Wandering down the Washlands

The day started as it was to go on, beautiful and warm. We headed off about 0930, but we didn't have far to go.

As we have left the lock, down on to the River Nene, you can look back and think about those 17 locks. Don't think about the 37 to come as they are spread out over 78 miles.

The first thing you come to, other than the Carlsberg Brewery, is South Bridge with the old grain store of Latimer and Crick. It is flats now but goes some way to show the importance of the river to the town. In Northamptonshire the river is pronounced Nenn, how ever down Peterborough way it is said Neen. It has been noted that the point at which the name changes over seems to be moving inland and it seems it is currently thought to Thrapston.

We had to call in to Northampton Marina that looks really nice and well situated, to buy our Environment Agency Licence. I had done the sums and reckon we would be better off buying weekly licences, rather than a month one as we will be going home in the middle of that one. How much does a 'British Waterways' utility key costs these days? The EA equivalent costs £15. It is more awkward to use than the normal Yale one too. Here we are at the first of the Nene locks and they are a little different requiring one set of gates to be left open. We quickly got the hang of it.

Quickly we thought we are back on the Thames. We have never been on the Nene before so didn't know what to expect really. In a wind there are parts that could be 'interesting'.

Before too long we thought we were on the narrowest part of the River Avon. There are also some serious bends on the river, the tenth longest in the country.

Rush Mills Lock is another 'normal double mitred gate lock. We were meeting boats coming up at each lock so far. The lock landings are very small for a 59' boats but do'able.

This is not a lock but part of the Northampton Washlands Scheme. This was constructed about 40 years ago as Northampton expanded to the east and into the flood plain. The idea is that the old gravel workings can be utilised to take excess flood water but also provide great environments for bird life. The system has been used over 60 times and has protected large areas of housing.

We had now met up with another narrow boat that was going our way. They had only had the boat for a week and had been stuck with the high river levels. They had never been on a boat before and were expecting the river to be much easier than the canals, where they had help coming from Braunston, where they had bought the boat. They were taking it to Billings Marina. We are here just waiting for Billings Lock. In the distance you can see part of the campsite and caravan park that was once gravel workings. The owner gave the 235 acres for public use when it was worked out.

Between Billings and Cogenhoe Locks, (the later is supposed to be pronounced Cook nah!), I saw this wood of poplars, or willows that gave a really different feel to the canal.

On the ridge above the flood plain stands St. Mark Magdalene, Whiston. There has been a church here since the 12th Century.

One of the problems with river navigations is the fact that mooring places are limited, rather than just been able to use any part of the tow path toy can get to on the canal.  We had taken the precaution to join the Friends of the River Nene who have several mooring spots along the river, and one of these was just outside White Mills Marina and just before the lock of the same name. A lovely quiet mooring with TV and internet signals.