Middle Levels to March.

We work up to what was supposed to be the hottest day of the year. For us it started out as foggy, in fact the last warehouse on the far bank could barely be seen when I first got up. We had managed to renew our EA licence at the Tourist Information in town so we were raring to go.

I wonder how many of these commercial buildings were knocked down to make room for the new development of flats etc that is going on next to the Nene.

We were away early as we had to be at Stanground Lock for 0930. The Embankment at Peterborough is very long with rings etc. all along. There are also benches where people seem to linger of an evening, but I must say it didn't disturb us at all.

We arrived at the lock just as a boat was leaving so we were straight in. The Lock keeper sorted us out with key and windlass and our registration before locking us down into the Middle Levels. This is Stanground Lock from the new waters.

There was an extensive brick industry in the area between Whittlesey and Peterborough. It looks like there is stil, some working kilns around as there was smoke coming from a couple of the chimneys. The one on the right is one of the tallest in Europe at 400m! The clay comes from the Lower Oxford Clay seam of the Jurrasic period. Bricks have been made in the area since the 19th Century.

Just a little further on is the Briggate sharp bend that is a challenge to get round on a longer boat. The Middle Level Commisioners have planked the wall so that it saves your scratches if you get it wrong.

Just a little further on is the Ashline Lock. It takes plenty of turns of the windlass and is in no hurry to fill, and you have to leave it empty too. Both gates need to be opened as one is not enough for a narrow boat.

The scenery is limited and the straights very long. It is an 'event' when a bridge comes along. I think this one was Turningtree Bridge.

The straights are very straight, and very long. This is looking back down the reach from Angle Corner. On a lovely sunny day like this was it was no hardship. The odd angler on the bank would have been better using a net rather than a rod as there were so many fish. We spotted a monster pike and very large carp too.

Another excitement of the trip was the odd junction that offered the possibility of other journeys. This one was at Flood's Ferry where the course of the old River Nene joins the Whittlesey Dike that we had been travelling on.

Here we are on the other side of the world, well at least in the eastern half. We arrived at March a little later and moored by the services as there was no space on the Nene Parade moorings. After popping into town we noted that there was space and moved up into the sunshine.

The Weatherspoons Hotel, next to their pub, the Hippodrome used to be the Middle Level Commissioners offices and this was above the door.

The March Town Hall was built on land of the old market that was bought from the Lord of the Manor in 1898. It was erected in 1900 and was a corn exchange, fire station and town hall. The clock tower was built as a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Queen Victoria and paid for by the people of the town. It has a very tinny bell that rings the hour fro 0700 to 2300.

This is the main mooring in March and takes about four good length boats. It is very handy for town and therer is most things you could want here, along with some idiosyncratic buildings that give the place a bit of character too.