boboneleg Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 The Bristol Avon is approx 83 miles long, it rises in the Cotswold hills and flows in a circular fashion until it eventually flows into the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth. I have grown up with the Avon and in the last 50 years I have swum in it, canoed, fished it, travelled over it by truck, car , motorcycle and cycle and even ridden through it on a motorcycle. For a while I have wanted to follow the Avon from source to sea and so in January 2023 I started the journey. There are many claims to the precise source of the river but Ordnance Survey maps give it as Joyce's Pool at Didmarton so that's where I started my journey. It had been raining for several days beforehand so there was plenty of water when I arrived at Didmarton , I stopped for a while and had a coffee on one of the benches at the site. This was the road junction next to the site, it was about 8 inches deep .................... I then set off over the A433 towards Sopworth and came across the first bridge nearby... and then onto a bridge near Sherston............ 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowlycatchymonkey Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Thats a great idea for a nice ride. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Very impressive Bob! A bit too much water for my liking though......so if I was still there I'd have had to follow you round in the car! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Cool stuff, I can see the englishness of that countryside It’s a nice way to find cool stuff near home, to set a route following a road or a river, or whatever. I must start doing it again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 So from Sherston I made a slight detour down to Brook End ford at Luckington. It was deep and flowing really fast today and I reckon the depth was 3-4 feet so I didn't make an attempt to ride through it ............. I have ridden this ford many times in the past .................... but not everyone gets it right ............. and there are historical photos of good efforts and bad Next stop was a bridge just south of Sherston .................... From there I made my way up to the B4040 and then further down the road I went to the beautiful village of Easton Grey .............. Next up was a short section of the Fosseway (a roman road) which is unsurfaced along this stretch ................ It was also the site of a roman village in the past .............. I rode a bit more of the Fosseway and turned right to head into the market town of Malmesbury , this is where the Tetbury Avon joins the main river ............. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 What is this @boboneleg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busabeast Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 5 minutes ago, XTreme said: What is this @boboneleg? Er...a river lined with trees pete With what looks like someone's flooding house 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 8 minutes ago, XTreme said: What is this @boboneleg? It's in the grounds of the big house on the left. It's not a mill house so I guess it's a guest house or a spot for lazy fishermen who can't be bothered to walk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 From Malmesbury I headed east on the B4042, about a mile down the road is an old mill which is now posh housing and next to it is the first bridge I'd crossed today that had a plaque informing you of the name of the river ................ From there I dropped down to the village of Little Somerford where I rode down Mill Lane. I had to park up here and walk past Kingsmead Mill to get to an estate bridge across the fields .................... Once I'd walked back to the bike I had another coffee from my flask to warm up and then set off for Dauntsey. By the bridge at Dauntsey was a strange covered corkscrew affair driven by the river but I have no idea what it's used for .................. and then I rode down to the B4069 to Christian Malford to take a photo of the last bridge of the day ....................... to be continued at a later date 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowlycatchymonkey Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 30 minutes ago, XTreme said: What is this @boboneleg? Looks like a toll house/booth. Maybe the estate used to own the road. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 38 minutes ago, boboneleg said: It's in the grounds of the big house on the left. It's not a mill house so I guess it's a guest house or a spot for lazy fishermen who can't be bothered to walk Who builds a house in a river? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowlycatchymonkey Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 13 minutes ago, XTreme said: Who builds a house in a river? Venetians 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 @boboneleg -What was the temperature out? Looks warm but I'll assume it really wasn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 8 minutes ago, Earache said: @boboneleg -What was the temperature out? Looks warm but I'll assume it really wasn't. Started at 5c and rose to about 9c , about right for this time of year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 5 minutes ago, boboneleg said: Started at 5c and rose to about 9c , about right for this time of year. Not too bad then for a ride. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Just now, Earache said: Not too bad then for a ride. You've got about 4 months to wait to get back out Eric? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 1 hour ago, XTreme said: You've got about 4 months to wait to get back out Eric? 5-6 most likely. I'll get back out in late April unless it snows too much. Absolutely hate this time of year and no riding. Back to looking at maps and planning rides..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Enjoyed this report Bob, great idea to. Inspired me to do one for Fowey River from source to see. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 10 hours ago, Earache said: 5-6 most likely. I'll get back out in late April unless it snows too much. Absolutely hate this time of year and no riding. Back to looking at maps and planning rides..... That would drive me crazy! It was bad enough back in Britain......but your conditions are something else. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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