Wednesday 17 July 2019

St Ives to Wicken Fen

Sun 14th July  St Ives

Last night we had a pleasant silhouette view of St Ives at dusk.

St Ives Sunset

We walked across the Bridge and were collected as arranged and taken by Peter and Sharon to their church. It is a New Frontiers church and they have their own building on a small industrial estate. The worship was good, although a little tentative, as it was only the second time the worship leader had led the band. They have four worship teams. The theme was the love of God, and there was an excellent talk on the subject.

Bridge Church

The worship team after the service

Peter and Sharon

We went back to their place for a light lunch, which was greatly appreciated. They have a large garden which was in need of attention when they moved in. They are being enterprising - growing vegetables, restoring a pond, and putting in some hours.

There were several sorts of butterfly, and James spotted some Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort over the fence.

Peter drove us back via the Waits, where we saw that space was available for our boat. We walked across the bridge once more and on to the boat, and we reversed out of the mooring by the Dolphin, turned and cruised gently into the Waits to moor up. A hire boat kindly moved along for us. Half an hour later they departed anyway.

Sunset at the Waits

0 locks, 0 miles. Dep 1635, arr 1650.


Mon 15th July  St Ives to Middle Fen

We had to take our hood down as we can’t get off the boat here without going up onto the seats in the stern and stepping over the boat side onto the wall. We walked into town, where James left Hazel looking at market stalls, while he went to catch a bus. Then he realised he had left his binoculars on the boat, so he walked back to fetch them. Twenty minutes later he was waiting for a bus again, to take him to Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB reserve.

Meanwhile, Hazel pottered around the stalls, and popped in for a coffee at the Free Church, where they have put in a new floor to have their meetings upstairs, while the original floor is used for community events.

She then went to Waitrose for a few things, and finally went to Wetherspoons for a bottomless tea to await James’ return.

James was wandering round the nature reserve, where he found some cinnabar caterpillars on some ragwort. In recent years we have only managed one sighting each year, whereas they used to be very common. This year we have seen them twice – once yesterday at Peter and Sharon’s and now here today. The black and yellow caterpillar turns into a red and black moth.

Cinnabar caterpillar

Apart from that there were several butterflies, and lots of birds, but nothing particularly unusual. Last time eight years ago, he saw a fox, a stoat, and a bittern.

Gatekeeper butterfly

Ringlet butterfly

Lapwing

Fenstanton Lakes

Flowers by the bus track

Glorious white flower

He caught the bus back and joined Hazel in Wetherspoons, where we decided to have lunch before returning to the boat.

Guided Bus

Back on the boat, we had to reverse out from the Waits, and then head downstream under the old bridge for the final time.

Our mooring at the Waits


Wild visitors


Cygnets


Water art

Downstream under the bridge

We visited Jones’ boatyard where we were able to buy a gas spanner to replace the one that has gone missing. We also topped up with water, emptied two cassettes, and disposed of rubbish. Leaving there was tricky as we had to reverse again. How we miss our bow thruster which stopped working earlier this year!



Into Jones’ Boatyard

Service pontoon

It was nearly all cruisers

We left the marina, and turned right, downstream where we found another narrowboat, Cormorant, just entering the lock. They pulled over into the layby shaped area, and we followed in alongside. This meant that we were first out of the lock. Another boat was waiting to come in, so they operated the guillotine gate. We were soon way in front of Cormorant, but we didn’t want to get to the next lock first, as there was only room for one boat and we didn’t want to take the lock, when they had kindly let us in to the last one.

Sharing St Ives Lock with Cormorant

In pole position in St Ives Lock

We saw Saul moored at the Ferryboat Inn, but we couldn’t see John and Helen. We carried on past and before we reached the Pike and Eel mooring where Hazel had trouble with mosquitos, we saw a nice looking GOBA mooring so we decided to moor up, opposite a place marked as Middle Fen on our map. We were the only boat there, and it was beautifully quiet. We couldn’t hear any traffic or trains.

Saul at the Ferryboat Inn

Moored near Middle Fen

1 lock, 4 miles. Dep 1420, arr 1610.


Tue 16th July  Middle Fen to Lazy Otter

The water was very clear, and there were lots of bright blue damselflies near the stern where we were tied to a tree.

Tied to a tree

Damselflies

Hanging on

Helicopter

We saw John and Helen on Saul go past heading downstream, as we are. Maybe we can catch up somewhere to get to know them a bit better.

We had hot sunshine today. Just as we were about to move off a cruiser came from behind, so we held back and let them take the lock. We passed the Pike and Eel, and caught them up at Brownshill Staunch.

Pike and Eel

Brownshill Staunch has a guillotine gate at each end. Each one takes a while, as you are prevented from raising the gate more than a couple of inches, and then you have to wait for a timer while the lock fills or empties. There was not room for the two boats in the lock, so James operated the buttons for them. By the time it was our turn, another cruiser was coming from behind, and we couldn’t share with them either, so they operated the buttons for us.

Brownshill Staunch

We cruised past amazing wildflower banks, with teasels, ragwort, and loosestrife and passed Earith with its marina, and the entrance to the Old Bedford River. Hermitage Lock is just beyond the junction with the New Bedford River, where we came from nearly two weeks ago. 

Westview Marina

Ragwort profusion

New Bedford River and Hermitage Lock

New Bedford River

In Hermitage Lock

The rear doors closing

The lock is manned, and there are traffic lights showing. The light changed to green as we approached, so we went straight in. We descended about two feet, and then we entered what is called the Old West River. This has no locks right up to Denver, and this early part is narrow in places, shallow and weedy. The first stretch is alongside a busy road.

Alongside a road

Narrow areas

Occasionally there is a pumping station to pump water into the river from the surrounding dykes, as the river has high banks, and the surrounding land is lower than the river. The engine laboured and at one point overheated with a warning alarm sounding. James slackened the pace and the sound stopped.

Aldreth High Bridge marks the place where they think Hereward the Wake crossed the river. Perhaps he was called that because he didn’t slow down for moored boats!

Aldreth High Bridge

We saw lots of different dragonflies and damselflies, as well as buzzards, herons, and egrets.

Egret

We had hoped to go all the way to Pope’s Corner and beyond, but we decided to stop just after the Lazy Otter, where there was a GOBA mooring. We were tired. Hazel hung out some washing in the hot sun.

Moored near the Lazy Otter.

2 locks, 13 miles. Dep 1040, arr 1450.


Wed 17th July  Lazy Otter to Wicken Fen

Several boats were moving this morning, some going past very quickly causing waves. James checked the prop before setting off, and found an item of clothing on there, which explains some of yesterday’s engine labouring.

We were hoping to see a seal which we have heard lives around here, but it kept out of sight. We passed the Stretham Old Engine, erected in 1831 for draining the fens. It is only open on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Stretham Old Engine

At Pope’s Corner, the Old West River becomes the Great Ouse, at the Junction with the River Cam. We turned right onto the Cam, quite a wide river at this point, and proceeded upstream for three miles. Wildlife sightings included an egret, lots of greylag geese, herons, dragonflies, Great Crested Grebes, and a large terrapin, which disappeared when we slowed down to take a photo.

Pope’s Corner Footbridge

Pope’s Corner

The wide River Cam

Tern

Egret

Two Herons

A pumping station and a pill box

At Upware there is a marina, and a pub called the “Five miles from anywhere – No Hurry”. There is also a junction where the Cam continues to Cambridge, and Reach Lode goes off to the left.

Junction ahead

For Reach Lode turn left

A short distance into Reach Lode, there is a lock. This has a guillotine gate at each end, and a fall of about an inch! With our bows on the far gate, there was only a couple of feet to spare. The map states how high, how deep, and how wide, but not how long the lock is. If our boat was 62ft or more, we would not have fitted. There is a water tap here which we will use on our return.

Upware Lock

Not much room to spare

Leaving the lock

After some moored boats, we turned left under a wooden footbridge into Wicken Lode. What a contrast from the wide River Cam! This was narrow and shallow, with reeds on both sides and water lilies.

Reach Lode and Wicken Lode Junction

Into Wicken Lode

We struggled along very slowly, often getting weed round the prop, and having to a quick reverse thrust to shift it. The one-mile section took an hour and ten minutes. Two thirds of the way along we met the National Trust electric trip boat coming towards us. Fortunately, we were at the junction with another small lode, and there was just space to pass.

Narrow channel

Slow progress

Meeting the trip boat

The Tower Hide

We arrived at the end of the navigable part where there is room to turn in the junction with Monks Lode. There is also a GOBA mooring, where we managed to moor in front of a small Sea Otter. So here we are in Wicken Fen, the National Trust’s first Nature Reserve. We plan to go for a walk later when it cools down.

Moored in Wicken Fen

1 lock, 7 miles. Dep 0935, arr 1245.


Next: a walk around Wicken Fen this evening and possibly again tomorrow, then heading for Ely by the weekend.

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