Nice day for it!

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 07 Mar 2007, 20:01

Inspired by Rob's recent 'My Back Garden' post, when he went out and about with his bike and camera, I've been waiting for an opportunity to do the same. The terrain is a bit more tame but I got nice and muddy and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It's an opportunity for the expatriates and non-UK members to see another part of the English countryside. The location is the Limpley Stoke valley between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon. I lived in it for many years, but now live just outside it.

The River Avon is pretty full at the moment.

But the canal is more peaceful.

Until I get started!

The local wildlife is in reflective mood.

I'd love to live in one of these houses. This one has Guard Geese.

Here, the canal crosses the river on a stone aqueduct.

And look what's on the other side! A pint and a ploughman's.

The beer garden is a bit waterlogged and there is an important message from The Department of the Bleedin' Obvious.

This hamlet is called Avoncliff and it even has it's own rail station on the opposite side of the river called Avoncliff Halt. It is a request stop so you have to tell the driver if you want to get off - or stick your hand out if you want the train to stop for you. The platform is so short that we can only put the front door of the train on it.

Ian

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 07 Mar 2007, 20:12

Nice photos Ian, seem to remember the Alphaline service from Brighton to Bristol calling at Avoncliff only a year or two ago when I was on my way to a conference in Filton!

Apparently there are actually four separate river Avons in the UK, one running through my town (totally unrelated to this one!).

thehappyotter · Post by **thehappyotter** » 07 Mar 2007, 20:14

Nice photos and some very nice scenery. I'd love to live in one of those houses too but something tells me they might be a little out of my price range...

It's been pretty nice biking weather these past couple of days hasn't it, nothing better than going out and getting covered in mud!

Post by **Garry Russell** » 07 Mar 2007, 20:59

Looks so peaceful

I bet it was really relaxing

Thanks for sharing Ian

Garry

DanKH · Post by **DanKH** » 07 Mar 2007, 21:09

Magnificent countryside! And excellent photo's

From our house our horizon is approximately 50 to 100 yards away...

VEGAS · Post by **VEGAS** » 07 Mar 2007, 22:22

Quality shots mate. Like the bike as well.

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 07 Mar 2007, 23:10

Thank you for that Ian

And your were spot on the mark - just now and then I remember some
of the wonderful things I miss

Growing up in Gloucestershire the shots of the canal look remarkably
like the area around Sapperton

Cheers

Leif

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 07 Mar 2007, 23:22

Thanks for your kind comments, Gents. And thanks to Rob for the inspiration. Combining biking, snapshots (and a pint of beer) makes for a great day out. It clears the mind of all the serious cr*p and makes you happy again

Toby - yes you would have stopped at Avoncliff on the Brighton service and now you know what you missed

Wessex Trains/Alphaline are now part of First Great Western but still run the Bristol - Brighton route and the trains haven't been re-liveried yet. BTW: Apparently 'Avon' is anglo-saxon for river, which is why there are several of them in the UK. I suppose at one time, all rivers were called that :roll:

The canal is quiet now, but summer weekends it can be too busy. The eagle-eyed will have noticed a bell on the bike to get the ramblers out of the way without slowing down. On days like that, when I reach the towpath I usually turn East into the remoteness of rural Wiltshire instead of West into Somerset and Bath. Next time I'll take some photos of the stretch from Avoncliff into the city of Bath which is spectacular :dance:

Leif - glad you like the shots, I was part thinking of you when I posted them

Ian

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 08 Mar 2007, 01:26

It looked like a nice part of the world - the railway seemed to run alongside the Avon on and off all the way from Salisbury (if thats still the same river Avon there??

)

Alas I was on my way to a conference on propulsion for unmanned aerial vehicles and I suppose I didnt pay as much attention to the surrounding countryside as perhaps I might but I do remember it looking pretty nice around Avoncliff and Bradford-on-avon and a few places before - certainly nicer than most of it round here - it pretty flat!

Please post more photos of that part of the world if you have some, photography is my main hobby these days

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 08 Mar 2007, 17:17

TobyV wrote:The railway seemed to run alongside the Avon on and off all the way from Salisbury (if thats still the same river Avon there?? )

Nice try, but - no

It's a different River Avon that flows through Salisbury. And it's the River Wylye that follows the railway :roll:

TobyV wrote:Please post more photos of that part of the world if you have some, photography is my main hobby these days

OK then. Two more from Bradford-on-Avon. One of Bradford Lock and one of the ranks of weavers' cottages on the hill.

Ian