Ufton to Dorchester

We stayed on the quiet meadows at Ufton for 3 days, leaving on Monday morning.  We have noticed numerous pill boxes alongside the Kennet and Avon and at Tyle Mill CRT have incorporated the building into the sanitary station. 

On the water point in front of the Tyle Mill pill box sanitary station

We continued along the pretty rural stretch of the River Kennet to Fobney on the outskirts of Reading where we stayed for a couple of days.   As it enters Reading the river narrows into a channel which took us through the Oracle shopping centre.  

The narrow channel twists and turns as we sailed through the Oracle shopping centre

I was surprised to find Reading Museum had a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry on display.  The 231 foot long tapestry is a faithful copy of the original which was completed in 1886 after one years stitching by 35 ladies of the Leek Embroidery Society.  The ladies embroidered their names on a strip underneath their work on the tapestry.

A section of the tapestry and the start of Patience E Gater's work. 

Whist in Reading we took the opportunity to stock up with groceries as supermarkets seem to be scarce on the next stage of our journey.  We left on Thursday and sailed off the Kennet onto the River Thames heading west.  We immediately noticed how busy the Thames had become since we left it in mid-May.  As we approached Pangbourne we started to look moorings and were lucky to slot in at the end of a line of boats.  

The next day we found we weren't the only early risers, on the Kennet and Avon we rarely saw boats moving before 9.30am.  On the way to Goring we spotted a spoof post box attached to a high river wall.  

The spoof post box on a river wall which supports a railway line

As we left Goring preparations were underway for the local regatta.  Several rowing boats were out and they thought nothing of cutting across our bow.  We sailed 6 miles and stopped at the small town of Wallingford.  From the river the unusual spire of St Peters Church caught my eye.  

St Peters unusual spire

  
In the town it was a shop that caught my eye; Village Fabrics had a huge range of materials and I came away with a length of colourful batik.  

On Sunday morning we arrived at Benson Lock to find the electrical controls were out of action.  For the first, and hopefully the last, time I had to use the manual wheel which is turned to open the sluices and lock gates.  It isn't hard work but it took a lot of turns to take us through the lock.  

We pulled over for the day on the meadows near Dorchester.  Wittenham Clumps, the site of a hill fort, overlooked the river and made a good viewing point, well worth the steep path up. 

The view from Wittenham Clumps showing the weir and lock entrance on the left.  Brent III can barely be seen in the centre of the photo by the herd of cows.

The cows wandered on and Bess and Brinny enjoyed sitting out.  That evening the cows returned and Brinny jumped straight back on board.  Bess however was determined to hold her ground and stared out a young bullock who was clearly puzzled.  When another bullock approached Bess realised she was outnumbered and quickly came back on board.  

This is my patch!  Bess holds her ground

Our journey from Ufton to Dorchester