The Tidal Trent – Day 1

We had a quiet night on the pontoons, that is after the screeching woman up on the wharf above us had cleared off. It started as an argument, and finished with the local constabulary getting involved.

We were ready to go at 08:00, so gently moved off, down to Newark Nether Lock. But we were not the first, a couple of narrowboats had already set off from further down the mooring, and a cruiser had passed us as well. I shouted goodbyes to David and Dorothy on Blackbird, moored opposite. They’d decided to stop in Newark another day.

I expected the lock to be clear by the time we arrived, but the preceeding boats were still going in and there was space for us, so we joined them.

In Newark Nether Lock
We were last out and I closed up the lock, then we followed the convoy onward to Cromwell Lock.

Impressive Church at North Muskham
Approaching Cromwell Lock
The gates were open invitingly and the green light was on, so we motored straight in, to the front of the large chamber. I don’t think the boats who’d been waiting overnight were that impressed, but there was room for all in the end, thanks to the lock-keeper.
All slotted in.
And leaving onto the tidal section.
I’m afraid to confess to being a little bored over the next 2¾ hours. The river winds it’s way generally northwards across the flat flood plain, with little to see over the high banks. Occasional glimpses of civilisation occur.
Converted mill at Carlton on Trent
Gravel Loading Staithe
And another, with rotting hulks used as bank protection.
This is power station country, with the Trent supplying the water for steam, and the Midlands coalfields providing the fuel. At least, for those not converted to gas. A considerable proportion of the national supply is generated in the Trent Valley.

High Marnham

Cottam
The crane is waiting for the arrival of a huge generator, coming by water from Hull.

We turned the corner into Torksey Cut, and were met by the sight of full pontoons.

Busy at Torksey.

Luckily most were preparing to leave, to catch the rising tide back to Cromwell. We’d come down on the ebb, averaging 6 mph and arriving as it turned.

Even so, the arriving boats have still had to breast up to ensure moorings for all. We’ve got a boat alongside who are heading for Keadby as well, so we’ll be off at the same time, around 06:00, to catch the ebb again.
The generator arrived on schedule, passing in the distance across the end of the cut.

Cottam’s new generator

We had a pleasant surprise, Mo and ‘Ness arrived. Balmaha is moored above the lock, and I was going to have a walk up to see them, but they beat me to it. They’re heading for Boston, on the way back from Sheffield, so were able to provide useful info regarding moorings and stuff for our trip.
Mo and ‘Ness.
Before tea I took Meg for a walk back along the river to Cottam, but the barge had been unloaded and had gone. Still it was good for her to stretch her legs after being cooped up on board.

Typical Trent Path gate, Cottam Power Station behind.
There are 2 gates, hinged in opposite directions to ensure that livestock can’t push through. The angled shape makes them self-closing.

An early night tonight I guess. Up at 05:00 tomorrow. Ooh ‘eck.

For the first time in ages I’ve not got a 3G internet connection. The GPRS I have got is nothing to write home about, either. Could take a while to upload the pics….

Locks 2, miles 20.

And so to Newark

It’s all very well saying that we’ll move in bad weather, but the reality when you open the curtains and look out upon a windy, rainswept lock cut is somewhat different. We’d pretty much decided to stay put today and wait for better conditions tomorrow. I went for a short 40 minute run to let the weather settle down a bit, and then took Meg for a walk. By this time the sky had brightened and the rain had eased, so we made the decision to go for it after all.

Holme Lock is the first of the large barge locks encountered heading downstream, and 3 narrowboats and 1 cruiser in the 165’ x 18’ chamber looked a bit lost.

Into Holme Lock. The workboat is moored in the lock cut, outside the lock.
Today’s cruise has been one of wide open expanses of water, interspersed with locks. There are very few bridges crossing the river, in fact there’s only one road bridge between Nottingham and Newark.
At Radcliffe on Trent (not to be confused with Ratcliffe on Soar), the river is forced through a 90° left turn by the outcrop of the Trent Hills, which disuade the river from any ambitions it has to head west.

Hard left at Radcliffe on Trent
We lost the cruiser above Stoke Lock, and, there being no lock keeper on, worked the 3 narrowboats through ourselves. The controls are pretty much idiot proof, anyway.

Gunthorpe Bridge (the one bridge) carries the A6097 over the river, and prompts you to wake up. The lock is just around the corner.

Gunthorpe Bridge….
And lock.
Even though these locks are big, there’re not difficult, as you’re generally invited in by a green traffic light on arrival, and then met by a friendly lock-keeper. They keep in touch with each other up and down the waterway, and can judge arrival times of boats quite accurately.

Ready to Leave Gunthorpe Lock.
Looking back, the lock on the right, and the huge weir on the left.
Hazelford Lock is the next on the list, where we got stuck for a few days eighteen months ago when the river rose 4 feet in a matter of hours. No problem today though. In fact we’d seen no rain since we’d left Holme, but the showers started soon after, accompanied by an increase in the wind.

Leaving the constraining hills behind, the river feels obliged to loop backwards and forwards, past Fiskerton and Farndon.

The Bromley Arms at Fiskerton
The winding course through most points of the compass meant that we caught the rising wind from the side, bow and stern.

Following wind
With the wind beam-on, the boat took on quite an alarming list, and stern on the prop rattled industriously as a trough passed under the counter.

The showers turned to persistent rain as we approached Newark, past the very long Averham Weir which carries the river around the north of the town.

Averham Weir
The waterway through Newark is mainly artificial, known as the Newark Branch, or Dyke.

Just past the old Trent Navigation Company Warehouse, now a popular pub and museum, is Newark Town Lock.

We hung on to a BW dredger moored outside the maintenance depot while a trip boat, Sonning, came up.

Waiting for Town Lock
Into Newark Town Lock, Newark Castle in the background.
Passing under the castle walls.
We moored for the night on the pontoon moorings below the BW offices at The Kiln. We secured the last gap, David and Dorothy on NB Blackbird, who we’ve shared today’s trip with as well, have moored on the wall opposite. And just a bit further along there’s a familiar boat – Granny Buttons. Andrew must have come out onto the river from Lincoln at Torksey, after his excursion across The Wash.
The wind and rain have eased again now, and the forecast is OK for tomorrow. Apparently today’s gales were the tail end of Hurricane Bill. I’m glad we only caught the tail end!

Locks 5, miles 20

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.