I think I had my best night aboard so far last night! I'm not sure if it was the subdued roar of the weir, the temperature, or just a general sense of well being, and more likely to be all three and more. I also wonder if it is the weir crashing over and producing all the foam that also releases ozone into the atmosphere that is the culprit as that is supposed to be good for you too, I think.
If anybody is looking for a 'do'er upper', or a project for a houseboat, there is the 'Selby Michael' sat at the top of Hazelwood Lock. I think that she was built between 1954 ans 1957 at Dunston's at Thorne. She was one of 17 built by them for BOSM Selby to carry bagged cargoes between Hull, Goole, Selby and York. They were named after some of the children of the managers of BOCM. They were to carry 250 tons and I think were 97' x 17'. I'm not sure if they were originally dumb barges for towing and fitted with engines later. This one certainly had an engine. It is in a bit of a sorry state and looks like everything has been tatted off it.
As you can see it was fitted with a towing hook, so at sometime it would have towed dumb barges herself. You may not believe it but her last voyage would have been about January of this year as she made the news. She had been moored roughly where she is now, but C&RT had moved here below the lock for some reason and on the 26th January 2020 she broke adrift in the dark. It seems she was half full of water and careered down the river causing £20,000 damage at the moorings at Fiskerton and Fardon. She was rescued and moored up by the tug from Newark Marina 'Friar Tuck' and tied to a tree. So that would mean her last voyage would have been back here. One of her sisters that has been converted is for sale at the moment for £55,000 if your interested and don't want to do the work!
The sun came out and we went for a walk across the fields to Fiskerton. We were then back on the bank to walk past the house that overlook the river. We carried on past them and to where the River Greet flows into the Trent. We walked up near the Greet and came to Fiskerton Mill. This mill was originally built in 1790 and more than likely on the same spot as the one that is noted in the Domesday Book. The mill doesn't look like it has been converted into apartments. It started life as a cotton mill, but by 1788 it was for sale as a corn mill with the auction guide price of £43 3s 0d. From the mid 1840's Joseph Marriott ran the mill and in 1881 he was able to buy it and later left it to his son. It stayed in the family until 1921 and continued as an animal feed mill until it closed in the 1980's
There are several houses and cottages around the mill, and attached, and are accessed up a drive. The public footpath goes right across the front of the mill. It looks in good nick on the whole. I wonder what is planned for it long term.
As you can see the Trent Valley Way Long Distance footpath was created to celebrate 100 years of the formation of Nottinghamshire County Council. Then the route had two starts points, Thrumprton and Attenborough and went to West Stockwith, the limits of the county. It was extended a little from near Sawley to make 84 miles and there are now plans to extend it from Biddulph Moor, it's source, right through to Alkborough that overlooks Trent Falls where the Trent meets the Ouse to form the Humber. I reckon that would be a good walk as it will be mainly on the flat!
Along the path by the river these sloping gates were a feature. I don't recall seeing them anywhere else. They are clearly constructed to be self closing and at one point there were two of them back to back. I thought they had just adjusted the gate to fit a leaning post on the first one I saw. I like them as they do look 'wrong' but are right!!
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