2016 Walking Trip, Kennet-Avon Canal to Exmoor: May 15, Day 7 of our walk.... Semington to Limpley Stoke... Gently

The main lock in Bradford on Avon

Sunday, May 15, 2016

She Said:

I was sorry to leave The Peppermill in Devizes.  Great room, great breakfasts, great packed lunches.
But, on to Limpley Stoke (yes, that's really the name of the town we are staying in tonight.)

Today was definitely a Sunday out on the Kennet and Avon Canal.  The path was mobbed with walkers, runners, bikers, families, baby carriages, wheelchairs, skateboards, dogs and couples of all ages, from awkward teens to sweet hand-holding pensioners.
And, the canal was packed, too.  From our start at Semington Lock, we saw many, many live-on boats moored along the canal edges and many, many rental boats going up and down the canal middle.  There were actual traffic jams, with waiting lines at some locks.

Can't blame everyone for being out today, though.  It was another beautiful day and I'm sure the Brits could not believe their luck to have sunshine and warmth on a weekend.  I'm sure many of them are sore from sunburn tonight, as they don't seem to take any sun precautions.

So, today was more of a stroll than a brisk or steady walk, and that suited us fine.  After being fairly isolated on the path for several days, it was fun to people-watch and be in the thick of civilization again.  The busiest town we passed through was Bradford on Avon, a medieval confection of a village that exudes charm and history and also screams "stop here for tea/shopping/pubs/lunch, etc.".  The path is actually as wide as a street through Bradford on Avon, to accommodate all who visit, and probably to encourage them to stay.  People crowded around the Bradford on Avon lock to watch the boats go through.  There was much pointing and exclaiming.  To us, having seen so many boats go through so many locks, the people pointing and exclaiming were infinitely more interesting.

About a mile or so past Bradford on Avon, things quieted down.  Back to ducks and swans and coots.  A few day trippers out on party boats making noise.  Still lots of cyclists.
Cyclists in the UK, as a rule, don't have bells on their bikes.  And, for some reason, they also don't announce themselves as they come up behind you, so it is usually a surprise.  As they pass you, though, they always say they are sorry.  A bit of a disconnect between their understanding of cause and effect.

For the first time this trip we saw (and smelled) our wonderful wild garlic.  Brought by the Romans in 100 AD, it proliferates in shady woods and we walked through some shady woods today.  It carpets the forest floor with lovely white flowers on glossy green stalks.  Our old friend from many, many walks.

We're staying at the Limpley Stoke Hotel tonight, a (once, I'm sure) grand country hotel that is now just a tiny bit down on her luck.  Still, the views from our room across the countryside are gorgeous, a happy young couple is holding their wedding reception downstairs and I am drinking a very good French Chardonnay.

Tomorrow will be our last day of walking on the Kennet and Avon Canal path.  As with all our long distance walks, I am happy to see it end (a couple of days' rest for my feet) and I am sad to see it end (such beauty and freedom in walking from point to point each day).

All is quite right with the world.

Total Mileage:
11.55 miles (K&A Canal)

He said:

We were expecting it to be cool weather today, but surprise, it was quite a nice sunny day, not too warm or too cold, great for photos and for walking. Today, being a nice day and being Sunday brought out hoards of people, walking, biking, in boats, in kayaks, in canoes, in strollers. We left our comfy B&B in Devizes, and got dropped where we left off yesterday in Semington. This was not a lonely stretch of canal, every 1/4 mile had at least one boat, sometimes dozens. It got very crowded as we neared Bradford on Avon, the crowds grew, dogs barked, boats collided and people laughed. People certainly love to eat and drink, the restaurants were packed and noisy, and so were the pubs. There were people of every shape and size, although I must say that the average British person seems to be getting bigger, or at least fatter than I remember. We walked across the Kennet-Avon canal aqueduct over the train tracks, and the river Avon below. After that, the crowds faded and the tranquility returned. At last we walked off the path is Stoke Limpley and found our place for the night.