Just sloshing about on the river…

As I sit here typing away, the wind is driving the water into steep little white-caps, slopping up against the stern of the boat.

We’re rocking a bit, too, but at least we’re not bumping the piling now I’ve sorted out the fenders.
Yes, we’re out on the Trent again, moored above Holme Lock this afternoon.

The remaining three boats of the Wash Flotilla arrived in Nottingham yesterday, so it was a case of renewing old acquaintances with Lesley, Joe and of course Floyd and Fletcher, off Yarwood, and making new ones with Derek and Sheila, NB Clarence, and David and Lisa on NB What A Lark. I don’t know why I didn’t take any pics of them arriving, I intended to.

Anyway, with cupboards topped up after several trips to Sainsbury’s, and getting fed up  with the cyclists whizzing past with very little consideration, We decided to move out this morning. Our companions will catch us up later tomorrow.

Lesley came for a ride with us to help with Castle Lock.

David and Lisa, NB What A Lark.

A glimpse of Nottingham Castle is all you get from the canal.

Mags in Castle Lock
Lesley was around somewhere, but contrived to avoid the camera…

The size and number of canal-side warehouses indicate just how important the navigation was to the city.





Modern architecture at Nottingham One

At Poplar Arms Corner there used to be a short arm, now filled in and built over. The Premier Inn is the last of the tall buildings overlooking the canal.
I wonder if Lenny’s around?

More cootlings (I’ve decided that sounds best), a little older (and less blurred) than the last lot.


Meadow Lane Lock drops the canal back down onto the river, now having fallen 13 feet on it’s trip around the south of the city. We pulled in on the services just above the lock, but had to wait for another boat to finish before we could get water.

Smart new services at Meadow Lane

Then down the lock we went, out onto the river.

Mags manoeuvring to pick me up, Lady Bay Bridge in the background

Looking back upstream, Trent Bridge crossing just this side of County Hall.
The river is navigable for just around half a mile upstream, and there are good moorings at County Hall. Unfortunately there are none on the opposite (west) side, but it’s only a short walk to a footbridge which gives access to the park there.

Under Lady Bay Bridge.

After this there’s only one other bridge, at Gunthorpe, all the way to Newark, 23 miles away.

From the point where the river is rejoined to Holme Lock is only just over two miles, a steady 25 minutes going with the flow.



The extensive British Waterways warehouse, built in the 1930’s and ugly as sin, has been completely demolished.
Have a look here and here. I did a bit more research for a post in August 2012…



Wouldn’t you love to live here….

Approaching Holme Lock. Large weir and sluice gates on the left, lock entrance in the middle, moorings on the right.

We would normally moor beyond those big boats, on the right, on a sensible bit of wharf the right height for narrowboats. But someone in his infinite wisdom has decreed that it should now be for permanent moorings, leaving visitors with the nearly roof height piled wall you can see in the picture.
We used to moor along here…

Did you spot the new roof box in the pictures? Having applied three coats of decking oil to weatherproof it, the decision has been made to paint it blue instead! Thanks, Lesley!

Locks 2, miles 4