The 1996 Tour Page 8

Wednesday 17^th July we shoved off at 8.20. We stopped at Wellingborough Embankment visitor moorings at 10.20 for a 1¼-hour Tesco shop stop. We stopped just above White Mills Lock for lunch between 13.50 and 14.20. We finished up in Northampton for another free pump out and water stop after this we sidled up to the pleasant park visitor moorings, fiddling about to find a spot where we floated! That night we went out to an Americana restaurant in Northampton.

Approaching Irthlingborough Old Bridge. River Nene.	The awkward angled approach to Irthlingborough Old Bridge. River Nene.	The "new" Irthlingborough Bridge. River Nene.

Looking back up at St Peter's Church, Irthlingborough. This again has a lantern tower. River Nene.	Approaching Higham Lock. River Nene.	The incised section of river before Ditchford Lock. River Nene.

Approaching Ditchford Lock. New weir to right. River Nene.	Ditchford Lock is the only one with a vertical radial bottom gate. River Nene.	The locals obviously like their exercise! River Nene.

The radial gate has to be left up, like all the guillotines. Ditchford Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Ditchford Lock. River Nene.	The rendering plant at Ditchford Mill. It smelt absolutely disgusting, even worse than our long overdue self pump-out! River Nene.

Wellingborough Railway Viaduct. River Nene.	Wellingborough Railway Viaduct. River Nene.	Approach to Lower Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.

This old railway bridge is now used for truck access to Wellingborough Mill. River Nene.	Wellingborough visitor moorings to the right. On the left is the noisy mill. River Nene.	Wellingborough Mill. We moor opposite it again! River Nene.

Our mooring at Wellingborough. River Nene. (1998, a large section of the embankment was washed away by the April floods.)	The A509 Bridge leaving Wellingborough. River Nene.	Entrance to old dock just before the A509 Bridge. River Nene.

Looking back at the A509 Bridge, Wellingborough. River Nene.	Approaches to Upper Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.	Looking back at the A45 Bridge from Upper Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Upper Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.	The non-functioning lift bridge, that used to take the towpath over a once navigable backwater, just above Upper Wellingborough Lock. River Nene.	The Youth Custody Centre on the outskirts of Wellingborough. River Nene.

Approaching Wollaston Lock. River Nene.	Approaching Wollaston Lock. River Nene.	Neil at it again! Wollaston Lock. River Nene.

Wollaston Lock. Dan starts the paddles as soon as the boat is in! River Nene.	Julian chats to the locals at Wollaston Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Wollaston Lock. River Nene.

Farm accommodation bridge on sharp bend. River Nene.	Approaches to Doddington Lock, navigation channel to right. River Nene.	Approaching Doddington Lock. River Nene.

Doddington Lock. River Nene.	Doddington Lock. River Nene.	Doddington Lock. This pretty lock has a visitors book to sign! River Nene.

Doddington Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Doddington Lock. River Nene.	Above Doddington Lock. River Nene.

Entering Barton Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Barton Lock. River Nene.	The weir stream to the side of White Mills Lock. River Nene.

Entering White Mills Lock. River Nene.	Leaving White Mills Lock. River Nene.	Leaving White Mills Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Whiston Lock. River Nene.	Approaching Cotterstock Lock. River Nene.	Cotterstock Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Cotterstock Lock. Good moorings to the left of the picture. River Nene.	Leaving Cotterstock Lock. River Nene.	"The Mill" restaurant and pub at Billing. River Nene.

Approaching Billing Lock. River Nene.	Billing Lock is an electric one. River Nene.	We seemed to have disturbed some fishing in Billing Lock. River Nene.

Leaving Billing Lock. River Nene.	Approaching Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.	Clifford Hill Lock is another electric one. River Nene.

Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.	Billing Aquadrome to the right between Billing And Clifford Hill Lock. River Nene.

The main channel and weir at Weston Flavel. Neil is about to say "How about a sharp right into the lock cut!" River Nene.	Weston Flavel Lock cut. River Nene.	Approaching Weston Flavel Lock. River Nene.

The electricWeston Flavel Lock, the last of the guillotines. (Or the first if you are going down the river! River Nene.	A rare sight, no water going over the top gates. River Nene.	Above Weston Flavel Lock you pass into the Washland Flood defence impounding reservoir. Here in times of local down pours, the water can be held back and released slowly to avoid flooding further down. During this operation there is obviously no navigation as this bottom mounted gate comes up. River Nene.

We have just passed through the flood barrier. River Nene.	We are now is the rivers main channel. River Nene.	Here we pass another sluice which in time of flood is opened up to fill an impounding reservoir. River Nene.

Here we swing off the main river course and into the Abington Lock cut, which is protected by another flood barrier. River Nene.	Abington Lock Flood barrier. River Nene.	Abington Lock cut. River Nene.

Abington Lock. Rebuilt during the creation of the Washland Flood Relief System. River Nene.	Waiting for Abington Lock. River Nene.	Steel pointy gates both ends at Abington Lock. River Nene.

Abington Lock. River Nene.	"The Britannia" pub, just before Rush Mills Lock. River Nene.	Rush Mills Lock lower waiting pontoon. River Nene.

Rush Mills Lock. River Nene.	Leaving Rush Mills Lock, Julian in control. River Nene.	Back on the river, passing under the A45 Bridge. River Nene.

Looking back at the A45 Bridge. River Nene.	Passing the weir stream on the way to Northampton Lock. River Nene.	Another free pump out just below Northampton Lock. River Nene.

Free pump out / sanitary station just below Northampton Lock. River Nene.	Looking back from the free pump out / sanitary station just below Northampton Lock. River Nene.	Trying to find a deep mooring just below Northampton Lock. River Nene.

Our mooring below Northampton Lock, this is the only spot where we floated! River Nene.	Northampton Lock. River Nene.	Northampton Lock. River Nene.