Gang of Five.

Despite the mooring being next to the car park of two pubs it was a very quiet night. Before going to bed we saw that the river was going the 'wrong' way. The tide had been big enough to come up the river and over top the weir. On a top spring tide the height would be about a metre higher than last night and the tide reaches all the way up to the next lock, Keynsham.

 Our mooring on the pontoon by Hanham Lock last night.

We were off about ten and just pottered along enjoying the sunshine. The steep sided valley gave way on one side to water meadows. We didn't see any boats on this stretch.

Very green and the railway has left the canal so very peaceful transit.

Keynsham Lock was slow to fill. The width of the locks on this stretch is 16' so there is plenty of room to avoid the gates. In the background is the old Cadbury's factory that was built for The Fry's Chocolate Factory in 1919. It closed in 2011 and the production and machinery was moved to Cadbury's. I remember the Fry's Five boys chocolate bars as I have four brothers and we used to get them.

I could never work out which of us was which expression.

We were soon at out proposed stopping place, which are few and far between on this section. We were very lucky as just as we arrived a boat was just leaving. There were a couple of boats on the other end but they soon left too. After Helen did a bit of baking and I cleared out the bow locker we went for a walk on the Bristol and Bath Railway path that was also at the terminus of the Avon Valley Railway line. It was like a motorway for bikes and they were going flat out in many cases. It was all a bit intimidating really and not really a pleasant place to walk.

Look down at out mooring from the old railway bridge over the River Avon. Now the rail trail. We walked to Saltford on the rail track and then back by the side of the river.

It is the end of exams today it seems and the picnic area next to the mooring is full of lads out of school. They are jumping in the river and other daft things so I am hoping that they aren't here for the night.