h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I remember in my days at the Sea Cadets 1968-1969 we used in the summer get out the whaler and the duck boat row upto Kingsmead have round of Cricket or just row.That,s what I called misspent youth.Further down near to Newbridge you could hire a rowing boat and row up and down that part of the river.Of course I still remember the flood of 1968 when the flood waters cut of Sainsbury at South street? I think no doubt somebody will know more than me.

Perhaps the nicest thing about the Avon at Bath is the Pultney Bridge. It must be one of Britain's oldest bridges, and is the only one that still has shops and buildings along its sides. It's a very attractive, unique bridge too.

There's also a rather nice weir on the Avon at Bath, which makes a nice photo opportunity with Pultney Bridge in the background. Quite a lot of people think that the water's safe for swimming - it isn't, and several people have drowned on that particular stretch of river.

Follow the Avon down and you'll come to Bristol. There you have the now attractively restored Bristol docks and three examples (four if you count the nearby GWR Railway) of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's work: the Clifton Suspension Bridge spanning the Avon Gorge, the SS Great Britain and the floating harbour.

Not many people know about the floating harbour, it's much less famous than the other two engineering sights of Bristol. Basically, the floating harbour is kept at a permanent state of high tide, allowing bigger ships to be moored, by a series of pumps, lock gates and a diversion of the River Avon (called 'the new cut', and dug by French POWs).