More Shore Leave

One of the big differences between river and canal cruising is that the opportunities for mooring on a river are quite limited and you can only moor up where a landing stage and mooring posts have been provided. This is quite different to the canals where you can stop and moor almost anywhere, as you always have a towpath beside you.

However, where there is an interesting place to visit, there is often a mooring provided, and as it was very quiet on the Avon, with very few other boats about, we found most of the moorings had plenty of spaces.

We stopped at moorings at Comberton Quay as our guide book said "it would be one of life's missed opportunities, were you not to moor at Comberton Quay and make an ascent of Bredon Hill". We had been looking at this local landmark for quite a few miles, as the Avon seems to wind around it, keeping it constantly in its view, so we were all pleased when Captain Eddie said that as we were making good progress we had time to moor and send a shore party out to climb the hill.


As you can see from our picture of us looking at the view from the top, it is a hill well worth climbing. Eddie didn't come with us as we suffered a prop wrap putting into what we thought was the mooring, but which turned out to be just a rickety private landing stage. We'd got ourselves going again and tied up at the correct mooring, but being a professional, Eddie wanted to check everything out and satisfy himself that the centre line and the propellor and engine were all as they should be after this bit of drama.

The climb was hard work but very rewarding. We set off in blazing sunshine, but halfway up the hill there was a violent hailstorm and some thunder and lightening. We're not sure who was the most alarmed, ourselves or the local hill sheep. Fortunately it didn't last and, as our picture shows, we were able to admire the view from the top in sunshine.

We'd nearly got back to the boat when the sun gave way to, not hail this time, but torrential rain. It absolutely sheeted down and we would have got very, very wet, if it hadn't been for these kind locals.


Yes, we were very grateful to these gorgeous lambs who allowed us to shelter in their barn until the rain had died down. We couldn't have found cuter companions and it was very tempting to ask if any of them fancied joining us for our river trip.

Lots of love, the Bredon Hill climbers xxx

STOP PRESS - The next post will be a special to mark our 300th posting!!!