On our recent trip down south we stayed for three nights at The Barge Inn at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire. It’s a scenic small town and is well placed for exploring the area. As you would expect we were right by the canal which turned out to be interesting, although I am now absolutely sure that I never want to go on a canal holiday!

It’s far too much like hard work and it seems that it’s the women who have all the heavy stuff to do, such as getting the lock gates open – while the men just pose about on the back of the barge with their hand on the rudder, watching. It’s the Kennet and Avon canal.

I was surprised that these two barges could get through the canal lock at the same time, below.

We went for a bit of a walk along the canal and saw this lovely family of swans, it’s amazes me that they can stay so white when the water is so mucky (the adults).

I was surprised to see the remains of a World War 2 pill box by the side of the canal, I don’t know why because they still have them by railway lines in Fife. No doubt during the war the Home Guard would have been in them, ready to defend the area if any Nazis managed to reach the place. Luckily there was no invasion but everyone at that time was terrified that there would be, but determined literally to fight them on the beaches.