Happily in Heaven.

We had rather a lot of trying to organise things before setting off. Luckily the sun was shining and we had a lovely view whilst we were on the phone and hearing various tunes to cover different length hold. Just before 1100 we were off. Although it was sunny on the straighter reaches the wind was still pretty chilly.

The water meadows are wider here and have varied plantings of poplar and willow. The ground has evidence also of old bends of the river and ox bows.

It was still some way after Warmington Lock that were still seeing the lantern tower of Fotheringhay, maybe strengthening the idea that it was built as a beacon across the countryside.

The river is wide at this point with low banks and large meadows reaching out to the foothills of the flood bank. With the sun shining it was extremely peaceful.

Strangely Elton Mill has been empty since at least 1966 and was built around the mid 1700's and rebuilt in 1840. You would have thought that somebody would have taken on the this listed building by now.

Around every bend in the river there seem to be another spire of tower indicating another village nestled by the river, but on the higher ground. This is Nassington which has been there since the Roman times as useful minerals were found around, iron stone, limestone, clay and gravel.

Just another gratuitous picture of the Nene valley in the sun. 

This is Wansford that at one time was a bustling port. Nowadays it doesn't seem possible to more anywhere near the village. 

The Old Bridge at Wansford was the scene of the reason that Wansford is more usually known as Wansford in England. The story is that a bloke in the days of Charles I was sleeping in an haystack (haycock) as he didn't want to use inns etc as he was very worried about getting diseases from bed bugs, fleas etc. In the night and whilst still sound asleep the river rose up and washed the haycock down the river. It fetched up at the bridge and on asking where he was he was told Wansford. He was still confused by his lucky escape and sleep, that he is alleged to have said 'What Wansford, in England?'.

A little further downstream is the old A1. This bridge was built in 1929 and even though of concrete they have sort to embellish it some what as it marks the boundary Soke of Peterborough that was once part of Northants, but now Cambridgeshire.  The County of Huntingdonshire was lost in the boundary changes of 1974.

Just the barest of glimpses of Stibbington Hall can be seen through the trees. It is a magnificent Jacobean mansion that was on sale in 2017 for £3.5 million. In 1860 Capt. John Alexander Vipan lived here and he was a great naturalist and apparently kept an excellent collection of freshwater fish in a couple of greenhouses that were donated to London Zoo a few years before his death in 1939. This memorial was erected by him, but for what reason I can't determine.

A little bit further on and you pass under the Nene Valley Railway and just through the bridge there is an EA pontoon that had nobody moored on it, so we felt it would be rude to pass by. In fact we haven't seen a moving boat all day. Once moored up and lunch out of the way we went for a walk. True to our timing the refreshment room and gift shop were closed but we had a quick look about. It is the home of Thomas the Tank Engine, but this is not he.

Looking from the level crossing just before the bridge over the river and over the old Great North Road. At it's height there were 40 passenger trains a day, plus all the freight. As this little quiet was the Great North Road until 1959 you can imagine the disruption that this caused.

There is a footpath over the rail bridge so we went for a walk to the other side. The pontoon looks like it can accommodate 1.5 60 foot boats.

We went for a walk to Sutton to see what we could see. There was this part of a mushroom fairy circle. The temptation was to pick some for our tea as they looked just like 'the real thing'. Helen wouldn't let me as we are not 100% sure of them. There were some massive newer houses in the village, a lovely stone wall, a tin tabernacle that was been smothered by ivy and the little Church of St. Michael and All Angels that was looked. We enjoyed the walk in the sun but it would have been much better if they had had a pub too!