Wandering in Wiltshire...

[funkylyn]

Getting off spiders for a minute, are any of our forum members canal boat liveaboards does anyone know ?

Lynda

 

[steve.c]

Hi Lynda. I have no problem with spiders and my wife picks them up and puts them outside ???? I've also had a few Tarantulers???? sorry about the spelling but BIG spiders fall on my head when I've been trimming my friends palm trees in Spain ( lovely )
Regards Steve
PS I have a nice new green Eagle now with no a mark on it ?????

 

[morphix]

Steve lovely! That's one thing would put me off moving to a warmer climate ;-) Massive storm here, lots of thunder..I think all the spiders are running for cover!! Sorry, we're supposed to be off spiders now anyway and moving back on to canal boats...Lynda is freaked out enough!

I think it must be awesome having that slow pace of life on the canal boats filming with your camera, stopping and mooring it up, getting on your folding e-bike and exploring some new places...not so sure about winter though..maybe back to bricks and mortar then or off to warmer climates.. it makes you realise how important canals were to Britain's industrial infrastructure and rapid economic rise in 19th century...when coal was the main energy source! There's absolutely loads of canals around here in the Midlands, Britain's industrial heartland..."city of a thousand trades" and "workshop of the world"..at one time there was very little that wasn't made in or around Birmingham...most industries were dominated from here, from springs to silversmiths, from firearms to motorbikes and cars..how things have changed.

If you're interested in canals and narrow boats check out "Industrial Revelations" I think it's on YouTube, with Mark Williams from the Fast Show touring the UK by canal and exploring our industrial past and legacy (he comes from the next town to me, Bromsgrove)..

 

[funkylyn]

Hi Lynda. I have no problem with spiders and my wife picks them up and puts them outside ???? I've also had a few Tarantulers???? sorry about the spelling but BIG spiders fall on my head when I've been trimming my friends palm trees in Spain ( lovely )
Regards Steve
PS I have a nice new green Eagle now with no a mark on it ?????

WOW....you mean in her bare hands......shudder......brave wife !

Lets not start on the Tarantulas in spain lol

Now that is GREAT GREAT news about your bike though Steve....bet yr really happy now.....did they finally exchange the whole bike for you ?

Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

Steve lovely! That's one thing would put me off moving to a warmer climate ;-) Massive storm here, lots of thunder..I think all the spiders are running for cover!! Sorry, we're supposed to be off spiders now anyway and moving back on to canal boats...Lynda is freaked out enough!

..

Just one more quick spidery comment....lets hope by running for cover you mean outside cover...NOT my bedroom lol

I actually really fancy a narrow boat but take your point about winter Paul !

Oooh narrow boats NOW on ITV !!!!

Lynda

 

[Scimitar]

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Pic 2 ; "Caen hill licks cafe" - did you have an ice cream?

 

[Scimitar]

had a really really ENORMOUS one in my bedroom 3 nights ago, so had to spend the night fully dressed on my settee and now I cant find it.

Hah; I hoovered one off the wall last night - it was so big I felt it rattling along the vacuum hose. That sorted the bstd out.

 

[funkylyn]

Pic 2 ; "Caen hill licks cafe" - did you have an ice cream?

LOL.....trust you to notice that

Mind you, they could rename it that judging by the amount of icecream they actually were selling.....I was tempted with the carrot cake however

Lynda

 

[Hurricane]

Well, I finally managed to take a week off, packed dogs and bike into the m/home and set off first for the Savernake Forest site at Malborough.
Had a lovely two days cycling the many forest trails and its an easy walk down into Marlborough...OK I cheated and got the bus back up....its a steep hill, Id been walking around the many shops for hours and it was hot !
It was my first visit to Marlborough and I was really impressed, the campsite is lovely too, and not too busy even though it was August.

I then moved on to Sells End near Devizes to a campsite at the Three Magpies pub.....and only 200 yds from the Avon and Kennet canal.....it was absolutely FANTASTIC cycling along the tow paths,even saw a recumbent trike on top of a narrowboat, I couldnt get enough of it,tried to dodge the heavy showers but the first day I got back covered in mud, nettled, scratched and wet....looked like the wreck of the Hesperus....but still smiling lol

I then went into....."Oooh....what if I bought a narrow boat and went to live on the canals" mode.....so downloaded various books of canal boat living onto my kindle and spent the nights dreaming and wondering......however, after finding out about the midgies and horror of horrors....the SPIDER problem, coupled with trying to keep four Pomeranians from drowning, Ive reluctantly decided its not for me lol.......for now !

After a wonderful few days of really really interesting cycling.....those Caen hill locks......amazing.....and saw lots of herons...love them.....signed up both the Caen hill locks tearoom and the three magpies pub as Cyclecharge chargepoints......will be putting them online this weekend.....so now theres no excuse for anyone wanting to do a longer stint along the canal.....you can now charge your battery en route, the girl with the tea rooms is lovely, young, enthusiastic and just been renting the place for 6 months...please try to support her when in the area, she was very enthusiastic about Cyclecharge and put the sticker in her window before I had even finished my coffee and carrot cake lol
One thing.....careful with the towpath heading east past Devizes.....it gets very narrow, in fact its not really part of the cycle route there but I just had to explore as much as I could, but can imagine if anyone isnt too steady it would be easy to take an unwanted dip !

I then reluctantly dragged myself away from the canal and set off for a farm site at Cheddar ( ok, I know, Im now wandering in Somerset ! )
The Strawberry way....what can I say....it was wonderful, a real gem of a traffic free ride, about 24 miles return, glorious countryside, stopped at the cafe at Yatton before heading back, hopefully will confirm after this weekend that they are now a Chargepoint too.
Very impressed with the centre of Axbridge and its medieval village centre, lovely little place that I had previously always by passed.

I was going to go to the Willow and Wetlands centre on the way home to do the cycle path there but as I was getting so close to home I decided to do that one on a day out.

So, the end of a lovely week cycling.....bike is still great, never faltered, it gets me where I want to go with the minimum of fuss,range is good, after say a 25 mile ride I still had two lights showing, mind you thats on medium assist with very little throttle, I still love my TONARO

Lynda

Fabulous thread Lynda. I am always looking for interesting picturesque traffic free cycle routes. I have done the Tarka Trail starting at Bideford in Devon. A lovely tarmac route covering about 30 miles. Long way to go from Perthshire. My favourite nearer to home though is the Rob Roy trail from Killin down to Callander in Stirlingshire about 60 miles return but stunning views. Wonder if it is worth starting a new thread for members to share favourites with pictures.

 

[funkylyn]

Thanks Alan....thats a really good idea about a separate traffic free routes thread...keep them all together for future reference.
I love discovering more and those three had been on my list to do for a while.

Im going to look for another canal one next, there are a few I fancy in Cornwall also I havent done any around the Bedfordshire/Oxfordshire area which I fancy exploring more.

Yes, the Tarka trail is amazing...as is the Granite Way starting from Okehampton station.
The Rob Roy trail sounds good........I dont know......so many places...so little time

Lynda

 

[Hurricane]

There is the Union Canal out of Edinburgh if you are ever up in Scotland. It has to be at least 30 miles long with various access points.
And just remembered another one, along side the river Forth again out of Edinburgh to the Forth road/ rail bridges. Caravan club site there too at Silverknowes. There are so many places.

 

[funkylyn]

Thanks for those, I hope to get up to scotland next year after visiting family on Tyneside.
I wanted to do it this year but ran out of 'midge free time' lol
Although I understand they arent as bad on the East coast ?

Lynda

 

[iwchris]

Thanks for sharing your pics! Looks a nice place

 

[TylerD]

Your trip sounds just great Lynda, you always seem to enjoy yourself though no matter where you go . Good to hear that the trusty Tonaro is performing so well, its still one I have my eye on and I'm keeping tabs on how you're doing with yours. How do you find you ride it, do use use the throttle much? And what sort of range are you getting now?
You would certainly enjoy cycling up here in Scotland . Something to aim for if you had a bit of time and the weather was good -its been awful this year-would be to do some island hopping in the Hebrides. I can't imagine anything better , weather permitting, than riding over miles of golden sand with the sea breeze in your face and the atlantic breakers rolling in beside you . On your Tonaro!

 

[funkylyn]

Hi Tyler, I still love my Tonaro, it does what I need it to do without any fuss and the last ride I did was 25mls and I still had 2 lights showing. I only use the throttle on setting off for 3 seconds...just cos Im lazy and it makes it simpler, especially on a hill or in traffic. Actually I lie...on that last trip I used the throttle for a couple of minutes going up a hill as I eased my extremely sore bottom tentatively off the seat...that was at the end of a weeks cycling and I was suffering lol

I am hoping to get up to Scotland next year, though probably not as far as the Hebrides.

Meanwhile I am hoping the weather picks up in September....it usually does, so I am trying to decide where next, its either Cornwall, Wales or the Home Counties.....prefer canal tow paths again.

Talking about the Tonaro, Im not saying I havent been tempted by other bikes, I think if you love them there is always something to tempt you, but it has never put a foot wrong or fallen short of what I want from it so......

Looking forward to hearing what you decide on.

Lynda

 

[Scimitar]

Lyn, your mention of towpaths has me thinking about canalside rides here - over the years, the canal system in Ireland has undergone a lot of reclamation and I must have a look to see what the towpath situation is like. I expect there will be parts that are next to impassable, but I envisage being able to drive to a point, unload the bike and wander off up and down the path as far as practicable.
Funnily enough, I never bothered looking before, even though I used to enjoy cycling along towpaths in England.

 

[funkylyn]

I dont know whereabouts in Ireland you are Scimitar but try this site for info http://www.travellogireland.com
There seems to be quite a lot of information and I know they re opened a stretch of the Grand Canal for cyclists a while ago.

Lynda

 

[Scimitar]

I dont know whereabouts in Ireland you are Scimitar but try this site for info Home
There seems to be quite a lot of information and I know they re opened a stretch of the Grand Canal for cyclists a while ago.
Lynda

Oh, well I'm very close (within easy drive) of the Barrow Navigation for a lot of its length, so that needs a closer look.
The Barrow Navigation
What it doesn't show there is the Nore from Inistiogue to Kilkenny used to be navigable too and the old locks and approaches are still there, but totally wrecked. The path down that section is well used, as there's a lot of activity centreing around nature walks, etc.