![\"This](\"http:\/\/www.kerry.net.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC05251-3.jpg\")
<\/a>This is the first section of dock just off Southgate St<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Looking back across a dock towards the first photo<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Crane used for loading and unloading vessels in previous times. \u00a0Warehouses are in the background.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>View back to Southgate St from another position and showing some of the narrow boats moored. The pot plants give them an air of permanency.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>More narrow boats, warehouses, modern housing and the mariners church.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Inside the church<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Moored yachts<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A yacht refurbishment business remains<\/p><\/div>\n
I went for a walk down the canal and encountered the remains of Llanthony Secunda Priory. \u00a0It was founded as a retreat for monks from nearby Wales in 1136 and grew significantly until lost to the church by the Dissolution of the Monasteries \u00a0and later was significantly damaged during\u00a0the Siege of Gloucester in 1643 during the Civil War. \u00a0I could have walked down to the priory grounds and had a wander around but didn’t feel up to it.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Some of the damaged buildings<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Rather impressive looking buildings which survived the siege<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A former lighthouse ship moored in the canal and empty warehouses on the other side of the canal<\/p><\/div>\n
There is a large factory outlet type commercial building very far to the right of the above buildings. \u00a0I went over and had a wander around and while I did do some shopping\u00a0I find such large shopping centers pretty hard work these days.<\/p>\n
A couple of days later I returned for a boat trip on the canal as the boat was unavailable on my first visit.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>This is the boat used for the canal trip. It was one of the small boats used to rescue soldiers during the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The middle boat is the tour boat and the Waterways Museum which runs the tours is in the converted warehouse immediately behind it. \u00a0Red tartan blankets \u00a0to keep us warm were provided on the boat. \u00a0A few people used them but they were not necessary.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Bridge raised for a passing narrow boat. \u00a0Museum and Queen Boadicea 11 behind.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Old and new buildings and moored vessels<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Old warehouse was burnt a couple of weeks before my visit<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Heading down the canal from the main docks area<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>An arm of the canal containing moored narrow boats<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>One of the many timber yards still beside the canal. The white and blue structure contains wood shavings from the timber business.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Looking back down the canal<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Marine business which had two narrow boats within its wet dock<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A swing bridge closing behind us<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A fisherman at the turnaround point of the trip. Another one had started to set up just before that point.<\/p><\/div>\n
The boat trip was not very long which was rather disappointing. \u00a0The boat returned to dock and I visited the Waterways Museum, a converted grain storage warehouse. \u00a0My back was not very happy so I didn’t take \u00a0in a great deal of what I saw and read. \u00a0It had several vessels and a small train outside the building. \u00a0The narrow boat was open for inspection so I looked inside it.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>The tall building is the museum and a sign in white points to a narrow boat moored beside it which was open for inspection. \u00a0It’s virtually impossible to see to see the boat in the photo but it was similar to\u00a0the Cafe boat although the Cafe boat has a wooden upper structure.<\/p><\/div>\n
The swans and cygnets loitering beside the Cafe above were everywhere. \u00a0It didn’t seem to matter which section of the docks or canal I was at, they were there too. \u00a0The family comprised 2 adults and 7 youngsters.<\/p>\n