Monday 25 June 2012

Yesterday afternoon we took a walk to the Visitor Centre and just opposite the entrance is an old cottage that has been in the same family for 4 generations, we had a look round inside but I must admit I have seen several like it when I worked and lived in rural Norfolk.
How different last night was to the night before, so peaceful and quiet.night.  About half ten we said goodbye to the cruiser that was also moored there over night. He said he was also planning to go to Burwell as he needed shopping badly, so I told him he was quite welcome to breast to us if the moorings were full.
Wicken Lode is quite narrow but quite clear so traveling slowly it doesn’t cause much of a problem.

The edges are lined by white water lilies, I had always consider these as cultivated as I ma only use to seeing yellow ones in the wild.
As we made out way back down the Lode we saw a pair of Harriers quartering the mash and then moving off to the other side of the Lode where I expect they had a family waiting for breakfast.
Once out of the end of the Lode we turned left up Reach Lode, this started off quite wide and clear for the first mile or so. After about half a mile you come to a unction, left to Burwell, the way we are going or right to Reach.
There is a very interesting lift bridge at the end of the NT Nature Reserve which looks as if it is still in use. Behind it is a very substantial foot bridge made from concrete.

In the distance Wicken windmill is visible with its white sails set off against the sky. At this point the going was still quite good but starting to narrow. We passed a family of swans, as all swans are white, why are most of the young signets grey but the odd one or two are white?

By now the weed had started getting a bit thicker and the last half mile was definitely hard work with with the blanket weed closing in from each side.

When we reached the head of navigation not only was the water clear of weed, but the visitor moorings was also clear of boats. The mooring is the same length as Harnser, but just after we arrived a small cruiser turned up so I pulled back to to let them moor ahead of us, so our bum is overhanging the moorings. Although this is the official end of navigation the Lode goes round to the right behind the moorings and under a bridge. The other side of the bridge there are several Narrowboats and cruisers moored. I wonder if they need an EA licence up there?

As we walked round Burwell we met the chap from the cruiser, as we said we were mooring in Burwell due to the shortage of moorings he decided to go to Reach for the night and he had walked to Burwell. When we saw him he was on his way to put a note on our boat to tell us what he had done in case we were trying to leave room for him, which I thought was very nice of him. We will ring him in the morning when we leave so we can swop places and not meet in the narrow bits.