We woke up to rain but after sticking my finger out of the window, and checking our weather station (pine cone) I decided that as it wasn't raining at 0930 we should head off as there was little chance of much rain for the rest of the day.
These boaters had found a spot underneath the A14 bridge. I thought that they must be deaf, but actually right under the bridge it was pretty quiet. Mind you I would hate the lake of sun. In the distance are the nine arches of the Midland Railway line that went from Kettering to Huntingdon but closed in 1959. On the approach to the A14 bridge I saw a badger shuffling about by the bank before looking up and scurrying off.
More interesting than either of the earlier bridges is the Thrapston to Islip bridge. The original Medieval bridge was largely swept away at the end of the 1700's and rebuilt. It is another one that is built with no regard to the passage of water borne traffic as it is across the current. There is a water point and moorings just down a little arm right next to the left of the bridge. I'm not sure if there is room for you to turn once in or have to reverse out. All very interesting if there was a good current running.
As we passed through Islip Lock we saw a stoat scurrying about by the lock and then run across the bridge. Just after the lock I heard someone say 'I wondered if we would see you today' and there was 'Red Wharf' on the EA moorings and Sam! We pulled over and had a chat for half an hour. Sam regularly comments on the blog and had recently come across the Wash Boston to Wisbech. It was great to meet you both and no doubt we will now regularly bump into each other on the system.
The next lock was Tichmarsh and light rain had started but only just enough for me to put my waterproof for a short time. The old mill is now the home of the Middle Nene, now definitely called Neen since Thrapston
We watched a big bird hunting over the grasslands by the river and then watched as two of them perched in trees by the river. We thought they were Hen Harriers, especially as we were later able to compare them with several red kites that were about.
We were heading for Wadenhoe and had decided to more by the Kings Head and eat/drink there this evening. However we were out of luck as the pub is shut at the moment. The Kings Head is owned by the Wadenhoe village Trust and is to let for £1667 per month. It was mostly built before the English Civil War. We walked up to the church that is easily seen above the river. It is a 13th century church built on a 12th century previous model.
There are a couple 'green man' carvings on the pillars of the church, being suitably irreverent.
On the road down to the Church, church hall and Kings Head are lots of really pretty houses. The thatched cottages date from the 17th and 18th centuries and the pantiled terrace of cottages were once four houses, now two.
Further up Church Lane is Caroline Cottage that was built in 1839 by Mary Caroline Hunt as the village school. I'm not sure how far it goes back but it closed in 1955 when there were only 6 pupils. It looks like it would accommodate many more anyway!
This looks like the lodge house for the drive up to Wadenhoe House. The village was in the Domesday book and was an estate that was owned by the Ward Hunt family from the early 18th century. The last of the family, George Ward Hunt and his wife Edna had no children but wanted to ensure that the estate and village did not just become a sterile and second home/holiday home village so set up a trust that owns much of the village. George took over the estate at the age of 3 when his father, also George, was killed in WWII. He died in 1993 and his wife in 2008.
This terrace was built in 1865 by George Ward Hunt senior as estate workers housing and were a real improvement for them. George Hunt senior is well known to us all today as he forgot his red dispatch box on Budget Day, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Disraeli in 1868. This is why to this day when the Chancellor leaves No.11 Downing Street to go to the House of Commons he holds up the red dispatch box for the waiting press and camera crews.
The main house that had been sold off to help maintain the village and had become a restaurant/hotel/spa but has recently been sold again for around £2.2 million and to somebody from the BBC!! Judging by the number of decorating company vehicles outside there is a lot of work going on. Behind the building are the working areas. This dovecote was built during the Napoleonic Wars and had boxes for 500 birds. It seems that the top level was a laundry built in the Victorian era. It must have got a bit ripe in there in the summer.
The mill house was built on the site of a 12th century mill in the mid to late 1700's. It was rebuilt in the 19th Century and then converted to a house in 1972.
As we walked around there was a drizzle falling but stopped by the time we got back to the boat. It will be a nice quiet mooring once more I should think.
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