The Tuesday Night Club Official Web Site

The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Index

Tour 2001

Index

Fenland Tour Summer 2001

16 - Outwell to Welches Dam - Middle Level, inc Well Creek, River Nene Old Course, Pophams Eau, Middle Level Main Drain, 16 Foot Drain, Vermuyden's 40ft Drain.

Friday 13th July 2001

After meeting up with Greg Chapman and John Chapman's wife Pat and Baptist Church day trip party we shoved off at 11.00. The sad “Chicken lady” was still hovering around....after all, all these comings and goings was pretty exciting stuff – for Outwell!!! The destination was a mid day meal at the “Red Hart” at Three Holes (now only one hole, since they replaced the old bridge.) 
It was a complete Norton family turn out at Marmont Priory Lock and we were both soon through. There was a rather large thunder rainstorm as we flew down the deep and wide Pophams Eau. Andrew Goodland and Greg went off to retrieve the good Cap'n's trusty Rover and met us at the “Red Hart”. We had a monstrous excellent cavery meal for £6. 
We set off again at 14.20, down the Middle Level Main Drain to the very low Mullicourt Aqueduct (where Well Creek comes across) and took some piccies (15.15). On the way back Neil went a little way up the dead end continuation of Pophams Eau to Nordelph - this has a weir at the other end (15.40 to 15.50) 
When back to Three Holes again we carried on up the fast and wide 16ft Drain to the junction with Vermuydens Drain / 40ft River. Here we turned left up the narrow but reasonably deep west channel. This was very weedy. Eventually we arrived at Horseway Lock at 18.15. Earnest would not go through Welches Dam Lock (52ftish narrowboat max), so we abandoned it here and got Frogmoore into the fascinating holey gated Horseway Lock. 
We could not get the top gates to shut so Terry Streeter did a magnificent job of boathooking masses of dead old weed out of the shuts. We then got the gates to within a barge pole width of shutting. We were thinking of using the barge pole to fill the gap. Next Neil found that the last person (John?) had left the single paddle up. We tried to screw it down, but this just deformed the rotten top gate timber. Finally Neil went on the rear deck of Frogmoore and with the blessing of the called out, but powerless MLC Chief Engineer – Mr Philips, managed to somewhat bang down the steel paddle with the TNC sledge hammer. During Mr Philips perusal of butchery to his lock, his glasses fell out of his pocket into the mess of weed that was the lock chamber.......we did not manage to find them for him and he was not a happy bunny! 
After this we gave up with the pleasantries and gingerly used the lock as a flash lock, using Frogmoore pushing between the bottom gates and everybody else on one gate. Eventually Frogmoore burst through and we were in the now fairly flowing and “full up” dike. There was then frantic shutting of gates and clambering down the lock gates to the boat for the crew. 
After a few minutes, JC and Pat got sick of steering and Cap'n Beeky took us to Welches Dam lock. Now it was a fair flow through the dike, due to the Welches Dam Lock Slackers (paddles) still being raised. When we got to the camouflaged in grass landing stage, Neil jumped ashore and shut off the top paddle. The bottom gates soon were able to be opened and Captain Beeky triumphantly sailed in. 
Frogmoore was soon out of the good condition Welches Dam Lock and onto the landing stage down stream on the Old Bedford. The draw down from Welches Dam Lock slackers being opened to fill the section to Horseway Lock, should have been left open all night, so getting to the Old Bedford early and closing them off had saved us a lot of wastage of water from the Old Bedford. 
We moored Frogmoore up at 22.00 and a lot of car shuffling took place. Greg said goodbye and we said that we would try to meet up with him again in the next few weeks. That night Earnest's crew were dropped back at Earnest, for a very early transfer back to Frogmoore for an attempt to get Frogmoore to Salter's Lode for a 12.00ish exit through the tidal doors and hence to Denver Sluice.

Dscn2626.jpg (23808 bytes)
Outwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2627.jpg (28544 bytes)
Leaving the "Basin". Outwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2628.jpg (33730 bytes)
Outwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2629.jpg (29308 bytes)
Outwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2633.jpg (22312 bytes)
Outwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2636.jpg (29891 bytes)
Upwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2637.jpg (33879 bytes)
St Peters Church and Visitor Moorings. Upwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2639.jpg (25578 bytes)
Upwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2640.jpg (34794 bytes)
St Peters Church and Five Bells pub. Upwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2641.jpg (30996 bytes)
Upwell. Well Creek. Middle Level.

Dscn2645.jpg (26654 bytes)
Popham's Eau. Middle Level.

Dscn2646.jpg (17642 bytes)
Popham's Eau. The rain is tanking it down. Middle Level.

gregdougandrew.jpg (17759 bytes)
Greg Chapman, Doug Goodland and Andrew Goodland. Popham's Eau. Middle Level.

3holeslog.jpg (13391 bytes)
Neil using unconventional pin hammer - for the steep bank handrail! Three Holes. Middle Level.

3holessong.jpg (15591 bytes)
"The Baptists" give us a welcoming song. The Red Hart pub. Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2647.jpg (34381 bytes)
The Red Hart pub. Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2648.jpg (30065 bytes)
The general store. Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2649.jpg (9946 bytes)
The village sign. Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2650.jpg (24384 bytes)
Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2651.jpg (17100 bytes)
Looking up the 16 Foot Drain. Three Holes. Middle Level.

Dscn2652.jpg (16510 bytes)
Looking down the Middle Level Main Drain from Three Holes Bridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2653.jpg (16106 bytes)
Looking back at the new Three Holes Bridge. Starting up the Middle Level Main Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2655.jpg (10302 bytes)
Middle Level Main Drain. Stair rods again! Middle Level.

Dscn2656.jpg (17144 bytes)
Middle Level Main Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2657.jpg (14131 bytes)
Approaching Mullicourt Aqueduct. Middle Level Main Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2658.jpg (28277 bytes)
Mullicourt Aqueduct. Middle Level Main Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2662.jpg (36622 bytes)
Mullicourt Aqueduct. Middle Level Main Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2663.jpg (23779 bytes)
Earnest ventures up the Old Popham's Eau towards Nordelph. Middle Level.

Dscn2664.jpg (27168 bytes)
Earnest ventures up the Old Popham's Eau towards Nordelph. Middle Level.

Dscn2665.jpg (20306 bytes)
Starting up the 16 Foot Drain. Cotton's Corner Bridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2666.jpg (22431 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Iron Bridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2667.jpg (13607 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2668.jpg (21607 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2669.jpg (22848 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Ely - March Railbridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2670.jpg (14495 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2671.jpg (16242 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Boots Bridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2672.jpg (16994 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2673.jpg (14940 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2674.jpg (16731 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2675.jpg (17497 bytes)
16 Foot Drain. Junction with 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain ahead. Middle Level.

Dscn2676.jpg (20568 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. We have just turned in from the 16 Foot Drain, to the right. Middle Level.

Dscn2677.jpg (23044 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2678.jpg (35371 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Hollyhouse Farm Bridge. Middle Level.

Dscn2679.jpg (18747 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Hollyhouse Farm Bridge. Warning notice! Middle Level.

Dscn2680.jpg (40748 bytes)
Approaching Horseway Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2681.jpg (35168 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2682.jpg (35309 bytes)
Horseway Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

horseandrew.jpg (16399 bytes)
Cap'n Beeky climbs down the gate. Horseway Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2683.jpg (40708 bytes)
Leaving Horseway Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2684.jpg (28918 bytes)
On our way to Welches Dam. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2685.jpg (38102 bytes)
Doug and Andrew Goodland plus John Chapman. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2686.jpg (12343 bytes)
The sunsets on Horseway Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2687.jpg (20838 bytes)
40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2688.jpg (32341 bytes)
This bush got a severe pruning! 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed1.jpg (12601 bytes)
Captain Beeky's bug swatter. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed2.jpg (10915 bytes)
Welches Dam Lock is in view. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed3.jpg (15728 bytes)
Welches Dam Lock. Terry S pulls the unconventional "balance beam". 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Dscn2696.jpg (17686 bytes)
Frogmoore enters Welches Dam Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed4.jpg (14661 bytes)
Neil on the paddles / slackers. Welches Dam Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed5.jpg (11550 bytes)
Neil on the paddles / slackers. Welches Dam Lock. 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

oldbed7.jpg (12382 bytes)
Frogmoore leaves the 40 Foot / Vermuyden's Drain and is now on the Old Bedford River. Middle Level.

oldbed6.jpg (12147 bytes)
Looking up the Old Bedford Counter wash Drain from Welches Dam.

The Tour continues


Home Page | "Earnest" | "Beatty" | Canal Restoration