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Post by Telemachus on Jul 17, 2018 10:45:07 GMT
One for our webbed feet friends please:
My mate Chris was at Salters Lode last night and phoned me, fretting about going out onto the NBR to catch the flood up towards Bedford. Advice from lock keeper was to go out mid tide and wait on the mud for the flood. Being near springs it’s nearly an aegre and seemed rather violent for a narrowboat so in the end he whimped out and will just cross to Denver on the high. But it means a much longer time to get to Bedford and his kids are moaning about 30 Miles with no locks etc.
Is that the best way for a narrowboat to exit onto the NBR to go upstream?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2018 10:59:34 GMT
Paul's advice is spot on and shouldn't be ignored, he's been the lock keeper at Salters for 25 or so years - he owns a slow old sewer tube too and knows that route well. Travel down slowly on the start of the flood to avoid height issues at Welney Road bridge and the rail bridge by welches dam. Too fast and you will run out of water, once at about Mepal you loose most of the flood and start to push the fluvial river from Earith. It's a piece of cake and cuts a large chunk off, I would only do it if time is a factor though, it's not stunningly beautiful and a lot of shit floats back and forth without ever getting flushed out to Lynn. www.goba.org.uk/medialibrary/Tidal100ftAdvicev3.pdf |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2018 11:06:10 GMT
When I did it in my narrow boat in the early 00s it was Salters lode to Denver sluice. I remember it because just before entering Salters lode I cooked a rump steak which promptly lifted a filling off one of my teeth then I bit into the steak. Ouch !!!
I seem to remember the Great Ouse being quite pleasant.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2018 11:23:55 GMT
When I did it in my narrow boat in the early 00s it was Salters lode to Denver sluice. I remember it because just before entering Salters lode I cooked a rump steak which promptly lifted a filling off one of my teeth then I bit into the steak. Ouch !!! I seem to remember the Great Ouse being quite pleasant. Salters to Denver is a little bit shorter than Salters to Earith  Setting off down the 100' in 2013 with my mate Neil, his family and the bloody parrot.  Earith is good for seal spotting   |
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Post by Telemachus on Jul 17, 2018 13:07:21 GMT
Thanks for the info. Well they went the long way round which, as you say, is much nicer. Chris wanted to go the short way as he is only out for 2 1/2 weeks from Napton and had never been to Bedford. I guess they will just put in longer days, but the kids were grumping because they like locks and it’s now 30 miles with no locks.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2018 13:17:20 GMT
Thanks for the info. Well they went the long way round which, as you say, is much nicer. Chris wanted to go the short way as he is only out for 2 1/2 weeks from Napton and had never been to Bedford. I guess they will just put in longer days, but the kids were grumping because they like locks and it’s now 30 miles with no locks. If in doubt flat out 👍🚢 The Old West will be slow from Popes Corner to Earith - shallow and weedy at the best of times. Denver to Ely is deep, wide and enjoyable. Above St Ives is an excellent run up to Barford then it becomes slow and shallow from Roxton to Bedford. There are some new moorings by the old court building in Bedford meaning it's a little more visitor friendly than it used to be. Bedford is a good little market town worth a visit. Tell them to be sure to go up the back of Queens Park and try to get up towards Kempston Mill, it's worth it if you can get under the railway bridges back of Prebend Street. |
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