Rushing before the Rain.

 After our walk into Fiskerton we had a quiet time and decided to go for a walk round Nabbs Island as the sun went down.

The sun set behind the trees on the far bank as we climbed up the ladder from the boat.

The moorings are on the lock island that is not accessible from the 'land'. Supposedly there was just the rabbits but we did find a couple of tents with guys who didn't look like they were fishing, but not living there, so may have come in kayaks etc. On the other side of the lock is another weir and it looked very peaceful in the evening light. I find that there is a planning application in for a propeller type hydroelectric scheme on the lock side weir that will feed enough electricity into the grid for 1540 homes.

The rain was forecast for later in the day so we were ready for the off at 0930. Just before a boat had come up the lock and when I spoke to the Lock keeper he opened the gate and we were off. Once clear of the lock, taking a hard a port turn out of the lock to clear the sand bar, we were soon at Fiskerton with the current behind us. I'm sure that there were only two pontoons the last time we passed this way. Now there are three or four. 

Fiskerton is found in the Domesday book and seemed to be mainly agricultural with a fishery. What is now called the Wharf was built in the early 1800's when the village became centred about its waterfront. It was a maltings built for  James Hole, a brewer from Newark. It was closed in 1904 but was reopened as a grain store for Southwell miller in 1919. It remained until 1974! It then became a boat builders. In 1976 they were offering hire boat holidays through Hoseason's. By the 1980's at had become a private residence like you see today. 

The Bromley just opened as we passed on our walk yesterday so we went and had a coffee. It is next to the Wharf. The pub dates from the 1700's and was originally  called the Wagon and Horses, and at one time the Ferry House, as there was once a ferry here. In 1877 it was sold to Sir Henry Bromley of East Stoke. Allegedly he bought it so he could hunt on both sides of the river and still wine and dine. It had a stable for 27 horses as it was was one of the stages where the horses pulling the barges were trained. It was sold to Hardy and Hanson's Brewery in 1933. The building just next door was also a pub, the Spread Eagle until 1912.

When the railway came in 1846 slowly the river lost its wharfs and warehouses and the big houses were built. I love this one where the wall dips down so as not to spoil the view. Maybe it is the big houses that have secured the heavily piled bank and a flood wall atop it. There are steps over the new wall in most places, but in others there are gates, and not with flood gates either. That seems a little daft to me.

I love the stone steps that are the fishing pegs along the banks of the Trent. I would love to know the history of them as there has been a great deal of trouble and expense to place them here, about every 30 yards apart. Many of them are of Matlock Stone, so not even that local.

It never ceases to amaze me how many and how varied the anglers are around our waterways. When we came up the piscatorial adventurers were casting out from the bank and fishing on the bottom. Today the majority of them had set up little perches out in the water and were using poles to fish at the surface. Something for everybody it seems.

At Newark Marina they have created even more berths with a new lagoon. Their other moorings are actually on the River Devon (pronounced Deevon).

Just above Town Lock is the Bristish Waterways dry dock which they claim is the largest inland dry dock in the country. It seems that the area is going to be developed somewhat.

We were soon through the lock, after another chat with voluntary lock keeper Kieth who drives from Hull to do his duty. He was very interesting as he used to work on the fuel barges that ran from Hedon Haven, and later Immingham Oil Terminal Finger Pier, to Newark and Nottingham. I wonder if we will ever see meaningful freight back on the Northern rivers and canals? We decided to run down to the visitor pontoon to see if there was room. There wasn't, so we swung round and went back to our spot in front of the castle. By the time we had moored up and had a bite to eat it was raining and hasn't stopped. Hopefully it will ease off enough for us to go for a pint later.