Tuesday 26 June 2012

Last night  dinner was taken in the Anchor which is only a short walk from the moorings, it was two for one pizza night, with home made 12” pizza. Once full we headed to the garden where there was a game of Petong in full flow. They have two gravel pitches so have two games in progress at a time. The “manager” of one team was getting quite irate with a young player because he would not play the shots he was told to play and lost points.

This morning we were away a little after 11 am, a phone call to Nigel on his cruiser at Reach saw him on his way as well, so that we didn’t meet in the narrow bits. The two fishermen who were stationed by out bow were packing up, they had been there 6 hrs..
You can see the three wide beam residential boats that are moored just before the visitor moorings.

We were again luck enough to spot a Harrier quartering the marshes, a lot more common in these parts than on the canal.

Just before we reached the junction of Reach Lode and Burwell Lode we met Nigel in his cruiser and we were able to tell him the mooring was now free. At the junction we turned a very tight left into Reach Lode heading for the village of Reach. Since our guide and maps were printed there has been a cycle route made across the meadows and a new bridge built over the Lode.

After the bridge things started getting decidedly narrow but not weedy thank goodness. we pushed on to the end of navigation and this was the sight that greeted us. The weeping willow is actually growing on the point of a Y junction and we didn’t need to go to the left. Its also the head of navigation so I winded and tried backing down the arm to the right, but it was too shallow to get near the bank, so we have moored with the stern in front of the willow on a mud weight and the bows against the land at the end of the Y beside the GOBA and end of navigation sign. The view from the side hatch is quite impressive as well looking straight up Reach Lode.

We went for a wonder round and came across some interpretation boards erected by the IWA almost 30 years ago. Wandering into the village we stumbled on the village pub The Dyke’s End which at one time was a farm house. We just nipped in and half of Woodfords Wherry. There are some pretty cottages in the village and we especially liked the Two Bulls with the house name above the front door.