21st July - Down hill

Lock Stats

Today: 19 locks
Grand total: 67 locks

To go: 212 locks

Having reached the top of the canal it was down hill from here.  A slightly different strategy single handing doing down through the locks was required but it seemed a bit easier on the whole.

I passed the famous Crofton pumping station that is a functioning steam pumping station.

I felt like a milestone to have done over 50% of the K&A locks however there were many more miles of canal to go.  I just had to take it one lock at a time.

Hungerford marsh swingbridge and lock were a curiosity, you had to swing a bridge that was sat on top of a lock and then operate the lock.  In faffing around with the lock a boat had caught me up crewed another lovely couple who were continuous cruisers, Chris and Trish.   They had lock operation down to fine art using a folding bike to get locks set up ahead of the boat.

Trish had the bridges opened ahead of the boats giving us a clear run through.  I stopped at Hungerford near the church where there was luckily space for a couple of boats before the lock.