It was a bit more cloudy to start today, and when I took Macc for his post-breakfast walk he ran around on the water meadows like a mad thing, doing proper zoomies. During the morning the other boats moored around us gradually left, to be replaced briefly by four day boats from Farncombe Boat House, and then we were on our own. I completed one job, which was getting the Hive system working again. The hub, receiver, and thermostat had all somehow lost connections from each other, and it was a bit of a trial getting them all talking again. After lunch, while Adrian took Macc for a walk and then persuaded him to have a nap, I walked into town. I went via the castle, which has fantastic gardens around it. I don’t think I’ve ever been here before, although the keep is visible from a lot of the town. The views are pretty good too.
There are various gardens around the castle, including the Alice Garden, because Lewis Carroll had a house on Castle Hill. There’s an Alice Through the Looking Glass statue — although it’s possibly a bit too spooky looking for my liking.
At the bottom of Guildford High Street is another statue, The Surrey Scholar, given to the town by the University to mark an anniversary. It of course has the almost obligatory adornment.
Further up is the Guildhall with its historic clock.
Next stop was Dapdune Wharf, the National Trust’s centre for the Navigations. I managed to speak to the site manager, so maybe some interviews for a podcast might be a step closer. Dealing with an organisation like the NT seems far more complicated than most groups I approach for interviews! Anyway, I had a little look round while I was there.
The river has been busy with rowers early on, and paddle boarders later in the day. It’s also got very warm again. The only other thing on the agenda today is the Wimbledon Men’s Final.
0 miles, 0 locks. (51 miles, 26 locks)
Those gardens look quite spectacular