Just couldn't pass it

We left Ashton at 9.15am and headed off towards Oundle. Al put some washing on and we cruised up to Lower Barnwell Lock.

We soon passed Oundle Cruising club and went for the low bridge here. The water levels had dropped a lot since we last went under as we had to take the chimney off on the way down.. 

There are two very low bridges on the Nene which stop you getting back on the canal system if the water rises. The other we will be trying tomorrow.
We went through the upper lock and were surprised to see a notice that this lovely restaurant had closed down, why we don't know!

We were getting low on diesel and the services on here aren't the best, so we were pleased to see coal boat n.b Bletchley to top the tank up.

We then got to Lifford bridge where a obstruction under the water made us keep well to the right, it turned out to be the wall of the bridge that had fallen in. There was so much concentration we couldn't take a photo, as we guided Derwent6 into the lock close by.
We then got to Wadenhoe Lock where the water always seem to flow fast over the gate. As you shut the guillotine the lock fills itself, easy!

We then pulled outside the pub and filled with water, its a good fast tap here, very handy as Derwent6 has a big tank. While filling Del had a quick look to see if one of our favourite moorings was free. Oh yes! we just can't pass a great mooring, so we moved along to it and pinned in.

After some lunch  Del set to work on the barrel's again this time painting the diamonds.

He also managed to finish repairing the main barrel which now looks much better..

It was then on the hunt for wood, it is that time of year when it just could be a bit cold overnight, not that we have had it yet. Del managed to find a few bits and loaded them on. We toyed with going to the pub but decided to muster something up on Derwent6 with a beer of course. The nights really seem to be closing in now....Its been a great Summer!

On to Ashton

We planned to go early again this morning, but with a thick mist on the water it wasn't worth the risk of whacking a bridge or going into trees, so we waited till the fog had lifted and we pulled the pins.
It has still been very warm for the time of year and it was a lovely calm day again.

We thought we wouldn't go too far today as we felt like chilling out and also we wanted to try a nice mooring we noticed on the way down..  Once again it was just fantastic cruising on the Nene with Herons and Kingfisher's galore. We soon got to Perio Lock with no problems.

We then got to Cotterstock lock and was surprised that someone was in it, the first boat we had met cruising for two days.

Al helped them through and we soon got through ok.

We kept going with Oundle in the distance twisting and turning till we got to Ashton Lock.

An Environment agency guy was at the lock and he helped us through and even drained the lock for us, thanks mate.

We were lucky enough to get a mooring, albeit a bit of reversing was required and Al soon got the washing line out.

Del on the other hand started painting the barrels on the roof, a job he has been trying to do since the spring but never got round to.

We didn't see the sun today as the cloud cover was too great and it never got the chance to burn through. Lets hope its back tomorrow....

Postcard stuff

We were up bright and early and the morning was the same, bright and warm. As we untied a Virgin Balloon was going over head. As we pulled out and cruised across the lake, it was picture postcard stuff again.

We turned back onto the Nene and retraced our footsteps. The Nene was like a piece of glass and this time we were into current, it was such pleasant cruising we had to pinch ourselves.

We passed back under Milton Bridge and onto Wansford where we were just ahead of the steam train going over us but we couldn't wait for it.

It is nice to see the good old fashioned straw bale round these parts again.

We had paired up with n.b Sofia and they were getting everything ready for us in the lock and we closed the gates and drained the lock after us as you do on this river.

Del was happy as the guillotines were dry and didn't drip all over the roof like going down flow.. Talking of guillotines, we were heading for Fotheringhay where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded. We got to Yarwell lock and as you pass the caravans you can see the attraction of this place, its so pretty and in the background you could hear the steam train chuffing and whistling its way through the trees. We pulled out of the lock and we both filled with water, as these facilities are a bit scarce on here.

Pumpout is worse as none of them seem to work and when they do you need a token which you can get in Northampton, not much help when you're 30 miles away. We passed Nassington and got to Elton, where we stopped on the way down, and it was here we split with n.b Sofia. The locks are a bit tricky going up, but the key is to take it slowly, something we are all good at. We held Derwent6 on the centre rope and then just opened one paddle as the lock fills quickly on the flowing Nene. It works for us!
We hadn't passed a boat all day, amazing in all this good weather, and such good cruising. We then arrived at Fotheringhay and the moorings were empty all under St Mary and All Saints, a stunning church on the hill with an octagon tower.

You have to pay £4.00 to moor here overnight and we just felt we wanted to see it here. We had some lunch listening to the church bells and with the sun in our faces and with full tummies ended up having a cat nap. We woke up at 5.00pm and decided to see the place. Just before we left the farmer came round for his money, so we mustered up as much shrapnel from the change pot, making his pockets heavy with five and ten p's. Made us feel better anyway!!
We then took a walk over to the Motte and Bailey castle mound which is the spot where Mary had her head removed and Richard the third was born. This is what it would have looked like!

We've got to say it is worth doing and is unbelievable you can walk in the same grounds with so much history around you.

You can still see where the buildings were and where the moat ran.

We then walked up to the Church and when we got inside music was playing, a lovely sound too. It was a local band practicing and recording their first album, the acoustics sounded brilliant in the church.

It was very interesting following the history of the village, and the church even has a secret room.

It was then time to go up to the Falcon pub for some refreshments and with the sun setting we sat in the garden.

The food here looked lovely but as we had eaten perhaps another time. On our walk back we watched the sun set over Derwent6 and the sheep looking at their reflection on the side panels on one side and the swans on the other..

It has just been a cracking day today, how lucky we are....

A day in Peterborough

Al had been down her Dad's and she had also taken him back to King's College Hospital, but due to Alf being so weak following his infection last week, they wouldn't run the course of tablets he needed to take, and they will review the situation in a couple of weeks.. Al checked he was all ok in the morning and then made her way back to Derwent6. In fact she met Del in Peterborough where we first had a coffee and nibbles in the square.

We then went to Peterborough Cathedral which was free and amazing. Mary Queen of Scots was buried here (before James1 moved her to Westminster Abbey) and also the place Katherine of Aragon was laid to rest.

Our history just blows you away. It was well worth the walk round with also so many artefact's.

Afterwards we walked round the shopping centre and picked up a few handy bits and pieces and then we ended up in weatherspoons and then on to Prezzo's for a lovely meal together.

We got on the late bus back to Ferry Meadows and crashed into bed. We hope to move in the morning!

Weekend at the Meadows

We have had a lovely weekend here at Ferry Meadows and the views are just fantastic.. We have had it mostly to ourselves so we don't feel the need to move just yet..  We got up early to see the steam train running at the station and it was a lovely sight and also a lovely smell to go with it..

From there Al got the bus into Peterborough where she had her shopping fix and picked up a few necessities. Del did the brasses on Derwent6 so she looked good on our mooring.. It was a bit cloudy on Saturday which kept the crowds at bay. Del went out on his bike in the afternoon to do some exploring around the park. There are about 60 miles of cycle paths to use so it would keep him busy..
On Sunday morning we walked over to the café and had a full English breakfast with a coffee in the sunshine overlooking Derwent6.

We got talking to a lady who was down from Edinburgh, who had been to a conference on un-schooled children and had been on Daybreak breakfast on telly chatting about the pros and cons. She was very interesting to talk to and also very interested in our lifestyle.

We chilled for the rest of the day on our own, watching the Grand Prix and chatting, looking at this lovely view, till another boat turned up.

A nice couple on n.b Dash said they followed the blog and we invited them round for a cup of coffee. It was good to meet them and to have some company on the moorings here.

In the evening we watched the sunset with some telly with Strictly Come Dancing back on the screens.