Wed 29 Aug 2012 Nassington Queens Head

Last night we walked into the village and ate at The Cuckoo Pub.  The Cuckoo is quite a large pub/restaurant but was very busy for a Tuesday, the restaurant was fully booked and almost every table in the pub was also take, so we decided to eat in the garden as it was a fine but slightly chilly evening. The food was very good. I had Eddie Grundy burger(Wild Boar) where as Diana had the Venison which was very tender. Both came with an interesting selection of vegetables. They had Domebar and Summer Ale on the hand pumps at £3-30 pt.

The noise from the A1 was constant so not very disturbing overnight. As we were getting up this morning a Narrowboat was making its way down through the lock, I am not sure where he came from as the first lock we came to was empty and the walls dry.
We set off at 0945 on a fine but overcast morning, but it wasn’t long before the rain set in, we  met 5 Narrowboats, two of which were hire boats, I wouldn’t want a hire boat business on the River Nene.
At Wansford Lock there were three cruisers locking up so we helped them on their way and continued to Yarwell lock where we topped up with water. It was quite strange as the tap water was very warm and even after running it for some minutes it didn’t turn cold like water straight from the tap normally does. About half a mile above Yarwell lock there is a loop running off the river to the left at Nassington. You can’t go all the way round the loop as there is a low bridge across it and if you want to moor on the island it costs £15 a day. However if you go in the upstream end and work your way round with care as its quite silted up you come to about 150 foot of metal pilled quay heading at the bottom of the The Queens Head Hotel garden and that is we now are for the night. We arrived at 1340 hrs. and have been up to reception and booked a table for their steak night and checked that we were OK to moor here. Since we arrived it has been raining harder so it looks as if we stopped just in time.
Since I original wrote this we have been joined by two cruises from the Middle Nene Cruising Club who have tucked in behind us.