Leaving Dundas Wharf towards Bath, the canal passes under a lattice footbridge installed by the GWR during their period of ownership of the K & A. There are plenty of mooring opportunities on the towpath side after this footbridge.

View westwards from Dundas Wharf. 24-03-2019

On the opposite side of the canal there is an underwater ledge, so keep close to the moored boats to avoid this. A few boat-lengths after the footbridge, the canal narrows unexpectedly which can cause problems with the ledge.

Claverton

As you approach Claverton, there are extensive private moorings with signs warning of £150 fines for unauthorised mooring. The canal is narrow here, making it difficult for two boats to pass next to the moored boats. There is a handful of short-stay mooring spaces before you get to the bridge, but every time we went past these were full.

If you just want to visit Claverton Pumping Station, there are some further moorings after the bridge which are time-limited to a few hours. However, if you carry on out of Claverton, the canal widens and the towpath is moorable so you can just walk back.

As you continue towards Bath, the towpath alternates between moorable sections and very reedy sections. Operating Bathampton swingbridge was difficult every time we went through, due to boats being moored on the layby moorings.

Bathampton

As you approach Bathampton, there are extensive mooring along the towpath. However, there are two sharp bends in this section so being bumped by passing boats is a problem. However, once you get past the winding hole, there are good moorings before you get to the water point.

If these moorings are full, there are further moorings after the bridge adjacent to an attractive terrace of stone houses.

A sign next to the bridge says there is a village store, and a walkway leads southwards towards the village centre. However when we were there in 2019, the shop was shut and the closure looked permanent.

As an alternative, you can walk along the road that leads northward from the George Inn towards Batheaston. After crossing the railway and a dual carriageway, a wide footpath branches off to the right then runs alongside the River Avon before crossing the river on a footbridge. When you get to the main road, there is a convenience store as well as two pubs and a fish and chip shop.

Bath

Cleveland House, the K&A canal company's HQ. 18-02-2019

As you leave Bathampton heading towards Bath, the towpath is moorable for most of the way into the city.

Before you get to Bath No. 1 Tunnel there are attractive moorings with a wide grass verge and extensive views over Bath. However, these are understandably popular and spaces are hard to find.

There are a few spots where individual boats can moor between Bath No 1 and Bath No 2 Tunnel, and room for a few boats in a deep cutting after Bath No 2 Tunnel. After you pass the winding hole, there is a small Tesco at bridge 188 and there are 48-hour moorings for half-a-dozen boats before you get to Bath Top Lock. These moorings also have views across the city.

For the whole time we were there, the Avon was in flood so we did not venture beyond Bath Top Lock (at least, not with the boat) but the bank is moorable three locks downhill.

Most of Bath's many visitor attractions are within walking distance of the canal, including Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, the Assembly Rooms, Victoria Art Gallery and Holburne Museum. A little further is 1 Royal Crescent which is well worth a visit.

In addition to historic pubs and upmarket shops in the central area of Bath, there are further shopping opportunities near the railway station. For food shopping, there is a Waitrose in the centre (cross Pulteney Bridge then turn right) and a large Morrisons on the A4 leading out of Bath.

Bristol

SS Great Britain. 21-03-2019

As we could not take the boat to Bristol as the Avon was in flood, we caught a train from Bradford-on-Avon to Bristol Temple Meads. The station is about a quarter of a mile from the canal. Avoncliff station is right next to the canal, but there are fewer trains.

From Temple Meads station, it is a short walk north to Temple Meads Quay where we boarded a hop-on/hop-off boat trip round the Floating Harbour. The major attraction is, of course, Brunel's SS Great Britain, which has its own waterbus stop. After visiting the Great Britain, we caught the waterbus to the City Centre stop to explore Queen Square and King Street with its historic pubs. From there we wandered round St Nicholas Market before having a Bristol Gin in the pub next door then caught the waterbus again from Welsh Back.