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Index

Tour 2001

Index

Fenland Tour Summer 2001

17 - (Frogmoore II) Welches Dam to Denver - Old Bedford River, Tidal River Great Ouse and Ely Ouse. Plus Horseway Lock to Upwell - 40ft River, 16ft River, Pophams Eau and River Nene old Course.

Saturday 14th July 2001

The Earnest crew was cruelly wakened at 04.00. Brilliant red sun sunrise. After a quick breaky of coffee, toast and marmalade, we tidy up Earnest and packed up valuables and other essential stuff. This is then decanted to the Beekymobile and at 04.50 we left Earnest the support ship, for the TNC Fleet Auxiliary - Frogmoore II. 
We soon arrived at the magical hamlet of Welches Dam after going down a maze of Fenland roads and set off at 05.15. Captain Beeky acted as support tender in the Beekymobile. After initial weed problems near the mooring and pumping station we settled down to a no problem plenty of depth trip to Welney. 
Here there was a huge plug of floating, stinking blanket weed, in and the other side of the single guillotine sluice gate (closed in time of flood) the downstream side of the road bridge. Neil and Doug spent a good half hour clearing the weed away from the bow, at one point we snap the end of JC's boathook, but the weed is so dense that it did not sink! During this procedure we watched a swan wade OVER the weed! 
At the same time JC and Terry Streeter were take piccies over the Washes. This stop was from 07.20 to 08.00. After pushing a huge mass of weed ahead of us we finally broke free and it was plain sailing down to the line of big electricity pylons that cross the waterway at O^S 556975 Sheet 143. It was here (08.50) that John ground to a halt the year before. 
With Neil now on the helm we ground on and had a good few blanket weed disengagements, consisting of freeing the area around the prop and cutting the weed trailing from the rudder, then poling off this area. It was pointless pulling the stuff out, as you end up pulling sheets and sheets of it off the bottom. 
It began to seem impossible, especially as we had to be to Salter's Lode around 12.00. At around the point where the Counter Wash Drain swings away (O^S 563983 Sheet 143) The thick, dead and stagnant blanket weed was at it's worse. Here some fishermen were using grappling hooks to pull out the dead weed, as it was obviously ruining the fishing. 
Neil soldiered on, John seemed not to concerned about running Frogmoore's little Vetus flat out for a good while, with rather a lot of smoke as we managed to eventually get some momentum. 
Eventually (by the right hand side hut - O^S 574998 Sheet 143, about 10.00) we break free and started making some headway again. Just as well as TNC don't “do” bowhauling! Captain Beeky had driven down the SE side of the dyke to check us out. 
From this point the Old Bedford became narrower, but deeper with much more rush growth. Finally the welcoming site of the bridge just before the Old Bedford Sluice can be seen. We still had 4ft of water, but from our soundings around the bridge, we know that it came down to 27 inches! This final section was fairly deep, but slow due to much side weed growth. 
As we approach the bridge and sluice Neil knows that this depth will soon disappear. Under full power we launch our selves at the bridge hole. The depth does indeed decrease but we had enough power and momentum to grind ourselves a channel. It was deep water just before the Sluice and we tied up at10.35. 
Paul would not be back until 12.00 and Neil was worried that the neap tide will then be too much above the Old Bedford level. Paul had already told Neil the way the passage worked. He winches open the pointy flood doors. You then hang back with every body and everything stowed. As Paul ups the slow electric guillotine a rush of the flood tide through the small cut out into the tidal Great Ouse, sends you on a weir stream!........if you have enough power you motor at least half way through the pointy doors, with water rushing in below. Paul then drops the guillotine and you hang around under power until a level is made again outside the Guillotine, now at he rising tidal Great Ouse Level. Then you motor out of the little channel and Paul releases the tension on the pointy gates and lets them close. You then have an earlyish run up to Denver Sluice, on the flood tide. 
Paul came back just gone 12.00, a bit late, drops everything and at 12.15 the theory was put into practise. We had about 9 inches head of water to overcome by then........but the good news was that we would have enough water in the tidal inlet. John sneaked off again and lumbered Neil with the helm. 
Everything went like clock work. With the incoming tide surging all around we did indeed manage to get nearly through the pointy doors, but not quite! It soon went all calm as the grim faced Paul got the guillotine gate down again. Peter Wright of course arrived at this point and asked if he should shin down the pointy gates! 
John was somewhat flummoxed and Neil relinquished control, as he did not know if Denver Sluice would be opening for us or if we would have to wait on the pontoon. As it happened John did get Mike Fairweather and we did go straight into Denver Lock. We stopped at 12.35. 
Peter soon caught us at Denver and his American friends agreed to drop Terry Streeter off at Ely station. After a quick pint in the “Jenyns Arms”, John dumped the Earnest crew (Now Neil, Peter W and Young Beeky, Doug) back of at Horseway Lock, for the retrieval of Earnest to Denver. 
We started back in Earnest at 15.45 and had a bit of a struggle but a controlled astern passage back to the junction with the 16 foot. (16.20) A fairly restrained passage down the 16 foot then followed. Three Holes junction was passed at 18.15 and it was then a fair hack down Popham's Eau to get to Marmont Priory Lock by 19.00ish. 
We were a bit late for our booking, so Mrs Norton scolded us, but soon talk centred on the first passage out of the Old Bedford for eight years! She told us to moor up at the DEEP moorings just by Upwell Church, these she assured us WERE free of other craft and go to the “Five Bells” pub. Here we would get an excellent pint and meal! ......also she said that we would not get into the Old Mill, as it was fully booked! 
We left the now happier Mrs Norton at 19.30, to tend with a late downward Fox Boat.........she then set about scolding them for their late arrival! At 20.10 we were moored up at Upwell and went to the “Five Bells”……………Mrs Norton was indeed correct…..on all counts! It is characters like the Norton’s and Paul at Salter’s Lode, that make this a very special waterway…….long may it continue!

Welches Dam Lock, end of the 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain.

Looking down the 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain from Welches Dam Lock to Horseway.

Looking down the Old Bedford River from Welches Dam. The BeekyRoverwagon in view.

Welches Dam Lock, looking down the Old Bedford River.

Looking up the Old Bedford River from Welches Dam. (JC Slide)

Old Lock cottage at Welches Dam.

Starting off down the Old Bedford River - Welches Dam Pumping station to right.

Welches Dam Pumping station. Old Bedford River.

Looking back at Welches Dam Pumping station. Old Bedford River.

Looking back up the Counter Wash Drain (the Old Bedford becomes this at Welches Dam) and Welches Dam Lock off to right. Old Bedford River.

Cottages at Purls Bridge. Old Bedford River.

Cottages at Purls Bridge - one is The Ship pub. Old Bedford River. Old Bedford River.

Old Bedford River below Purls Bridge - John Chapman's 2000 passage - note much more weed. (JC slide)

Approaching Oxlode Railway Bridge. Old Bedford River.

Looking back at Oxlode Railway Bridge, from the pumping station at O^S 512914 Sheet 143. Old Bedford River.

Welney and bridge. Sluice gate visible beyond. Old Bedford River.

Welney Sluice from Welney bridge. (JC Slide)

Welney and bridge. Old Bedford River.

Welney and bridge. Old Bedford River.

The weeded up Welney Sluice gate. Old Bedford River.

We break free of the weeded up Welney Sluice gate. Old Bedford River.

The floating blanket weed thins out below Welney Sluice gate. Old Bedford River.

Coming up to the large power cable crossing - and severe weed problems! Old Bedford River.

Free of the blanket weed Salter's Lode in the distance looks possible! Old Bedford River.

Looking back at the pumping station shed after which the blanket weed disappeared. Old Bedford River.

Narrower and more rushes just before Salter's Lode. Old Bedford River.

Old Bedford River.

Salter's Lode bridge and first view of The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

Looking back from Salter's Lode bridge. Old Bedford River.

We make the Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

Looking back from the Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. Neil thrashes Frogmoore out and between the pointy gates. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The surge of the tide through the pointy gates. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The surge of the tide through the pointy gates. Old Bedford River. (JC Slide)

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. All the worried looking Paul can do is hold the guillotine button down! Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The surge of the tide round Frogmoore and under the guillotine gate. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The surge of the tide through the entrance channel out into the Tidal Great River Ouse. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The guillotine gate is down and the tidal surge stops. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The tide soon fills up the entrance channel from the Tidal River Great Ouse. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. Now that we are out, Paul lets the pressure off the pointy gates. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. The pointy gates. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River.

The exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River. (JC Slide)

The tidal exit out of The Old Bedford Sluice. Old Bedford River. (JC Slide - not from this passage)

Early on in the tide arrival at Denver Lock. Denver Sluice, Tidal Great river Ouse.

Looking down the 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain from Horseway Lock to Welches Dam. Middle Level.

Horseway Lock. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Horseway Lock. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Horseway Lock. The abandoned Earnest waits below. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

The rotten paddle mounting beam. Horseway Lock. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

The jammed paddle (slacker) Horseway Lock. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

Horseway Lock. 40 Foot or Vermuyden's Drain. Middle Level.

The Tour continues

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