mooring with pollarded willows and the foothills of the Costwolds in the distance.

Less than a mile down river was Fladbury Lock. There were some lovely big house for Helen to stare at today so it kept her interested as we headed south. The nearest mill is Cropthorne Mill and in the distance is Fladbury Mill. At nthe lock there was a marker to where the flood level of 2007 reached and it would have been just under the white bay window on the nearest mill!

It always seems to be cooler on the water and it isn't quite warm enought for Helen to come out of her cocoon just yet.

Cropthorne Mill and lock with the narrow channel leading to the lock.

There were moor gardens and house for Helen to peruse as we made our way to Wyre Lock. This is the last 'unusual' shaped lock left on the river. There were all sorts of shapes used apparently to reduce to erosion on the lock walls from the paddles. This acute shape doesn't make it that easy to work through though.

Wyre Mill was an old gristmill and was converted by the Lower Avon Trust into a social club and still owned by the members. The Avon Navigation Trust now have offices and a workshop here too.

We got to Pershore and went to fill with water. We had picked a mooring at the extensive moorings that were entirely empty when we arrived. As we were filling a boat came that also had solar panels and pinched our spot. We found another as good place a little further up and tied up. There is a very convenient gap in the trees to get sun all day.

 After lunch we walked into town via the retail market. We bought some local asparagus and some brown bed for tea tonight. The Abbey Church was started in 689 and became a Benedictine monastery. It went bust in the 10th century when it's lands were handed over to Westminster Abbey. The Monastery survived but serious damage was done by fire 1223. The lovely vaulting was erected in the 14th century. It is known as plough share vaulting and it and the stone carved roof bosses are of high quality and were originally brightly painted but the Victorians cleaned it all off!!  The tower lost in the fire was replaced and appears to be by the same architect as built Salisbury Cathedral. At the reformation the land and abbey buildings were sold and stones used else where. The tower survived though.

This is a tomb to the Hazelwood family that were originally from Yorkshire but acquired much land in the area. You can see his children here five girls and three boys. The girl facing outward represents a girl that died as a child. This was in the late 1600's.

This is another tomb of the Hazelwood family. This one is of the eldest son depicted in the previous photo. On the right is his wife and at his feet is his eldest son. Dated in the 1700's.

 The flying buttresses were added later to stop the tower falling down. You can see evidence of attached buildings on the right hand wall and the pink colour is actually discolouration caused by the fire of 1223 that brought he original tower down. 

There are several of these 'wavy walls' in Pershore. This one fronts the river so may be an original flood wall. I think that the curves in it give it extra strength but could be wrong about it. Just looked it up and they are called 'wiggle-waggley' or 'crinkle-crankle' walls. They were built like this so that the one course of bricks could be used and the curves did give added stability'.

There are many lovely Georgian houses in the town and this one is significant to my blog as it is the Perrott House, built around 1770 by Judge Perrott. He retired here to Pershore and set about restoring the weirs and locks of the Avon Navigation that brought trade to the town. The mill at Pershore provided the last commercial trade too. That is until it burnt down in 1970. If Judge Perrott hadn't set about his good works maybe the navigation would have been lost for ever by now.