Kennet and Avon ride 14th-16th May

The crew starting at the Bristol to Bath railway path.

Once again the Clarencourt paid homage to the great industrial history of Great Britain with a ride along the Kennet and Avon canal. A big thank you to Dennis Peacock for acting as support car and transporting all of us fine athletes to the start in Bristol and transferring our gear to the digs along the way.

Riders on all sections: Paul White, Bob Green, Paul Kelly.

Riders for sections of the canal: Mick O'Brian, Dennis Peacock. The sensible one's who stayed out of the rain!

It was overcast and the weather reports were bad for the end of last week, all three days. Both of the full days of riding we got away without any rain before lunch, but after 1315hrs, and yes it was almost as if someone didn't like us to the minute both days, it started raining by the bucket. Naturally veterans of the Kennet and Avon rides just toughed it out knowing the digs had plenty of hot water and beer. Alas the quantity of rain made picture taking a little tough, but here they are.

We meet up with Dennis riding in the opposite direct from the lunch stop at Bradford On Avon two miles west of Dundas aqueduct on the first day. Picture taken at Avon cliff Aqueduct, famous for its sag in the arch. Raining all the way from Bradford upon Avon, a soggy Paul Kelly (weren't we all!) reaches the top of the Caan Hill flight in Devizes. Dreaming of a nice warm bath only fifteen minutes away! (again weren't we all!). The ride the next day started from Devizes overcast and dry, and over the towpath section that's all grass for sixteen miles.



Bruce Tunnel 502 yds, built because the estate owner didn't want his view spoilt. We met Dennis soon after this, (again riding towards us, parked at the lunch stop at Great Bedwyn) then a quick tea stop at Crofton Pumping station. These are the oldest working beam steam engines in the world. After this a quick fifteen minute ride down to our lunch stop at Great Bedwyn.

After lunch yet again the weather let us down and we cycled al the way to Newbury in "Mark's and Spencer's" rain. The big sploshy drops, not the Tesco's light weight drops.

Newbury saturday morning.

You know how hotels love to throw too much toast at you for breakfast, well we thought instead of throwing away good bread in the bin it would be a good way of pulling some birds.

We left in our wet gear from Newbury sure of rain and at Woolhampton I decided to take the gear off. Ten minutes later the rain was throwing it down, just in time for a stop for tea at Aldermaston Lock. Sheltered we let the storm go by and left when it was a little better arriving at our lunch stop in Reading around 1300hrs.

Early September for another Kennet and Avon ride providing there's enough interest.

Paul White (Isambard)