Pyrford to Byfleet to Send

Thu 18^th April

We set off downstream for a change. We were heading back to Byfleet Boat Club so that we could go to the folk club that meets every Thursday in the Blue Anchor. We had no locks to negotiate, so it was an easy journey. We went past the boat club to the junction with the Basingstoke Canal where we could turn the boat, and we headed back up to the boat club.

Passing the boat club

Turning by the Basingstoke Canal

We tried to moor on the wooden posts behind Ruby Tuesday, but it was too shallow, so we moved forward and tied onto the railings instead.

Moored at Byfleet Boat Club

Mike Chamberlain was there, preparing Paper Moon for painting. We went to visit Stuart and Julia at TLC next door, as they had some post for us. Then we practised a few songs for the folk club that evening.

Mark arrived on Journeyman and moored behind us. We saw Mick and Suzanne on Cranley as they paused at the club before moving on to Send.

We stowed some equipment in our shopping trolley as it was quite far to carry it, and we walked to the folk club at the Blue Anchor, which took 30 minutes. The place was almost full, but thankfully Vicki and Ernon were there already, and they had saved seats for us. We saw Mike Peach, the host, and he said we could start off the second half. There were so many singers that everyone had just two songs.

We spotted a few people that we knew. Sue Knowlson, from our days in Pioneer, also Hedley Kay was there with his wife Margaret. He used to perform at the Preston Cross Hotel, and they were friends with Anne and Peter Marshall from our church.

We sang Fremantle Bay and Long Way Down. We were well received. Vicki and Ernon kindly drove us back to the boat. We will see them again on Sunday in Godalming.

0 locks, 3 miles  Dep 0830 arr 0930

Fri 19^th April

We saw Trev arrive to look after the hiring of the rowing boats. He was probably very busy later as this was Good Friday, and the weather was excellent. Jeanette also joined husband Mike on Paper Moon.

Jeanette, Mike, Trev

As we set off from the club, another boat was approaching from behind. We let them pass and established that they were going through the locks, so we agreed to share. This was Mel and Pete on Danum No 2, also boat club members, although we didn’t really know them.

It was a glorious day as we cruised up to Pyrford, passing West Hall, once the home of Frederick Stoop, a philanthropist who provided Byfleet with a boat club. The house is now an upmarket retirement home.

West Hall retirement home

Dodds Bridge built in 1761

We spotted a heron in a very unusual position, apparently drying its wings, as cormorants do. We have never seen a heron doing this before.

Heron posing

When we arrived at Pyrford Lock, we discovered that Stuart and Julia were giving instruction to the people who had hired their day boats. It took a long time, so James had time to empty two cassettes in the nearby elsan facility.

Two day boats under instruction

Sharing Pyrford Lock with Danum ll

Soon after this we passed a long line of moored boats and met a Dunkirk Little Ship named Jockette ll   Clicking on the name will give you some history.  Some more history was evident when we passed the house once inhabited by the poet John Donne.

 

Dunkirk Little Ship Jockette ll

John Donne’s house

Passing through Walsham Flood Gates, we were now on a river section, where we could open the throttle a bit more as far as Newark Lock. Here we could see Newark Priory in the sunshine. The lock is followed a low road bridge.

Walsham Flood Gates

River section

Newark Priory

Sunny cruising

Low bridge at Newark

The next lock was Papercourt, and this was the last one of the day for us. We passed the new Cartbridge Basin Marina that was under construction when we were here three years ago. It now had plenty of boats. We stopped at Cartbridge Wharf to fill the water tank, before going under the bridge at Send, and mooring by the New Inn.

New Marina

The water tap at Cartbridge Wharf

Moored by the New Inn at Send

Oliver came to see us later and we went for a meal in the pub. We saw a few more people we knew: John and Sue Webster, Tina and James Osborne and some others. The food was good, but the place was a bit noisy.

3 locks, 5 miles. Dep 1000 arr 1335