Another Use For "Clinker"

Tuesday 14th August, 2012 West of Devizes.
The total journey time from home to MM was just three hours! The High Speed Train from Reading to Westbury certainly makes short work (45 minutes) of the journey that it took us seven weeks to complete on the canal! It was a strange feeling, seeing all those little sleepy villages and stretches of the canal, now so familiar, going past in a flash.
Despite an indifferent weather forecast, it was very warm and sunny as we arrived at the Caen Hill Marina. R needed to settle our bill, but the office was closed for lunch, so we used the time to have lunch oursleves.

We turned out of the marina and, at the first lock, teamed up with Dave and family (three generations) on hire Sally Boat, nb "Rose Emily." We were able to share the seven locks up to the foot of the Caen Hill Lock Flight with them. At the last of the seven locks, we were hailed by Angela from nb "Red Geranium" (last seen in Bradford on Avon). She was moored at the bottom of the lock flight and was obviously delighted to find that we were planning to moor up and go up the flight first thing in the morning. We were also delighted to find someone to go up the flight with, but especially someone whom we knew and liked so much.
The plan is to go up the flight of sixteen locks first thing in the morning when they open at 8:00am (they are padlocked shut at night). Angela's only concern was that she has two cats and she hopes that they will return to the boat in time!!

Dave and family on nb "Rose Emily" decided that they would turn and go back to the Barge Inn at Seend for dinner. Apparently the three ladies on board were eager to get to Bath for a day's shopping!

Later, we went for a walk up the towpath next to the flight and met up with the duty lock-keeper, Roger. He was closing down the locks for the night. The lock-keepers leave one bottom paddle open on each lock to let some water flow through - which is why we want to start early tomorrow as all the locks will be empty and will therefore all be in our favour, thus saving lots of time.

Before - pouring ash behind the gate - After

Some of the locks leak quite badly and so, to ensure that there is not too much water loss, Roger was pouring ash (actually "clinker" from steam engines) down above the worst leaking gates. The flowing water pulls the clinker into the holes and seals the leaks. The effect was quite dramatic (see above). We thought how very ironic it was that the railways, being the primary cause of the demise of the canals as a working transport system, are now actually helping them out.

On the way back we saw a beautiful bank of wild flowers; cornflowers, poppies and daisies, obviously planted by the C&RT.  The entire Caen Hill Flight is beautifully maintained.

Our overnight mooring!
Today: 1 mile, 7 locks and 2.1 hours.
Trip: 204 miles, 175 locks and 169.2 hours (319.2 total).