After Devizes Wharf there are 6 locks before the Caen Hill flight. The towpaths in each pound are moorable with a gangplank, and there are also moorings by the Black Horse pub next to lock 47.

Before you start the Caen Hill flight proper, remove your chimney and lower your pram hood. This is because the footbridge across the top lock is much lower than normal. We lost a chimney here.

On the towpath side, a short path above lock 45 leads to a convenience store for last-minute supplies. It is also a Post Office so you can withdraw cash with a debit card.

Below lock 45 there are 48-hour moorings, but for two boats only.

Next to the top lock (no 44), behind the cafe, is the CRT office where you can buy pump-out cards. They could only take cash when we were there.

View from bottom of Caen Hill. 22-11-2018

At the bottom of the flight there are 48-hour moorings, which is a blessing. If these are full and you are too shattered to continue you can probably tie up to the trees opposite.

There are then 7 locks before you get to Caen Hill marina, which offers water, pump-out and diesel. All of the locks have a footbridge, except the last which has an overbridge. These are a great help if there are just two of you, but the footbridges over locks 22 and 23 are low. We managed to get through by detaching the middle hoop of our pram hood and allowing it to fall back against the back hoop, giving just enough clearance.

After the marina, the towpath is moorable with a gangplank, but then the towpath gets very reedy and the canal narrows in the lead-up to Sells Green.

Sells Green

At Sells Green there are 48-hour moorings, a water point and a refuse point. The adjacent motor home park has a shop which sells milk and other basics, but not alcohol and it is cash-only. Nearby is a Cider Shed which is open from time to time and a bit further on is the Three Magpies pub.

The towpath is moorable as far as the first swingbridge. At the second swingbridge a footpath leads uphill to the village of Seend. Turn right at the main road for the village shop which sells basics, alcohol and fresh vegetables. It is also a Post Office so you can withdraw cash with a debit card.

Seend Cleeve

There are five Seend locks, fairly close together. Between the 3rd and 4th locks there is a water point, pump-out and 24-hour moorings. The Barge Inn pub opposite also has moorings. There is another pub in the nearby village of Seend Cleeve.

There are more moorings below the bottom lock. This is followed by two swingbridges: at the first one, a well-kept footpath leads to the Bowerhill housing estate where there is a small but well-stocked Tesco. The towpath is moorable near the swingbridges but is otherwise reedy.

Semington

There are two locks at Semington: the top lock has just been repaired after the bottom walls collapsed. The lock house beside the bottom lock sells eggs, sausages and bacon.

At Semington Bridge (no 160) there are 48-hour moorings and a refuse point, and the Somerset Arms pub is only a short walk away. Following this the towpath is moorable for some distance. The bank is low, but dry, so a gangplank is not needed. The canal is quite wide here and these are good, quiet moorings with far-reaching views across open countryside.

This is followed by Semington swingbridge, after which the towpath becomes reedy.

A fellow boater warned us that Hilperton Marsh Bridge (no 165) is one of the lowest on the canal. The first time through our chimney passed under with only half an inch to spare, and we had to lower the middle hoop of our pram hood (so that it rested on the back hoop) otherwise we would have lost the pram hood. Coming back, we lowered the pram hood completely; water levels were slightly lower, so the chimney had about 2 inches clearance.

Trowbridge

Shortly after bridge 166 is The Boatyard which offers one of the cheapest pump-outs on the canal. They also sell CRT pump-out cards, diesel, gas, coal and chandlery. The owners, Victoria and Spencer, also operate a coal boat which makes frequent trips to Bath and back. You can order supplies by phone, text and email.

The best place to moor in Trowbridge is after bridge 168, and you can moor on both sides of the canal. The banks are low though, and the towpath side is dryer. The towpath is also moorable just after bridge 169. After that it becomes reedy.

From bridge 168 you can walk into Trowbridge, about a mile away. Follow the footpath round to the right. After running alongside the railway you come to a housing estate and the footpath starts up again about 100 yards later, emerging at the railway station. Nearby is a shopping centre with a large Asda, large Boots and other shops. There is a second shopping centre with an indoor market. Other than shops, though, there is little to see or do in Trowbridge.

As an alternative to the long walk into town, walk into the industrial estate next to the bridge. At the end of this road you will find a Lidl supermarket.

Widbrook

Widbrook 48-hour moorings have room for only two boats but there is often room here. The towpath is campshedded leading up to this, and so is easily moorable, and you can moor on the far side with a gangplank. Just before you get to Widbrook there is a winding hole where the towpath has a proper wood-faced edge: it is possible to moor at each end of this without obstructing the winding hole.

The adjacent Widbrook Woods are a good place to pick up fallen branches for your woodburner and the towpath is wide enough to cut them up.

Just past this is Sally Narrowboats who can offer pump-out if they are not busy turning round hire boats. The pump-out is on the main canal (rather than in the marina) opposite a large bank of reeds.

At the bridge (no 170) the Beehive pub is closed and is now a private residence, but there is the Boatyard pub attached to the marina. This is large, comfortable modern pub. A little further on is the Widbrook Grange hotel, which has a Gin Bar.

Bradford-on-Avon Wharf and Lock. 02-02-2019

After the bridge, the towpath is moorable with a gangplank. This is a popular spot but the bank is very low and very wet.

Moored boats continue all along this section until the next bridge where there is underwater bedrock for 3 metres on both sides of the canal.

Shortly afterwards are the 48-hour moorings on Bradford-on-Avon Upper Wharf. However, the bank is worn away for the first two or three boat lengths and underwater rocks will keep you awake all night

After this, there are metal hoops set in concrete to tie up to, with little wooden jetties, which are fine. Round the corner there are proper moorings with rings, but the last few spaces are prohibited to widebeams because of the hire boats kept opposite which restrict the navigable width of the canal.

At the wharf itself there is a water point, pump-out and refuse point, and coal may be bought opposite.

There are three pubs near the lock and if you walk up into the CRT car park and along Baileys Barn road and then turn right you will come to a large Sainsbury supermarket. There are also two takeaways, a drycleaner and a bike shop behind.

River Avon at Bradford-on-Avon. 09-12-2018

If you turn right at the lock, it is a short walk to the railway station and on into the town centre which is very attractive. There is a small Co-op on the far side of the Town Bridge over the Avon, and this is also a Post Office.

There is a good choice of restaurants: our favourites are Ravello and the Weaving Shed. Some of the pubs look a bit rough, but we like the Dandy Lion.

If there is nowhere to moor at the Upper Wharf, go through the lock and there are further 48-hour moorings on the Lower Wharf.