Now in St. Neots.

We had a late start this morning as we had decided to visit the Norris Museum that we had moored outside last night. It would have been rude not to, even though it opened at 1000!

The highlight of the museum was this mummified cat, plus the rat at the bottom. They were found in a box at the back of a chimney and were thought to have been placed there to ward off evil spirits and witches! I wonder if it worked? I had better keep a close eye on Macy the cat.

I had thought we would be able to follow the branch round to the main river. I was getting weird looks as I passed a cruiser or two. How ever just round the corner was a winding hole. Luckily for us it was just wide enough for us to turn and head out towards the river again. After St.Ives the river is very like the Thames.

The first church in Hemigford Grey was built in 1140 at the same time as the manor house was built, which is now one of the oldest inhabited buildings in England. This church was lengthened in the 13th century and about 1400 the tower and octagonal spire were added. The spire blew down in a gale in 1741, so they cropped the top off and it is still there. The villages was named Hemigford Grey after the Grey family who had the manor in 1276.

There locks to be plenty to see in these villages and there is a long stretch of GOBA moorings just round the corner.

A little further is another village beginning with 'H', Hartford. This is All Saints church that was started in 1180 and this replaced a wooden church that was noted in the Domesday Book. It has major changes a couple of times through the 1800's.

We didn't stop at Huntingdon this time and continued under the old bridge with the A14  carrying all the traffic beyond it. The old bridge was built in 1332 and seems to have been started from both sides of the river as there is a slight kink in the middle. 

For a stretch after Huntingdon you could think you were on the Thames once again. The river looked a like plus there were some lovely looking houses that kept Helen cooing.

The old rail crossing was on a wooden trestle bridge low down. It was removed when the A14 bypass bridge was built in the location. The new one here sees trains steaming past from London to Peterborough. We saw several of the new LNER Azuma trains speeding on their way.

The mill complex dates from about the mid 1700's and is now a 'premium' pub and restaurant. I bet you can't get a pint in there for £1-95!

Helen waiting for the level and enjoying the sunshine at Brampton Lock.

I'm assuming the the stone carved 1843 on the coping stone beneath Helen in the picture above relates to these initials on the opposite coping. I can't find out what the initials stand for, I assume the com-pany carrying out works to the lock.A little further inside the gate is a tablet the says 'GOCB reconstructed 1938'. Great Ouse Catchment Board.

This is the new link road from the A1 to Cambridge with a new bridge across the Great Ouse, in fact two bridges as they have a bailey bridge for construction work that I assume will be taken away once the road is completed at the end of 2020.

There are a fair few cormorants around the waterways here. I thought the fishermen loathed them, but there certainly seems to be no lack of fish.

The last lock of the day turned out to be a trial for Helen as she was trying to activate the electric guillotine gate at the bottom of the lock. The box in the usual place didn't seem to work. Fortunately a bloke shouted down from his flat that we should try the pedestal! Luckily it worked.

We were soon arriving at St. Neots and the floating pontoon outside the Priory Centre had plenty of room, was nice and quiet overlooking the riverside park, and close to the town centre, so we stopped there.