Heading back up the Nene

It is a beautiful day and we are moored in a delightful spot on a lake at Ferry Meadows near Peterborough so we've decided to stay put today and enjoy a day off boating before our last few days up the Nene back to the Grand Union Canal.

We've cruised across the Middle Levels once more sinking to below sea level and then coming back up onto the River Nene at Peterborough.  We had one night in March and another in Whittlesey.  The wind has been cold and strong all the way across and in the fens there is nothing really to stop the wind outside the shelter of the towns.

This photo shows the approach to Outwell.  With Upwell, the neighbouring village, the main street is effectively the canal through the middle with a road either side lined with houses and shops.  It is very pretty.

This cottage is at the end of a very long (about a mile and a half) straight channel of water.  You can see it for ages going the other way but it does not seem to get any closer.  The narrow waterways on the Middle Level are pretty slow going and this year there is a lot of weed too.

Here we are below Ashline Lock which lifts you from below sea level back to somewhere roughly mid tide level.

This is an orange balsam flower next to where we moored in Whittlesey.  Orange Balsam is not the pest that Himalayan Balsam represents and it has a delicate and beautiful flower.









In the late afternoon Ian decided to cycle from our mooring at Whittlesey a couple of miles across the fens to Dog in a Doublet Lock on the River Nene.  Helen did not feel she wanted to slog up a busy road against the strong wind.  Dog in a Doublet is the interesting name for the pub by the lock and for the lock itself.  This lock which is around 5 very straight and boring miles downstream from Peterborough marks the start of tidal water on the Nene which then goes through Wisbech out to the Wash.

This is the view above the lock looking upstream towards Peterborough.  You can see just how flat the landscape is round here.  The lock landing is by the fencing. 

Here is the view from upstream of the lock which has guillotine gates both ends.

This is the pub sign.  Doesn't he look a splendid fellow?

Here is the view looking downstream towards the Wash, still about 27 miles away.












Yesterday we left the Middle Levels coming through Stanground Lock (which is manned and has to be booked 24 hours in advance) to Peterborough.

Coming out of Whittlesey you have to negotiate a very sharp right angle bend on a narrow section of canal with hard concrete walls.  Rather to our surprise we got caught on some obstruction amidships on the inside of the bend and had to push off this before completing the turn.

Here we are coming into Stanground Lock which takes you up onto the River Nene.

This is Morton's Leam, the waterway the other side of the lock which links to the River Nene in half a mile or so.

A distant view of Peterborough Cathedral.  We had wanted to go in last time we came through but something was going on and we couldn't go in.  So this time we were pleased we could do so.

The inside has a tremendous sense of height and is the most spectacular Norman nave we've seen.

  

Katherine of Aragon is buried here and this is her, not very elaborate, grave.  But by the time she died of course Henry had moved on and did not acknowledge her as Queen.

Here is the superb roof above the altar with Jesus and the apostles painted in bold colours.












One lock above Peterborough we moored last night on Overton Lake at Ferry Meadows.  The lake links to the River through a narrow channel and there are a couple of mooring pontoons for visiting boats close to the Visitor Centre for Ferry Meadows.  It is a lovely spot.  We moored here for lunch on our way down the Nene and wanted to come back for an evening mooring on our way back:

Moored at Ferry Meadows

In the next few days we will be cruising back up the River Nene to reach Northampton where the Northampton Arm leads us back up (17 locks) to the Grand Union Canal at Gayton.