Monday 11th May, Moulsford.
What a difference a day makes; bright sunshine this morning but with a very strong wind from the North East. Rounding the bend below Days lock, the wind was against the current and was whipping up waves of about 15 to 18 inches in height with spray blowing off the tops. I was in full winter rig with gloves - it was cold although the sun was shining.
On we went through Benson Lock and Wallingford, the wind now from the side and noticeably warmer, the waves all but disappearing. We stopped to look at the chandlery at Moulsford and to buy some calor gas. Two of the staff working outside passed us without a word or even looking our way. Perhaps our reception would have been different had we tied up a Freeman cruiser instead of a Narrowboat. We did not bother with the chandlery, paid for the gas bottle and went on our way.
All of two hundred yards and across to the other side of the river where we moored up for the day, well, we had done 8 miles!
We went for a walk and to look again at Moulsford Railway Bridge.
It was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway between 1838 and 1839, at the same time as he built Maidenhead and Gatehampton railway bridges. It is constructed of brick faced in Bath Stone, with four arches of 62 ft span and a headway height of 21 ft 8 inches.
A second replica bridge parallel to the first was built when the tracks were widened in 1892. This second bridge has wonderful corbelled brickwork facings in place of the Bath Stone of the first one. Some of the Stone has flaked away and is looking in need of some restoration.
2009 Totals – Locks 166; Miles 271; Bus pass uses 2.
