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More from the Kennet

By Bill Nicholls

I’m well overdue for another blog but other things and Bank holidays have taken over and my backlog of photos just got bigger.
I decided to go back to the river Kennet and find a few more pillboxes before the spring growth finally put pay to my treks to look for them. On the last walk I’d got as far as Towney Bridge but had checked out the next area I wanted to visit which was Aldermaston Wharf SU6067 : Basin by the bridge by Bill Nicholls. I thought I had found a good place to park but found the place packed so went to the station only to find the tight wads charge at weekends so I found a disused road and parked up. First thing I noticed was what looked like a rail block from the Second World War well at least it looked like it could have been one SU6067 : Block at the gate by Bill Nicholls.
Onwards to the canal brought me to the towpath now Cycle Network Route 4 SU6067 : Fingers pointing every where by Bill Nicholls
which I followed to Padworth Bridge, passing the lock in the process. There some interesting houses on the section up to the lock SU6067 : Cottages by the canal by Bill Nicholls
SU6067 : The Kennet and Avon Tea rooms by Bill Nicholls but after that it is very industrial with a terminal to the left and new buildings being erected SU6067 : Depot near the river by Bill Nicholls. A new fence has been built on one section and just near the swing bridge you find a pillbox SU6067 : New hedge by the pillbox by Bill Nicholls.
This one has been partly blocked up and the ricochet wall removed, lighting was installed at one time along with a door. From here you cross the swing bridge SU6067 : Frouds Swingbridge by Bill Nicholls to find a type 28A though sadly this one is completely blocked up so no chance of seeing the internal condition SU6067 : Embrasure bricked up by Bill Nicholls. Padworth road is closed as is the swing bridge for work to be done on the bridge crossing the railway up near the A4 Bath Road so the walk along to footpath I was going to was quiet. To the right is one of the many gravel pits which are strewn round the area SU6067 : Sifter by the pit by Bill Nicholls. A good opportunity to get some photos for the campaign that is getting started in the area I live due to it being on the shortlist as a possible site SU6066 : Danger cold deep water by Bill Nicholls.
The walk From Padworth Bridge [[[2387955]] along the Kennet back to Aldermaston Wharf is pleasant enough tough the gravel pit on the right does tend to detract from the river on the left SU6066 : Starting to turn by Bill Nicholls. Nearing the end of the path you come to Padworth Mill SU6066 : Padworth Mill by Bill Nicholls where there are a couple of ways you can go though I intended to go back to Aldermastion Wharf along Mill Lane which brought me back to the Swing Bridge and Aldermaston Wharf. SU6067 : Lights on the bridge by Bill Nicholls
A few photos of the lock SU6067 : Walking up the lock by Bill Nicholls and on to the last stop a third pillbox which I managed to spot but was impossible to get to from the towpath SU5967 : Somewhere in that lot by Bill Nicholls so it was back to the car with a slight detour to get a benchmark SU6067 : Parapet of the bridge by Bill Nicholls on the road bridge near Aldermaston Station and two more rail blocks I spotted going to the car. A reasonable couple of hours spent walking round one area and one I will return to sooner than later. The data I took with my GPS was out of sync with the camera due to the time change so no route this time.


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When
Tue, 10 May 2011 at 13:11
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