From 'Neen' to 'Nenn'

Today travelling up the River Nene we passed Thrapston.  It is said that the River Nene is pronounced 'Nenn' above Thrapston but 'Neen' below that village, hence the title of this posting.

We are nearing the end of our canal travelling for this year which is a bit sad but the nights are drawing in and perhaps it is time to stop and return to a 'normal' life on land for a few months over the winter.  We are now only three days away from our winter mooring on the Grand Union Canal.

Rather than repeat a recital of the outward journey down the river here are a few selected and new highlights of the cruise back up the Nene so far:

This is Milton Ferry Bridge which looks so perfect on a still morning with the reflections in the river.

I have said that we have been trying to take a good picture of one of the many kingfishers we've seen this year.  This is the best so far, taken by Helen from the boat. This obliging bird sat by the river waiting for us to pass so that it could get back to its fishing.

This white horse looked somehow unreal against the background - like a ghost.

We love the look of some of the villages round here: they are similar to better known Cotswold villages.  This one was Elton where we moored just above the lock of the same name.  This village even has a village shop and a pub.

Is this what they mean by Swan Upping?

Yes I know we posted a picture of Fotheringhay Church on the way down the river too, but it is so photogenic, standing on high ground next to the river.

For the last couple of days we have been travelling with a nice couple, John and Kathy on Sirius.  Sharing the locks is so much easier.  Sirius is a much more traditional looking boat than ours with all sorts of ingenious touches put in by John.  The double bed pulls out on rollers from under the tug deck at the bow.

We passed huge numbers of Greylag Geese both on the land and in the water.

Lilford Hall is a splendid house which is by the river but very difficult to see because of the trees.












We stayed last night at the end of the garden of the King's Arms at Wadenhoe and enjoyed a really good meal there with John and Kathy from Sirius.  We had a look round the village this morning before we set off.

It was a moist morning; not raining just lots of damp in the air.  The spiders had been busy and the webs were all outlined in dew.  It really is getting quite autumnal.

This is St Michael and All Angels at Wadenhoe.  The church, like many others we've seen, was locked but it is on a mound with a fine view over the Nene valley.

In Wadenhoe is a dovecote built in 1800.  You are welcomed to go inside and take a look.

Inside, the nesting boxes for around 650 birds remain built of lath and plaster.  The framework you can see rotates around the dovecot so that the ladder can be used to reach the nesting boxes.  The chief idea was to enable the locals to eat the young birds.

Looking up into the roof you can see the entrance for the birds which is through the small square opening at the top.










And so tonight we are on very good moorings (courtesy of the Environment Agency) outside the now rather quiet grounds of Rushden and Diamonds Football Club at Irthlingborough.  The club went bust in 2011 and is no longer playing.

Here is Leo moored at Irthlingborough.  With good eyes you might just make out Helen who is picking blackberries which we enjoyed for pudding this evening.









Our last few days will take us back up the river to Northampton and then up the 17 locks of the Northampton Arm back to the Grand Union Canal.  It is then just 6 miles to the marina we have picked for Leo for the winter.