Just a bit of Boston.

There was rain in the morning so we didn't really rush very much and wandered out round about lunch time.

We wandered into town past the Grand Sluice. It is strange why they didn't make the lock larger when they built the original lock as even then it would have been too small for a lot of the traffic. It seems that C&RT have no full time lock keeper for this sea lock and rely on a volunteer. He has used the lock all his life and part of his business is getting in and out through the lock, so it is in his interest to keep it going. If ever they do get the Fenland Link finished many more boats will be using it I suspect.

Wormgate is the ancient entrance into the town from the north east and has some very old houses along its narrow length.

Near the Stump, St. Botolph's Church, better known as the Boston Stump is the old Session House that was designed by Charles Kirk and completed in 1842. It is very similar to the one in Stamford completed the year after. It was home for the Quarter Sessions and the Kitron and Skirbeck Bench until 2003. It had four cells that were originally marked as for men hard labour, men non hard labour, women and general. No equality in those days.

As can be seen in previous picture the Stump is covered in scaffold on the west side as lots of work needs to be carried on. Inside is the same as most of the nave and aisles are covered as there is aot of work going on here too. Last time we were here they were just recovering from the major flooding. I expect that they realised they would need to do something with the floor, and as they were going to have it up they have decided to install underfloor heating and other upgrades too.

South Street is just off the Market Place and was the heart of the Medieval town, and next to the main quay. The black and white timber framed building is known as Shodfriars Hall. At its heart is a house dated from the last quarter of the 14th Century and was called the Old Flemish House. In 1873/75 the Boston Conservative Club had a hall built behind in the Northern European Gothic style that would house club rooms, shops, offices and a theatre. The next building is Pilgrim House that is from the mid 17th Century it has plaques on it with the letters TTE and the other with 1662. The site is on, or close to where the Dominican Friary of 1221 was situated. The next building with the stepped gable has at its heart a 14th Century building that also has remains of the friary within it. The next building is the Old Customs House that was built in 1725 and at the rear has remains of the vaulted under croft of the Friary form 1665. In 2011 it was up for sale as offices for £100,000. On the other side of the river, just to the left was High Street and these streets formed the centre of the town.

There are some short pontoons, mainly for cruisers, that angle out into the river. We stick out a bit far so we later moved round to alongside the longer moorings where we didn't get in anybody's way.