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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Caen Hill Locks at Devizes

Looking down the flight

Looking up the flight

Looking up the flight

A boat waiting to go up in one of the famous side ponds. 

Boats locking up the flight

Concrete cylinders by the bridge, WW2 vintage. 

The Barge Inn at Bradford on Avon

Bradford on Avon is quite a contrast to its northern namesake near the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. The busy road passing through it is the only drawback to this small Wiltshire town on the Kennet & Avon. What attracted my attention was the Canal Tavern, Lockside Cafe bar and Barge Inn all practically next to each other near to the lock and wharf area on the canal.

We parked at the Barge Inn and had lunch there. The pub is typical of the newly refurbished contemporaryily styled with painted wooden panels, sticks in vases and rope coiled mirrors.

At the bar was a good range of ales, Moles - Best, Marstons - EPA, Fullers London Pride, Summertime Blue and Boondoggle. Sadly towpathtreks was without its official beer reviewer so we may never know what these ales tasted like. The food however was good, the soup of the day and the prawn baguette were as good as anywhere and better than most. Not the cheapest maybe but I have paid more for less before now.

At the rear of the pub is a fair sized beer garden, with steps up to the canal side. From the pub you cannot actually see the canal.

I would have no problem going back to the Barge Inn and wish I had been able to do a full towpathtreks review of this pubs beer and the nearby Canal Tavern and Lockside Cafe Bar.