Left high-and-wet ...

Don't panic ... that's not Moonstone! Here we are in Tewkesbury ...

 

 ... high-and wet but, thankfully, perfectly safe and comfortable.

Our voyage down the River Avon; from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire, not Massachusetts) was pleasant and quite uneventful. (42 miles and 17 locks.); though we did observe the salutary lesson (above) at one of those locks. Presumable, at some previous high-water event, she freed herself of her moorings and came to grief whilst unattended. As there is no road, or even stable dry land, anywhere close; the difficulties in salvaging her are immense! There but for the grace of God ... etc.. Pursuant to torrential rains, overnight on Easter Sunday, this morning - Tuesday - finds both the Severn and Avon a few feet higher than when we arrived. All traffic on both rivers is at a mandated standstill; though we are still hopeful of arriving by boat in Gloucester Docks, for 'The Ship of Fools Concert'. To be forced to arrive by road would be, surely, both ironic and ignominious.

I have vague, 60-year old, memories of Tewkesbury; living - as I then did - less than 20 miles away, and being a keen cyclist. The town's main claim to fame is its stunningly beautiful abbey ... 

 ... to which, of course, we paid a visit ... 

Consecrated in 1121; by sheer dimensions, the abbey is of 'cathedral proportions'. This image of its impressive columns evokes visions of Ken Follet's: Pillars of the Earth.

It was from this place; after his Wars of the Roses victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471); that Edward IV 'violated sanctuary', by having a number of Lancastrian rebels dragged out from the abbey and executed.

This small town displays an impressive array of half-timbered, buildings; dating from the Medieval, Tudor periods ... 

So ... more than at any time of our cruising, we are greatly subject to the vagaries of the weather. However; whilst there is nothing pressing in our immediately upcoming itinerary; Lyn and I are content be wonderfully slothful.

Last time out I posed the question regarding the use of some stone, mushroom like things. A gratifying number of you - from all parts of the globe - responded with the information that these were 'staddle stones', and instrumental in raising a building; often a tithe barn: ibid (entry May 5th. 2015) out of reach of dampness and - even more important - hungry rodents. Viz ...



Well done, the lot of you! More anon. Tom.

To Straford-Upon-Avon, and beyond.

Sloth is one of the Seven Deadly Sins; as portrayed in 'The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus', by Christopher Marlowe (more about this below) ... and I must confess to having been slothful about this (B)log. Mea culpa ... no excuses.

Our journey up the few remaining locks of the Hatton Flight were without incident, and soon we were on the Stratford On Avon Canal, with 13 miles and 32 locks between us and an evening at the theatre. A public omnibus from Warwick to Stratford-Upon-Avon will complete the journey in less than 25 minutes. A fast trip by narrowboat would take about a day and a half!!! We dawdled, and took almost three days.

A unique feature of this waterway is to be seen on the - still standing, and very charming - lock-keepers' cottages. Once the canal had been constructed - nearly 200 years ago - the arched supports; used when building the proliferation of bridges; were recycled to become the roof structures of the aforesaid cottages, viz:

and

On the way we stopped in at Wootton Wawen - no, I haven't developed a lithp - and a lovely old (17th. century) pub: The Bull's Head.

The ales were more than'acceptable' and here are some images of that establishment:

These were just outside ... 

Kudos for whomever identifies their purpose???

There was also a lovely old (13th. century) church; (many such abound in the English countryside) with sadly weathered gargoyles.

Anyway ... when, eventually, we arrived in Stratford-Upon-Avon; we moored in the handy, purpose-built, canal boat basin, only a hundred and 50 yards from the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. On the Monday evening we availed ourselves of this proximity and purchased tickets for Marlowe's: Doctor Faustus; which was being staged in the lovely, bijou, Swan Theatre ... at the rear of the main playhouse.

We sat in the two seats seen on the extreme bottom right of the above image.

I have always been intrigued by Christopher Marlowe because of his personal history. Apart from having been suspected of being the actual writer of of some of Shakespeare's works (they were contemporaries), he was reputed to be an agent of Sir Francis Walsingham: Elizabeth's spymaster; and died in a knife-fight in a pub in Deptford. The staging of the play was arresting, almost anarchic, and riveting ... then we strolled home for a glass of wine! We love this boating life! More soon. Tom.

Start the Spring cruise.

Monday, March 14th. 2016

This is the Hatton Flight ... 21 locks, in all; from our 'winter home' to the top; but actually, only 18 to our present (temporary) resting place in Knowle Hall Dry Dock. We needed to do some essential maintenance, so this funky little facility is convenient and cheap ... perfect!

We should be un-docking tomorrow (Tuesday), and then proceeding - via the last 3 locks, Stratford-upon-Avon and Tewksbury - to Gloucester. It is there that; on the First of April, I'll be presenting the 'Ship Of Fools' concert; to raise funds in aid of the second annual Gloucester Shanty Festival. I won't be able to be there myself (over Spring Bank Holiday weekend) but - somehow or other - I've been designated the festival's 'PATRON' ... so I'd better do something to assist.

So ... this start to our 2016 cruising - about 2 months - will take us up to our departure for California; and the WEDDING OF THE CENTURY!!! Watch this space ...