Our regular readers (all two dozen of you, and very much appreciated you are) will know that there is more than one River Avon, but this is the Stratford-Upon-Avon one rather than the Kennet and Avon one, or any of the others. This one runs into the Severn at Tewkesbury while the southern one into the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth, because some people have no imagination.

The views of the countryside are much better from the Avon than the Severn, as the banks are lower.

The countryside is green and largely free of development, as the English have learned for the most part not to build too much on flood plains. The locks are a little challenging, as they usually have side channels with weirs and currents you have to avoid, and lock landings at odd angles. Luckily it hasn’t rained much recently, so the current is not too strong. Only after we are well away from Nafford Lock do we notice the narrowboat nose down in the water at an angle of about 30 degrees just the other side of the weir barrier. I’m glad I didn’t see that when I was trying to get the boat round a difficult dog leg exiting from the lock.

Eckington Bridge, built in the 1720s and still going strong has a wonderfully random selection of arch sizes.

Pershore, like Tewkesbury, has the remains of an abbey used as a parish church, but not as much of the building survived here.

The interior is has been hacked about over the years, most recently by the Victorians who added some faux medieval wall painting, installed a wooden platform three quarters of the way up the tower…

…and discarded the Norman font as being old fashioned. It was used as a garden ornament for a seventy years before being recovered.

Pride of place in Pershore Abbey’s treasures, though, goes to the crusader’s armpit, as it is the only tomb statue of the period that shows the buckles holding the armour together.

Pershore’s main streets are a jumble of Georgian buildings.

We bought local plums (delicious) and cherries (rather bland), and used books.

Poppy took us out to dinner at The Angel, where we all ordered the “Proper Pie” which turned out to be excellent. The service was a little muddled, though. I think the staff were chosen for looks rather than talent.