Off to the Nene day 6

Last night we walked to the Chequered Skipper for a meal. The normal rout for this is to walk along the weir stream, over the weir and take the right hand path at the junction to follow the mill stream. When we reached the mill at the end of the stream we found the path fenced off, after climbing over the fence we saw a notice other side saying “Private, No Entry”. So when we returned nicely full we followed the official footpath to the pedestrian bridge at which point we followed the track round to the left which eventually brings you back to the weir at the junction. There is no official footpath from the moorings to anywhere but the EA use the track to get to the lock.

This morning we woke to thick mist but it had cleared before we set off at 10 am but it was very overcast and still, This made all the cobwebs very visible with the light dew in their silky threads.

It wasn’t until almost noon that the sun came out, the skies cleared and it was a very pleasant day for a trip down the river as can be seen by these people on an open boat enjoying a day out.

We topped up with water at Yarwell  Lock and the notice by the tap proves that not all information on this river is up to date. On our way we passed the boater who had been stuck in the lock on Sunday, he said he had been in there for two and a half hours.

We carried on round Stibbington again admiring the property that we think is next to Pat Buckle’s, it looks as it it should be a boat club but I think it is probably a private residence.

 

Just upstream of this there is a stone obelisk standing right by the water. I wasn’t able to see if there is any inscription on it, maybe a bit of Googling when we get home.

 

We carried on to moor again on the EA pontoon at Wansford Station. Although the railway is not open to the public today were quite a few members about and I did get a picture of the diesel crossing the bridge, some time later it came pulling a very smart break van and a Royal Mail carriage, unfortunately it didn’t cross the bridge with them but shunted them back off the main line. The Break van looks very smart in its fresh brown paint.

 

 

A little later I looked out, and no it wasn’t a plane I saw in the sky but a Virgin Hot Air Balloon drifting effortless across the sky, what a wonderful evening for it.