Kennet & Avon Canal - Part II (Bath to Pewsey Wharf)

Next morning, after a quick trip up the Avon as far as Pulteney Bridge, we set off back towards Bradford-on-Avon along the Kennet & Avon Canal. After negotiating Bath Locks again our only viable lunchtime stop was outside The George at Bathampton!

The George, Bathampton

As it was now a Monday lunchtime there was plenty of room to sit and the experience was much better than two days earlier!

After lunch we cast off and spent the afternoon gently navigating our way back towards Bradford-on-Avon, arriving there just after 6pm. This gave us plenty of time to explore the delightful village and the pubs therein.

We ignored the Canal Tavern and walked past The Three Horseshoes finally ending up here.

The Bear Inn, Bradford-on-Avon

Despite its traditional exterior, inside was quite modern and stark. As it was early evening on a Monday it was quite quiet, but a few people were turning up for the quiz night, just as we were leaving.

Next was the Dandy Lion which has the feel of a proper pub and provides very good food.

The Dandy Lion, Bradford-on-Avon

Contrary to what you'd expect, it hasn't been a pub for that many years. Most of it's 200+ years of existence was as a variety of shops (including shoe shop!) I can't remember the details, but I think it has only been a pub for about 20 years. It felt much older than that.

After more beer, wine and food it was time to head back up the hill to the canal and we just had time to pop in to The Barge for a nightcap...or two!

The Barge Inn, Bradford-on-Avon

As The Barge Inn is just over the cut from where we were moored it seemed like a good idea. However, the only lagers available were 5% and served in non lager glasses...not a good combination. It also felt more like sitting at a farmhouse kitchen table than a cosy pub! However, there was an unexpected memory to take away.

All experienced boaters know that pubs tend to offer the best option for toilet facilities and we usually take advantage when necessary. One of my fellow travellers (I won't name him here!) needed to pay a visit and, when he returned a few minutes later he related a strange occurrence. Apparently, as he was sitting there he suddenly had the sensation the the room had tilted to 45°! After a suitable pause, I needed to go as well. As I was sitting there I experienced nothing strange and was beginning to think my friend was going soft in the head or had drunk too much. But then I stood up to sort out the 'paperwork' and suddenly the room tilted to 45°...very weird!

Next morning we were on our way again heading east and we ended up at Seend Cleeve for lunch.

The Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve

Another Barge Inn, but a much more satisfactory experience than our previous Barge Inn visit the night before!

Back onto our boat Anitra for an afternoon of working locks up to the bottom of the world-famous Caen Hill flight - sixteen locks rising 130 feet towards Devizes.

Caen Hill Locks

That was something to look forward to for the next morning, but our immediate problem was - where is the nearest pub? The village of Rowde was about a mile away and we were hopeful that we'd find something.

There were two pubs, so that was us sorted for the evening!

Cross Keys, Rowde

The Cross Keys is a fairly standard pub, but food wasn't available on the night we were there. Not the end of the world because there was another choice.

George & Dragon, Rowde

The George & Dragon isn't really a pub, but rather a hotel with a restaurant, so we were happy! After a pleasant meal we headed back to the Cross Keys for a couple more before strolling back to the boat ready for an early(ish) start to tackle the locks next morning!

Next day it was quite misty when we set out up the locks. It took us a little over 3 hours to negotiate passage to the top, but this included a ½ hour wait for a wide beam boat coming down at about the eighth lock. After all the hard work, this was our mooring.

Black Horse, Devizes

Mooring up at a pub garden is always the best! Lunch was pleasant and we were off again a couple of hours later. After three more locks we then had a long flat stretch of canal all the way to Pewsey. This turned out to be the longest travelling session of the holiday (and also the first time it rained!). It was my turn to steer and 5 hours later we were mooring up (illegally) at Pewsey Wharf in the dark and wet.

Waterfront Bar & Bistro, Pewsey Wharf

Fortunately for us it was open and serving food. Again, not really a proper pub, but it passed all the criteria we needed - food, drink and a seat. It felt more like a clubhouse for the local boaters (it was quite busy when we arrived) and the landlord/owner was a real character who'd had many previous jobs including owning one of the early hire fleets on the Kennet & Avon Canal. All-in-all a very good night of eating, drinking and talking (and we were the last to leave!).

This seems like an appropriate point to press the 'Pause' button.

Kennet & Avon Canal - Part I (Bradford-on-Avon to Bath)

Most of the pubs featured in this blog are ones that I've visited on our canal holidays over the years. Since we sold our boat Emma Jane last year we've been able to visit 'new' canals that I've never been on before. From a holiday point of view this has been great, but it means that, for this blog, the supply of pubs has diminished somewhat. I've still got quite a few to get through, but as it is still fresh in the mind I'm going to detail the pubs we visited on our most recent trip along the Kennet & Avon Canal. Who knows, in a few years if we revisit the canal again I can add them to the collection.

Our trip started from Bradford-on-Avon with lunch in one of the nearest pubs to the Black Prince hire base.

Canal Tavern, Bradford-on-Avon

Like all of the buildings in Bradford it is built from local stone. Inside it was quite 'pubby' and pleasant for a lunchtime break before our boat was ready.

So, after a good lunch we took charge of the narrowboat Anitra and, after the obligatory boat familiarisation and safety talk we were off towards Bath. We consulted our Nicholson's Guide and expected to be in Bath by the evening. What we hadn't bargained for was the sheer number of moored boats along the way. You have to go very slowly past moored boats and there were few opportunities to get up any speed so we only made it as far as Bathampton.

The George, Bathampton

This was the perfect mooring site as that's our boat you can see right outside the pub! The George, sadly, is a Chef & Brewer pub and it was Saturday night. All of the tables were occupied or reserved and it was fully booked. Not for the last time on this holiday we consulted our smartphones to see what else was available nearby. The bar staff were no help, but technology pointed us towards Bathampton Mill and a quick phone call reserved us a table.

Bathampton Mill

This is an upmarket restaurant in what used to be a large pub by the river...although the riverside setting was rather lost as it was very dark (hence the not so great picture!). I'm not sure I should classify this as a pub, but as it used to be I'll include it even though it is an expensive eatery with a bar area.

Next day we tackled the short journey into Bath, via the six locks and moored up on the River Avon. Time for lunch so we headed into Bath to discover the delights of the city. Fortunately there are lots of street maps because to the unwary tourist Bath can become quite bewildering.

The West Gate, Bath

This was our first port of call - The West Gate is larger than expected and was fairly unatmospheric at that time on a Sunday lunchtime.

Back in May I reported on Britain's Best Real Heritage Pubs and the pubs that I'd visited in there. I'd taken it on holiday expecting to find a few new pubs to explore. There are two in Bath and we discovered one nearby.

The Old Green Tree, Bath

This is a proper old school pub - as you walk in the bar is in front of you, to the left is the front room and another room at the back, which is where we sat.

Allied to very friendly bar staff you get a perfect pub!

Cornish Pasty for lunch, a tour of the sights of Bath and back to the boat for a breather before a second foray into the city for the evening session. After a bit more sightseeing, this was our first pub.

The Huntsman, Bath

The Huntsman is a large fairly characterless pub, but it served its purpose! One pint and it was onwards.

Saracen's Head Tavern, Bath

This is a fairly bog-standard boozer...which is what I like! As we were getting a bit peckish we moved on again, to eat. Then it was back to the pubs and we found this little gem.

Coeur de Lion, Bath

Apparently this is the smallest pub in Bath and I'm not surprised. The upstairs bit was closed (well it was late on a Sunday night), but the downstairs bar is tiny but full of interest. Still time for one more, hopefully!

The Canary Gin & Wine Bar, Bath

My memory is fading (nothing to do with the drink, officer!) as this was our last stop of the evening, but it was a pleasant place. Not quite a pub, but perfectly acceptable for a last drink of the evening.

That seems to be a reasonable point to end this first instalment of our Kennet & Avon adventure. 

#130 Crown Inn, Alvechurch, Worcestershire : 1987 to 2013

The Crown Inn at Alvechurch is just a few miles away from me, but the only times I've drunk there has been on our canal trips as it sits (almost canal side) on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

My first visit was on the evening of Saturday 4th July 1987, at the start of a trip that would take us as far south as Worcester and as far north as Middlewich!

As I recall, we spent the whole evening there in a proper, cosy village pub.

A combination of circumstances meant that our next visit to the Crown Inn was on the evening of Monday 12th August 2002.

This shows how close to the canal it is without actually being canalside. The exterior had been extensively refurbished, but inside it was largely unchanged. This visit was part of a short local trip that we'd undertaken with the idea of doing some boat painting along the way.

We were back again in less than a year.

This was on the evening of Thursday 29th May 2003 near the end of our Stourport Ring journey. This view is from the canal bridge and shows that it hadn't changed externally.

Another five years passed before we did the Stourport Ring again and this time it was a lunchtime stop at the Crown on Thursday 29th May 2008.

Finally I took a picture from the front again so that the changes from 1987 are more apparent.

Another five years passed and we attempted the Stourport Ring one more time. This time we started from Worcester, so we popped in to the Crown Inn at lunchtime on Monday 13th May 2013.

It is quite remarkable that the outside has hardly changed in the past 11 years and is still advertised as an M&B pub. Inside it still has the same layout and is still the same cosy village pub that it was in 1987. If you're in the area, it is worth a visit and here is their website.

#129 Parr Arms, Grappenhall, Cheshire : 1991 to 2013

This will be a short entry as I've only ever drunk in the pub once! Our first visit was at lunchtime on Tuesday 22nd July 1991 as part of a trip from Wigan to Lapworth.

As I recall it was a pleasant village pub, but over 20 years later the memory hasn't dragged out anything significant.

After we'd finished our journey in 1991, our boat Emma Jane went further south and for a few years was based on the lower reaches of the Grand Union Canal.

In the intervening years we've passed through Grappenhall a couple of times, but not stopped there.

This year, in a break from tradition, our Easter trip took us into Manchester, starting from the Claymoore Narrowboats hire base at Preston Brook. On our way back we took the opportunity to revisit the lovely village of Grappenhall.

This photo was taken on Sunday 31st March 2013. There are two pubs in the village, almost next door to each other, and we went in the Ram's Head first where we had a few pints and our evening meal. It was getting a bit late and I was keen to have a last pint in the Parr Arms...but it was closed having finished serving at 10:30 pm!

On my (very) brief visit inside it appeared to be a proper 'old school' village pub, but sadly with 'old school' opening hours! So we had another one in the Ram's Head!

As you would expect in 22 years the exterior had been extensively changed, but it is now a Robinson's pub and back in 1991 it was Greenhall Whitley. One trivial point to finish - it is unusual to get an orange car in one picture...but in two, 20+ years apart, that's just 'spooky'!

#128 Black Star, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire : 1999 to 2013

The Black Star is a canalside pub in Stourport that should be thriving. Our first visit was on the evening of Tuesday 1st June 1999, which still surprises me as we'd been to Stourport previously at least on two occasions.

From what I remember it was a cosy little canalside pub that did good food.

Our next visit was a lunchtime stop on Tuesday 27th May 2008.

It had been extensively redecorated on the outside, but inside was largely unchanged.

Our most recent trip to Stourport was on the evening of Thursday 16th May 2013. Although this was a scheduled stop on our trip it also proved to be the end of our journey as the River Severn was running several feet above its normal level and was closed. The incessant rain from Sunday had worked its way down from Wales and we were unable to get our boat back to the hire base on the river near Worcester.

So, it was time for a pub crawl!

Again the Black Star had been externally redecorated, but the internal layout was still pretty much the same - a smallish, quite cosy, front bar/lounge and a larger room at the back set out for dining. The only problem was that it was almost deserted! From what I can glean from t'internet the lease is currently available and it sounds like an attractive proposition...but only if someone can make it work. It should be thriving, but when we were there the canal was full of boats that couldn't go further and yet there was no-one in the restaurant part of the pub!

Hopefully someone can turn it around and here is their website.

#127 The Red Man, Kidderminster, Worcestershire : 2008 to 2013

Despite the fact that we've done the Stourport Ring on several occasions, we've only ever stopped in Kidderminster twice! 

Before I get on with it, I'm not sure if there are any other pubs with this name - I've come across many a Green Man, but this is the only Red Man I know of - do you know any better? 

The first time, and indeed only time I've been inside The Red Man was on the evening of Monday 26th May 2008. We were having a bit of a pub crawl around Kidderminster whilst trying to find a suitable place to eat when we came upon The Red Man. Inside it was like many small town pubs; functional but lacking in any real character...and, as it was a Monday evening, fairly quiet. One rather different aspect was that it didn't just allow people to eat their takeaways in the pub, it was positively encouraged with various menus scattered about. At the time I thought it was a great idea for a pub that doesn't do food!

The next time we stopped in Kidderminster was on a lunchtime and we didn't go in The Red Man, but I took this photo as we strolled by.

This was taken on Thursday 16th May 2013. This is one of the most complete external makeovers I've documented in the time I've been doing this blog. Seemingly their innovative experiment with the food has gone by the board as it would appear that they now do their own. Here is their website.

#126 The Wheatsheaf, Crick, Northants : 1986 to 2013

Crick is a village in the Northamptonshire countryside and sits on the Grand Union Canal Leicester Section. It is home to the annual Crick Boat Show. There are three pubs in the village which we've visited on numerous occasions.

The first time I went to Crick was on the evening of Monday 21st July 1986 on a canal trip that would take us to Leicester and Nottingham.

I don't recall too much about it, but I think that The Wheatsheaf was a fairly standard village local with a Bar and Lounge. I do seem to remember that many of the pubs in that region seemed to be Mann's pubs.

It was quite a few years before we returned to Crick and this is how The Wheatsheaf looked.

This was a repeat of the previous journey and the photo was taken at lunchtime on Tuesday 26th August 1997. Quite a change in the intervening 11 years, although the hanging sign appears to be the same. Also, the light fittings are in the same place, but different in design.

We were back again a few years later on a similar itinerary (except that we didn't go to Nottingham this time) and we spent the evening in Crick.

This was on Monday 18th August 2003 and the six year gap had resulted in some more changes. New signage, new windows (I think!) and a replacement satellite dish. Also, no more car parking at the front.

Our next visit was another six years later, again on a similar journey, except this time the route had been reversed. We'd already been to Nottingham and Leicester and were on our way back to our moorings at Lapworth.

This was on the evening of Wednesday 9th September 2009 and again there were noticeable changes to the exterior of The Wheatsheaf. A new sign and yet another satellite dish!

Earlier this year I visited the Crick Boat Show for the first time and took the opportunity to pop into the village to get some updated photos of the pubs.

This was on Monday 27th May 2013. I think that the narrowboat mock-up is only there during the boat show. Other than that, there were some minor external changes...and the satellite dish has gone!

I haven't commented on the interior because, quite frankly, I don't recall what it was like. However, judging by the website, it looks as though The Wheatsheaf has gone a bit more upmarket.