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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour
Tour 2001
Fenland Tour Summer 2001
22 - Cambridge to Brampton - River Cam, Old West River and River Great Ouse.
Thursday 19th July 2001
It was a lateish start. John Rushbrook arrived at around 09.30 and Peter Wright had shown
great initiative by going food shopping (Neil does not “do” food!) JR had
been in contact with Linda and had the small lumpy parcel from Aquafax. We
eventually shoved off at 10.10 in increasingly rotten weather. It had rained a
fair bit overnight, but the River Cam did not seem up.
JR was thrown in at the
deep end as Neil was well out of commission as he re-brushed and serviced the
bowthruster. The Commutator was in a state from the arcing of one set of brushes
(it has one set for one way and another for the other way, surprisingly it had
been used a lot more in one direction than the other!) The commutator was
cleaned up with fine emery paper. The ships old blow capable Electrolux vacuum
cleaner was used to blow out all the brush dust from the outer windings. All
went well and first trial run showed it arc free in the brush department. After
the brushes had been run in, it settled down to be more efficient than of late.
Due to the wear already showing on the commutator the bowthruster is now declared a
no go zone, unless in an emergency.........after all we had done one hell of a
lot of reversing without it recently..........the state of the main 12ft pole
was
testament to this!
Uneventful trip down to Popes Corner, here we went up the Old
West River again (13.25). We arrived at the keepered Hermitage Lock at 16.10. No
locky about, so Neil finds him creating a huge bonfire with the help of a fair
bit of diesel. The locky said, “Haven't we seen the state of the River
Ouse!!!.........it is going into flood and this combined with a high tide has
made the tidal section up to Brownhills Lock very high!” Having heard that we
had a narrowboat he was less concerned..........another tin slug / sewer tube
sent to its doom!
We had about 1ft clearance under the bridge over Hermitage
Lock, a rise of some 8ft, as opposed to the nearly level lock through we had
when we came up on the flood, via the New Bedford. The Ouse was all over the
flood plain above the lock and when we approached Brownhills Lock (Two electric
guillotines) we could see that it would nearly be straight through. The radial
gate weirs beside were all up.
Onward we
slogged, wondering if St Ives Bridge would be OK as it is quite low (arbitrary
8ft 9ins headroom through it's pointy navigation arch.) Neil took over for the
run at the arch, which was OK height wise, but there was a fair lick of water
going through it (18.20). We decided to get as far as possible that night, with
the object of getting to and away from Bedford the next day, as it was forecast
to be rain free, with more showery weather to come.......Neil did not want to
miss out on an attempt to better his Beatty record for getting as far as
possible up the Great Ouse above Bedford.
We ploughed on against the fair flow. Eventually we gave up, just above
Brampton Lock (21.15 - on the landing stage......naughty naughty!) Here we just
locked up and walked to the supposed Brampton Mill Beefeater, over the weirs and
up a muddy path. Fortunately this Beefeater had been taken over and is trying to
be a bit more upmarket. It was also fortunate that they let us three bedraggled,
waterproof and welly clad reprobates in! Neil had thoughtfully bought his slippers as he
thought that this would help with the dress code. OK meal was soon scoffed down
with a very palatable house red. Straight to bed as early start tomorrow.
Victoria Bridge. Cambridge, River Cam.
Looking back up to Jesus Green. Cambridge, River Cam.
Footbridge, Midsummer Common. Cambridge, River Cam.
Fort St George pub, Midsummer Common. Cambridge, River Cam.
College rowing clubs. Cambridge, River Cam.
Gasworks museum. Cambridge, River Cam.
Looking back at Hermitage Lock. A lot of water about! River Great Ouse.
Making headway up the semi-tidal section between Hermitage and Brownshill.
River Great Ouse.
The semi-tidal section between Hermitage and Brownshill. River Great Ouse.
The semi-tidal section between Hermitage and Brownshill. Moorings for The
Crown pub. River Great Ouse.
The semi-tidal section between Hermitage and Brownshill. Approaching
Brownshill Staunch. River Great Ouse. River Great Ouse.
Brownshill Staunch. River Great Ouse.
Brownshill Staunch. River Great Ouse.
Brownshill Staunch. River Great Ouse.
Brownshill Staunch. All weir radial gates are up. River Great Ouse.
Leaving Brownshill Staunch. River Great Ouse.
Pike and Eel inn. River Great Ouse.
Approaching St Ives Lock. River Great Ouse.
St Ives Lock. The weir flow pinned us to the landing stage. River Great
Ouse.
St Ives Lock. River Great Ouse.
Leaving St Ives Lock and A1096 By-Pass Bridge. River Great Ouse.
St Ives. River Great Ouse.
St Ives Bridge. River Great Ouse.
Leaving St Ives Bridge. River Great Ouse.
Upper St Ives Visitor moorings are in this backwater. River Great Ouse.
Looking back at St Ives. River Great Ouse.
EA's attempt at dredging. River Great Ouse.
Hemingford Mill and Weir. River Great Ouse.
Hemingford Lock. River Great Ouse.
Hemingford Lock. River Great Ouse.
Hemingford Grey St James Church. River Great Ouse.
Hemingford Grey. River Great Ouse.
Leaving Hemingford Grey. GOBA Moorings on the right. River Great Ouse.
Approaching Houghton Lock. EA moorings on the island. River Great Ouse.
Houghton Lock. River Great Ouse.
Houghton Lock. River Great Ouse.
All Saints Church. Hartford. River Great Ouse.
Hartford. River Great Ouse.
Approach to Huntingdon. River Great Ouse.
Leaving Huntingdon Bridge. River Great Ouse.
Leaving Huntingdon A14 Bridge. River Great Ouse.
Huntingdon Boathaven. River Great Ouse.
Godmanchester Lock. River Great Ouse.
Godmanchester Lock. River Great Ouse.
Leaving Godmanchester Lock. River Great Ouse.
ECML Rail Bridge just above Huntingdon. River Great Ouse.
Brampton Lock. River Great Ouse.
Brampton Weir. River Great Ouse.
Brampton Lock. River Great Ouse.
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