A longer day than intended.

Last evening I sat on the grass and watched a pink army, 2000 strong, stream past to complete a 5k to raise money for Cancer Research.




The Run for Life events, staged all around the country, are aimed at not just raising money but also raising awareness for women.



Dogs came too… 

This morning was a bit breezy and overcast when I took Meg out for a walk around the lakes. 

Outline of a Roman farmstead, excavated during the redevelopment of the old gravel pits into the park.



Click to read…

Duck Sculpture, moorings beyond

Oystercatcher, rear view
He wasn’t very co-operative…

At around half-ten we headed out, back across the lake, through the connecting channel and onto the river.


The river does a long loop north, then south, with Milton Ferry Bridge at the northern extremity and Alwalton Mill and Lock at the southern.

Milton Ferry Bridge, dating from 1716, replaced a ferry, hence the name. A toll was charged to cross it, up until the 1960s

Our second lock today, at Water Newton

…with Water Newton Mill alongside.

Very picturesque, Water Newton

Could do with a few (fish) pies…

The plan was to moor up for the night at Wansford Station where the Nene Valley Railway crosses the river. But the pontoon moorings were full of boats, and the rough mooring upstream of the bridge full of cows!

So we toddled on, now looking at either of the two moorings marked in Imray’s Guide as being in, or close to, Wansford-In-England. They’re now crossed out in my book, without a machete and chain saw they’re not worth thinking about. The first one heading upstream should have been just above the twin bridges carrying the A1 over the navigation.

A1 Bridges

The earlier bridge, from 1928, has, on the east side “County of Huntingdon”…

…and on the west “County Of Soke Of Peterborough”

The Soke of Peterborough was an historic area associated with the Diocese of Peterborough, also known as the Liberty of Peterborough as it came under monastic, rather than lay, law. Granted Administrative County status in 1888, it became part of the County of Huntingdon and Peterborough in 1965, which was in turn absorbed into Cambridgeshire in 1974.

Wansford Bridge, with a datestone of 1795, doesn’t look much from downstream…

…but it’s rather more impressive from the upstream side.

We were able to share a couple of locks with NB Teide II, but they pulled over after Yarwell Lock, so we carried on and ascended Elton Lock solo, pulling in with some difficulty on the bank moorings above.

Yarwell Lock

Since noon the wind had steadily increased, making any manoeuvres tricky.

Windy across the open meadows to Elton

Moored above Elton Lock

Meg and I took a walk around the village, there’s some old buildings here and a beautiful, wide Middle Street.

The old watermill near the lock stands forlorn at the moment.
Just waiting for the developers?

We’ve had odd showers, but it’s the wind that’s been a nuisance today. Thankfully it’s dying down now, and the sun has come out.

I think we’ll try for a short day again tomorrow, but no promises!

Locks 5, miles 13.