Ely, River Great Ouse to Stretham Ferry, Old West River
A perfect day for boating. We left Ely in blazing sunshine, passing the empty Kings School boathouses (the students were already out on the river) ,and continued our way south and further up the River Great Ouse, with a gentle warm breeze to accompany us. At Pope's Corner we branched right and onto the Old West River that will take us to Huntingdon and later to Bedford. Speed is now 4mph and the blanket weed is with us again, bright green swathes hiding long ropey strands below the surface. This stretch has a much classsier type of water lily - white open flowers with a yellow core, as well as the usual plain yellow lillies we are used to.
We passed by Stretham Old Engine house where in 1831 Boulton and Watt built a steam pumping engine to lift water from the surrounding fens up into the Old West River. The engine was still working until 1941, but is now preserved, but we need to be here at a weekend to see it.
We moored for lunch at a Great Ouse Boating Association mooring at Stretham Ferry. It was not our intention to stay here for the afternoon, but as it is such a lovely spot, with a lovely pub too - The Lazy Otter - time passed by so quickly in the sun, with just the birds to watch, including a mother grebe, teaching her chick how to dive!
No comments:
Post a Comment