Windmills and Walks

Thursday 23rd August, 2012 at Crofton Pumping Station.
We awoke early to one of those gentle mornings where the mist still lingers over the water and the rising sun is just breaking through. Within minutes, the mist vanished to reveal a crystal clear morning. Magic!

We discovered that the family on nb "Griffin," moored alongside us , were also planning to go up to Crofton, so we lashed the two boats together and set off to do the nine locks side by side. They were a lovely family; Andrew, Pauline and grandson Ethan, aged 10.
Andrew said that "Griffin" weighs 28 tons (compared to MM at 19 tons); they had her built 12 years ago as a "liveaboard" with a 15mm steel base but apparently the builder overdid the ballast! However, he said that the extra weight means that the boat handles very well, particularly in reverse. Ethan told M that he loved narrowboating so much that he'd already asked his grandad to bequeath the boat to him in his will! 
At the Bruce Tunnel, M got off MM and walked the towpath over the top while R took MM through the 500 yard tunnel. It was a lovely walk across the top, past the former Forest Hotel and two former railway stations (and a cottage ironically called "Beeching Villas").

M arrived at the top of the other end of the tunnel just as MM was emerging. Perfect timing!!

As we approached Crofton, we could see smoke already rising from Crofton's chimney as they prepared for this coming weekend "in steam".
We moored at Crofton next to "Griffin" and had lunch. M tried to re-create the gorgeous brie, grape and cranberry sandwiches that we had enjoyed so much at the tea room in Bradford on Avon. Excellent, but different, said R. (he's just being kind - they weren't terribly successfully, says M!).  At least it might count as one of our five-a-day!
Much greater success was experienced when R put up our rotary washing line for the first time! It slots into a special holder that R fitted to the stern. M had just washed all the towels (and R's socks) and the sight of them flapping gaily in the sunshine was a source of great delight to her! Not to be used while cruising though (visions of R's "smalls" being blown off into the canal!!).

As we had approached Crofton earlier, we had seen a windmill high on a hill to the south. A study of the OS map identified it as Wilton Windmill about a mile south of the canal. It was a lovely afternoon so we set off to find it. Unfortunately we didn't take the map, so we turned west in the village instead of east, thus adding another mile to our walk. The village itself was a delight, so peaceful and full of classic thatched cottages. Hardly a car in sight.

It was worth the extra mile to find the windmill. Beautifully preserved and still in perfect working order. It is open every day and it still operates on Bank Holiday weekends, so you can buy genuine stone-ground flour.

We walked back on a track that follows the path of an old Roman road (the Venta Belgarum) which runs in a straight line from Winchester to Marlborough and crosses the canal just yards from where MM is moored. It also crosses the railway line there with a lovely old-fashioned level crossing gate.

The high speed trains from Paddington to the south-west pass just yards away on the other side of the canal, so close that we can read the names on the locomotives, such as "Isambard Kingdom Brunel". There are many freight trains too - and the drivers often wave to us. How nice that train drivers still wave to people!
Today: 4 miles, 9 locks and 2.9 hours.
Trip: 223 miles, 207 locks and 182.7 hours (333.8 total).