Bartimaeus

When we set off from Bidford-on-Avon I was eager to confirm that the belt tightening on the HybridMarine had done its job.  I was very pleased to find that it behaved better than I can remember - which is to say probably the same as it was when we first got on board.

It wasn't very far to Marlcliff Lock, but the batteries were fully charged when we were over a mile from the next one.  I switched to electric drive and slowed down so that we were driving on solar power alone.  It's now after the equinox, so even the midday sun is not very strong.  We were going barely faster than the flow in the river, the propeller mostly made it possible to avoid hitting one bank or the other.

The banks here are heavily wooded, though my map showed a track along one bank.  We spotted a partially submerged car on that bank.  It has obviously been there for some time, though it was far from obvious how it got there.  If this was an attempt to cross the river it was doomed to fail.

As we approached Harvington Lock, I used a little more power to make sure we didn't get caught on the unprotected weir.

There was an inviting mooring above the lock, so we stopped for lunch initially, but then decided to stay and continue our pattern of one lock per day.  Harvington Lock is also named in honour of Robert Aickman, co-founder of the Inland Waterways Association.  Without his actions, we probably wouldn't have a canal network to enjoy.  A bridge over the lock bears his name, but serves no other purpose.  A vehicle bridge immediately below the lock gives access to the lock island, but there is no way to get to the far bank here.

We went for a walk in the afternoon and found ourselves a little further downstream at the ford immediately above Offenham Lock.  In theory this would allow a crossing to the far bank, but only when the flow was gentle.  Even in the current conditions I wouldn't have felt confident about staying upright.  I have seen a historical photograph of a cement mixer driving across.

The two locks are sufficiently close together that we broke our habit and went through both of them in the same day.  A tree near Offenham Lock had perhaps been felled when it grew too large, but was now sprouting new growth.

Just below the lock is a small building, variously described as a lighthouse or a flood-proof lock-keepers hut.  The situation would be pretty desperate if retreating to here was your only way of avoiding a flood.

We carried on down the river in the sunshine with frequent views of kingfishers and cormorants - there are lots of fish in this river - until we reached The Bridge Inn and Ferry.  Despite the name, there seems to be neither a bridge nor a ferry anywhere near.  There are moorings outside the pub however so I turned upstream and cautiously approached.  My caution was justified - just as Clare had managed to get on to the concrete jetty we ran aground.  We let the boat drift back a little and tied up.

Lunch was excellent.  While we were enjoying it a man came in and told us he'd moored up against us and hoped that was OK.  Of course it was!  We decided to stay for the rest of the day and explore Offenham.  By the time we returned, the other boat had gone again.  We've had an excellent evening meal at the pub too.

Leaving this mooring without running aground might be challenging, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.