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Tour 2001

Index

Fenland Tour Summer 2001

32 - Irthlingborough to Northampton - River Nene.

Sunday 29th July 2001

Linda left solo at 06.55. This was just after the two stoke outboard cruiser behind had filled the entire boat with obnoxious fumes. Neil was soon up, followed by some others of the crew! The day started coolish and we were spared the sun for a good few hours as it was slightly overcast. There were a good few boats in front, most were cruisers so no sharing. 
At Lower Wellingborough Lock a paddle was full open so made mooring up in the chamber interesting, as it was not the normal constant over the gates flow (not as there was much of that as the EA have dumped TOO much water) We assumed that the cruiser in front had left it how they had found it.......no water flowing was over the large weir........obviously yobs had been tampering with this paddle, as the reach through Wellingborough was down a foot from “normal” level. 
At Doddington Lock Neil had a disaster with his Nikon digital camera, the strap got caught on a door bolt and it fell to the floor. The focus / telephoto was buggered....just clicking sound. The manual viewfinder telephoto thingy did not work at all, so Neil deduced that some linkage had broke / come adrift. Neil had bought his watchmakers screwdrivers and after an hour of intermittent dismantling and fiddling the culprit was found, a slidey hole plate had popped out of its runners. 
Once Neil remembered how it all came apart, the camera was returned to a functioning state. The strap was removed and the lens cap attached by a rubber band (used to go round strap). 
Just above Clifford Hill Lock Neil spotted Martin Ludgate at the tiller of NB Fulbourne, heading down the Nene, just time for a recognition wave on both counts. Fulbourne was headed. for the Middle Level and the Great Ouse, now that this is possible in a full length narrowboat. Eventually Fulbourne was craned out at BW’s Priory Marina in Bedford, to take the road course nearest to the proposed GU / Great Ouse Link and then onto the National Waterways Festival at Milton Keynes. 
We tried to moor below Northampton Lock, but as water level was so low, we could not get into the bank ANYWHERE!!! Eventually we disturbed the swimming party in the lock and moored upstream by the new social housing (16.00). Two other narrowboats were moored here. Northampton seemed a bit provincial, two half decent restaurants closed because it was Sunday night. We ended up in Pizza Express. 
A noisy night on moorings above Northampton Lock. Loads of little kids jumping in river and setting fire to paper and litter bins - they stayed away from us. NB Touchstone was set adrift in the night, but we being next were left alone as we still had windows / hatches open and moored up with crap rope and bloody great chain / padlock through centre fender eye.

Irthlingborough Old Bridge. River Nene.

Irthlingborough A6 Bridge. River Nene.

Higham Lock and bailey bridge. River Nene.

Irthlingborough and St Peter's church. River Nene.

Higham Lock. River Nene.

A45 and realigned river, due to new course of the A45. River Nene.

Ditchford Lock. River Nene.

Ditchford Lock and it's (unique?) horizontal radial gate. River Nene.

The recently electrified Ditchford Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Ditchford Lock. River Nene.

Railway viaduct below Wellingborough. River Nene.

Railway viaduct below Wellingborough. River Nene.

Lower Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.

Lower Wellingborough weir - no flow! River Nene.

Wellingborough visitor moorings and the bloody noisy flour mill! River Nene.

Wellingborough visitor moorings. River Nene.

Looking back at Wellingborough, the A509 Bridge and the flour mill. River Nene.

Upper Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.

Wollaston Lock. River Nene.

Bridge below Wollaston Lock. River Nene.

Doddington Lock. River Nene.

Doddington Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Doddington Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Doddington Lock and mill. River Nene.

Barton Lock. River Nene.

Barton Lock. River Nene.

Peter easily cranks up a Nene guillotine. Barton Lock. River Nene.

White Mills Lock. River Nene.

Whiston Lock. River Nene.

Cogenhoe Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Cogenhoe Lock. River Nene.

Above Cogenhoe Lock and caravan park. River Nene.

Billing Bridge. River Nene.

Billing Mill pub. River Nene.

Billing Lock. River Nene.

Billing Lock. River Nene.

Billing Aquadrome. River Nene.

Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.

Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.

Just above Clifford Hill Lock we pass Martin Ludgate at the helm of NB Fulbourne. River Nene.

Looking up the main course of the river to the large Northampton Flood Relief Weir. River Nene.

We follow the navigation channel up to Weston Flavel Lock. River Nene.

We follow the navigation channel up to Weston Flavel Lock. River Nene.

Weston Flavel Lock. River Nene.

 Weston Barrage Flood Gate. River Nene.

 Weston Barrage Flood Gate - out into the Washlands flood storage main channel. River Nene.

Washlands flood storage reservoir is behind this sluice. In times of flood this old gravel pit is filled with water and released slowly.  River Nene.

 Weston Barrage Flood Gate. River Nene.

Abingdon Barrage Flood Gate. River Nene.

 Looking back at the Weston Barrage Flood Gate. River Nene.

Abingdon Lock. River Nene.

Abingdon Lock. River Nene.

Leraving Abingdon Lock. River Nene.

Britannia pub at Rush Mills. River Nene.

Rush Mills. River Nene.

Rush Mills Lock. River Nene.

Rush Mills Lock. River Nene.

Rush Mills Lock. River Nene.

 A45 Viaduct. Northampton. River Nene.

Northampton Barnes Meadow. River Nene.

Northampton Barnes Meadow. River Nene.

Northampton Approach to Northampton Lock. River Nene.

Northampton Lock. River Nene.

The shallow Beckett's Park moorings below Northampton Lock. River Nene.

The Tour continues

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