On leaving the
Kennet and Avon canal, A sharp left turn, a quick stop at the water
tap to top up the drinking water and prepare the Hanham lock to leave
the waters run by the Canals and River Trust, the people we pay our
river tax too.
The next lock will
be the Netham lock and our entry into Bristol harbour authority.
Mooring outside the lock keepers office after phoning ahead, the
first thing was to check the height of our boat, its to make sure we
can get under a swing bridge before we meet the floating harbour.
There was plenty of room on the measure, but when we arrived and went
under the swing bridge it was very close..about 2 inches clearance.
The £1000 we pay
each year doesn’t cover some rivers. We had to pay to use the
Thames, also have to pay Bristol Council to use the harbour. . .
£168.00 for one week !! What do we get for that ? You may ask.
The permission to
float on a mooring !! That's all.
Well that not quite
true, we received a map of the harbour and a very nice book about the
area.
Jenny was/is very
apprehensive about the last part of our epic journey. She has an
aversion to wide rivers and much prefers the narrow canals. Neither
of us are strong swimmers and its quite possible to ‘walk’ to the
bank when on a canal as they are not that deep. Rivers are a lot
deeper.
We are quite used to
being alongside large river boats and Dutch barges but, pulling along
side sea going ships is another thing. It makes us feel so small.
The main reason I
wanted to come to Bristol was to see the SS Great Britain as I was
able to have a look around this wonderful unique vessel built by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
I was able to have a
look around it when it was first returned to the docks in the early
70’s. She was only a rusting heap of metal, a ship that had lain
sunken in a cove on the Falkland Islands. A wreck which no one
wanted until some one realised how special she was and brought her
home. But more about her later.
The run into the
floating harbour was very interesting, past old rejuvenated factories
turned into expensive but lovely looking apartments. Alongside new
architecture and modern places to live in, all fitting in well side
by side. Just for a laugh I checked out the property available for
sale. A one bed apartment £350.000 . . .a three bed ….up to and
above one million. . , it must be lovely to be rich.
I’d heard about
the ‘floating harbour’ but too be honest, I didn’t understand
what it was.
In my ignorance
presumed it was an area on floating pontoons so it rose and fell
with the tide. . Nope !!
Many years ago when
it was a tidal port the ships being unloaded would often be beached
when the tide went out, leaving big ships at a very steep listing to
the port or starboard sides making loading and unloading difficult.
Part of the harbour
is controlled by locks. Placing locks above and below the harbour it
trapped the flow of water within the floating harbour area. We didn’t
go up and down at all when the tide came in. On the River Avon they
close the locks until it goes out again. When we were leaving we had
to wait until the lock gate was opened then we turned into a river
flowing against us, but that was coming out ...
Entering into the
city of Bristol we first noticed a large shark coming towards us at
speed !! We were running at 3500 rpm 5 mph on our Sat Nav The shark
was doing a bit more. , it was a ferry boat with big teeth on the
front, used to move people around the area.
Then as we turned
the corner she came into sight, the wonderful ship..SS Great Britain.
.
Passing the ship and the small mini marina we saw our home for the next 7days.
Over looked by new
flats on one side. On the other side old houses which missed the
bombing of 1940 / 41. Going back from the edge of the water modern,
new property and higher up the hill the older houses look over.
We passed an old sea
going ship which looked familiar to me. The MV Balmoral.
As with all old
things Google usually has the answer or can point you in the right
direction.
It, after a bit of a
search, gave up its life history. It started off life from the day of
launching till 1968 it was the Isle of Wight ferry. As a child in
about 1964 I went to a camping holiday on the Isle of wight and was a
passenger on it.
The area outside of
where we are is so busy !!…. kids in canoes, kids in sailing boats,
Looking out of the
windows its not unusual to be eye to eye with a paddle boarder,
struggling to stand up (if its wind or there's a few waves) I am
naughty sometimes if the side hatch is open and they come past
closely ..if its a young girl passing I stick my head out and say
‘HELLO’ rather loudly.
So funny to see them
jump and then regain their balance. Nobody has fell in yet .. but I
keep trying. I know . . I'm naughty.
The ferry boats run
all day taking people to different place about the harbour. There are
pleasure cruisers running up and down and in the evening they take
out hen parties and stag parties with loud music. It is certainly a
place which is lively.
I was not ready for
a surprise I had while cooking for breakfast, a crispy bacon
sandwich. Also doing a safety check at the same time.. . if you cook
the bacon until the smoke alarm goes off.. the bacon is perfect and
we know the alarm is OK. But I was shocked to see a dog swimming past
about 3 foot from the boat ..I shouted to Jenny to get into the
cratch try and get it to come in towards the boat. However, as we
jumped to action stations we noticed a lady with a lead was walking
up the jetty. . she was having a walk, her doggy was having a swim.
Going at a bit of a pace also, panic over.
Its a thing we are
always on the look out for. If a dog goes into the water on it own it
often can be fatal as they can’t get out. We passed a body of a
Jack Russell on the way down to here. So sad. Someone must have lost
their pet.
When we are settled
in on a mooring we have a routeen. Check out the area.
Provisions, Aldi or
similar. Quite a walk but also needed a chemist. I’d run out of my
drugs and was unsure if I could get a repeat prescription where we
were. We could and now have enough supplies to get us home.
While at Aldi there
was a BBC west local film crew doing a piece on a new mural. Guess
who was interviewed on camera...yep yours truly.. I appeared on the
local news two days later.
We were only a five
minute walk from the SS Great Britain. As this is not an area that
appeals to Jenny, we parted company for the day. . I wandered off and
had a great day looking around a beautiful ship and really enjoyed it
.. took me five hours and I still didn’t see it all. But with the
ticket I can go back any day I want for free ..however its a long way
from Northampton.
In its day it was a
luxury liner taking people to Australia, then onto many other duties
as a sailing ship (her engines were removed to get more cargo area)
carrying coal until she was badly damaged in a storm off the Cape.
She limped into the Falkland islands but so badly damaged she was
classed as beyond economical repair. She ended her days as a wool and
coal warehouse until she couldn’t even do this, when she was towed
out of Port Stanley around the corner into a cove and unceremoniously
scuttled. Punched holes in her hull so she wouldn't move. She was
raised and brought back to her birth place on a floating barge in the
early 70’s and restored. Well worth a visit.
 |
| Inside SS Great Britain |
We did the usual
tourist bit and had a tour bus trip.
 |
| Clifton suspension bridge over the River Avon |
Enjoying the weather in Bristol near the Harbour
|
After a walk around
the corner we realised we were on the opposite bank to where we were
moored ..so...we called it a day as I was running out of
energy...jumped on the little ferry boat and walked back to Infinity.
We used the rest of
our jump on ..jump off ticket the next day. Just as we jumped on the
open top bus . . the heavens opened and it poured with rain. Guess
who hadn’t taken any wet gear with them ?? yep ...us.
We had two lots of
visitors while we were here..Great to meet up with Adrian and Lesley
over here from the South of France...they live in Carcassonne, then
the next day our friends Gregg and Jane called in they were our next
door neighbours at Yelvertoft.
Now living in South
Wales...always a warm welcome aboard Infinity guaranteed… do a good
lunch as well.
Well after a weeks
holiday we are now on our way back to the Thames and heading home.
More old age travels
next time as we check out the K and A going the other way.
TTFN for now.
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