Toddling down the Trent

We’ve had a good day today. Set off just after 09:30 in company with NB Blackbird who’d arrived this morning. We followed a couple of boats down Cranfleet Lock, but were still out on the river by around 10:30.

Cranfleet Lock
Out onto the river
4 miles downstream and we were back on a canal again at Beeston. The lock was just being vacated by a boat coming down, so we timed it just right.

Approaching Beeston Lock

From the lock the Beeston Canal runs NW to the junction with the Nottingham Canal at Lenton Chain.

Lenton Chain
At this point the Trent Navigation Company used to lock the canal (with a chain across it) from Saturday evening to Monday morning to prevent any boats sneaking through without paying their tolls.
The chain, and the northern section of the Nottingham Canal to Langley Mill, are no longer with us.

The cut, now the Nottingham Canal, runs generally west to the north of the city centre, before ducking south at Poplar Arms Corner to regain the river at Meadow Lane Lock.
But before the river we made a quick stop at Sainsbury’s.

Former Fellows, Morton and Clayton warehouse, now a museum.

Meadow Lane Lock is the centre of a major redevelopment project, unfortunately restricting access to the lock at the moment. Passage is only possible at certain times, and we joined the queue for the 15:00 “window” at around 14:30.

Development work at Meadow Lane Lock
With the queue building on both sides of the lock, the workmen opened up early, and we found ourselves back on the river by 15:10.

Heading away from Nottingham
We were quite wet, though, having worked through the lock in a very heavy shower.

There are a few trip boats on the river, most looking like mini cross channel ferries. But Trent Lady looks unfortunately like a floating double decker bus!

Trent Lady. Maybe a different colour scheme would help?
Riverside Living. Inclusive…..

And exclusive.

We arrived at Holme Lock at about a quarter to four and moored above the lock on the VM.

Moored at Holme Lock.
The structure in the background is the sluice on the river, we’re moored in the lock cut.

Just over the bank is the Holme Pierrepoint National Watersports Centre.
The canoeists were out in force on the slalom course this evening.

Splashing about.
The forecast is pretty grim tomorrow, but we’ve got to press on. I’d really like to get to Cromwell Lock tomorrow, as we’re booked to go down onto the tideway on Thursday morning. Still, we can make good time now we’re on the open river.

Locks 4, miles 12.

Northward Bound

After a week of over-indulgence, broken up by odd days where I’ve had a hard run to try to keep my training in some sort of order, we’re now on our way to Sheffield.
It’s been an enjoyable interlude, invites out to lunch and dinner, cruises with guests, too much wine and too much food. But it's been great to see everyone again.

We were joined by Sue and Trev, the New Zealand connection, but had to revert to Plan B as we were short of cruising time on Wednesday. So instead of downstream we headed back to Syston, mooring near Junction Lock. Thursday we ran up to Birstall, and had lunch in the White Horse near the lock, joined by Kay and Paul and my Goddaughter Samantha (Sam) and boyfriend Nick.

Kay and Paul left us to head home, but Sam and Nick stayed on for the cruise back to Sileby.

People on the roof, looking like a hire boat on the way back.
Friday was a recovery day, then Saturday we were collected for a family lunch at the Packe Arms at Hoton, and very good it was too. Kay and Paul played host in the afternoon, the fine weather allowing us to sit outside and watch the dogs enjoying themselves.

The gang
The fish pond may take a little time to recover…..
Luke and Jake on the trampoline
Dad and Ann cutting the Anniversary Cake…… 39 years.

So yesterday we pointed the bow northwards and set off from Sileby, with 2 weeks to get to Sheffield. We didn’t have a particularly good start; 2 day boats from Sileby Mill were coming up the lock under instruction, and took a little time.

Milling about at Sileby Lock
One of them was heading back down to Loughborough so we joined them through the lock to Mountsorrel. Another small delay here while a female birthday party on a day boat from Barrow came up the lock, but the entertainment was worth it.

Happy Birthday!
We go parted from out erstwhile travelling companions when we pulled over at the water point at Barrow, then made our way down to the lock. A boat was on the way up when we arrived, and we were hustled in quickly as soon as they had cleared. Dropping down we realised why. There was a queue of 5 narrowboats and 2 widebeams waiting to go up!

Busy at Barrow
The river has been getting busier as the IWA National Rally on the Bank Holiday Weekend approaches.

Ex-working boats Nuneaton and Brighton.
Nuneaton is a Large Northwich, built at Yarwoods in 1936, and Brighton, the butty, is a Harland and Wolffe Large Woolwich from 1935.
They are owned and operated by The Narrow Boat Trust.

We pushed on, through Loughborough, and moored on Zouch Cut above the lock. I just had time to watch the last 40 minutes of the European Grand Prix at Valencia, then settled down to watch the last day’s events from the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. It looks like we’ve some good up and coming talent for the Olympics. Then, to cap it all, we’ve regained the Ashes! I’m not a cricket fan, but it’s refreshing to be able to beat the Australians again.

Today we had rain forecast in the afternoon, so made an early start so we could travel in the dry.

The spraying of the Pennywort seems to be having and effect. The dense mats are turning yellow and breaking up.

Dying Pennywort
I hope they’ve done their homework and it’s not affecting anything else.

Kegworth Flood Lock, open as expected after the spell of dry weather.
And BW doing a bit of housekeeping near Ratcliffe Lock
At Ratcliffe Lock the edges of the tented village for the Rally come into view.
There are a lot of new moorings been constructed between the lock and Redhill Marina, and some of the existing ones appear to have been vacated for the duration.

Where have all the boats gone?
Ah, there they are!
Approaching the marina, early arrivals are already breasting up 2 or 3 deep on the floating pontoons….
And the exhibitors area is well established.

I hope it stays fair, there’s an awful lot of work gone into making this event a success, but it’s still dependent on the weather.

Through Redhill Flood Lock
Leaving Redhill the junction at Trent Lock is reached, where we turned right and moored on Cranfleet Cut.

That’ll be us, then.
We just got tied up as the first drops of rain began to fall, then the wind got up and started blowing white horses past the windows. I didn’t envy the boaters still going past, hardy souls!

Since last post, locks 18, miles 16½.

Ah, the social whirl….

We’ve not so much socialising for ages. On Sunday afternoon we had my sister Kay and other half Paul, along with the canines Elvis and Ruby, over to visit.

Taking up the towpath

It was a fine day so we sat outside apart from when we had a rather ad hoc dinner, prepared by yours truly. I can’t do with sharing my food with the local fauna. The dogs are bad enough.
The washing up bowl is drinking water for the dogs. Ruby can suck a standard bowl dry in 5 seconds flat. When they came to see us at Derwent Mouth Lock near Shardlow I got so fed up with going in to fill the water bowl that I started to fill it from the canal. I was not favourite brother the next day; Ruby had the squitters, and believe me, a St Bernard with the runs is not a pretty sight…

Kay and Mags posing
Yesterday we were collected and taken to brother Andy’s for a BBQ. ‘Tother sister Sue and hubby Trev from New Zealand are stopping with them. It was good to see them again, they’re both looking well. We really will have to try to get over there, they live in the mountains in South Island, and it looks fabulous, like a mega Lake District.

Today we thought we really must cruise a bit, so set off to Loughborough. Just before Junction Lock we came across Dave and Dilys on Trundle. They are on their “weekend” off from running Raynsway, and had arrived last night while we were out.

Dilys on Trundle
And Dave at the lock
We stayed together to Barrow, where D&D stopped to go to a grandson’s first birthday party.

Here we picked up a day hire boat out of Sileby, so we dropped down Barrow Deep Lock with them.
Pillings Flood Lock was chained open as expected, with the dry weather we’re having at the moment.

Through Pillings Flood Lock.
We turned down to the wharf in Loughborough, but the pontoons were full this time, so pulled onto the facilities mooring. I emptied both loo tanks then left the water tank filling while I dashed off up to Argos to redeem a voucher for a free 16” LCD TV. It’ll just do nicely in the bedroom…

Services at Loughborough Wharf. Everything but rubbish disposal and spotlessly clean, but you have to make the effort to get up there…
We turned back, retracing our wake to moor for the night just above the flood lock. We should have gone through the lock and moored on the lower landing really. It’s not in use with the lock fixed open, and TV reception is much better there.

Swan stand off at Nottingham Road Bridge. They shall not pass….
We’ll head back to Sileby tomorrow, where we’re picking up Sue and Trev. They’re staying with us overnight, so we’ll head north again, probably up to Devil’s Elbow, for the night.

Locks 5, miles 12½

Gun Swan Fight at the OK Corral Thurmaston Lock

I’d told them not to encourage the swans into the lock, but the crew of the day boat out of Sileby kept offering bread as they went in, so the swans followed. I tried to shoo them back out, but they were having none of it.

We’d left Raynsway about noon, after saying our goodbyes to the 2 D’s, Dave and Dilys. It’ll be next year before we’re back this way.

Bye, Dilys
There was a boat heading down Thurmaston Lock with the day boat waiting to come up, as we arrived.
The family of swans that live below the lock had, of course, gone begging on the lock landing, with considerable success. I’d spotted the other pair with their cygnets above the lock as we arrived, which is why I tried to keep the larger family out.

The day boat came up and left the lock, then mayhem. The family was spotted in the lock chamber, and the pair above decided they had no business being there. Swans are VERY territorial.

One of the adults successfully held off the attack, protecting his/her mate and the youngsters, and then took the fight out of the lock, and around the corner of the lock island.

We went in the lock and took the one remaining adult and the 5 cygnets back down to their own territory. No sign of the other adult, I hope he/she (how do you tell them apart?) was OK to fly over the sluices to rejoin the family. There was no sign as we left the lock.
Andrew Denny witnessed the same thing on the Stort a few years ago.

After this excitement we had a very quiet run along to moor just above Junction Lock. We’ve spent a couple of weekends here recently, it’s quiet and peaceful. We were the only boat on the stretch when we arrived, but were soon joined by another, then another, and another… Ah well, so much for peace and quiet.

Locks 1, miles 2

A mighty fine day

We had a superb day yesterday, one of those days where everything seems to come together just like it was designed that way.

It was a fine warm day, most of the locks were with us, and we were cruising the favourite stretch of a river I have a soft spot for, even though it’s notoriously unpredictable.

The first lock of the day, Pillings Flood Lock. Still in use with a fall of about 5”.

If the dry weather continues I reckon the gates will be left open later. The river is in the green, but still a couple of inches above norm.

We met quite a few boats heading downstream, some I expect getting mooring spots at Redhill for the forthcoming IWA National. Among them were a couple of ex-working boats.

Motor boat Aquarius and butty Ilford heading to Redhill.
We shared Barrow Deep Lock with a party of canoeists from the Outdoor Pursuit Centre at Quorn Hall.

The heavy boats came up the lock with us, the lighter ones being portaged round.

Company in Barrow Deep Lock.
The youngsters and instructors waited for the boats to come up to them, and Meg made some more friends.
The contractors are still doing battle with the Floating Pennywort. It’s going to be a long job, with each clump having to be sprayed.
The local farmer was taking advantage of the warm breezy weather.

Making hay while the sun shines….
We had a bit of a pause at Cossington Lock while waiting for a couple of boats to come down, then shared the lock with a family out for the day.

Cossington Lock

Just around the corner we were hailed from the bank, I looked round and there were Ginny and Gunner from NB Wilvir. They’d been over to Rothley for a bit of shopping, and were moored just below Junction Lock.

Ginny on the bank, Gunner having a swim.
We pulled over for an hour, to have a chat. They’re a really pleasant couple, and we’ll be looking out for them in the winter over near the Shroppie.

Wil, Ginny and Gunner
We could have stopped all afternoon, but I’d booked us into Raynsway at Thurmaston for a couple of nights, so shoved off following a boat heading to the lock. It turned out to be Nouveau Lady, who we’d moored alongside in Loughborough.

Leaving the lock, I thought we’d have to break out the fire extinguishers as a day boat come towards us, trailing smoke.
It turned out they had a barbeque going on the fore deck. Not the safest of places, I should have thought!

The long cut past the flooded gravel pits (now Watermead Country Park) took us up to Thurmaston, up through the lock and into Raynsway Marina.

Into Raynsway, rather better weather than the last time we were here.
Dave filled us up with diesel, then we moved over onto our allocated berth for the next 2 nights.

After tea we joined Dave and Dilys on one of the picnic benches for a drink, enjoying the last of a good day. Talking about just about anything, we were out there till gone 10! A really good end to an excellent day.

Today I’ve taken advantage of the laundry facilities, catching up with washing bedding. We can do it on the boat, but each set makes up 2 loads in our compact machine, and there’s the matter of getting it dry.
In between we’ve taken delivery of a Tesco order, and I’ve got some of the repaired or modified woodwork at each end of the boat varnished.

I see anyone doing the Cheshire Ring Four Counties Ring (see comments) has a problem. Shebdon Embankment has sprung a leak, and is closed till maybe the middle of next week.

Locks 7, miles 8.