After a couple of nights in Northampton we set off on new waters for us, down on to the River Nene. We didn't go far as we had to pop into the Marina to obtain our licence before we could negotiate the first lock.
We had a lovely day to start the trip doen the new river to us. The locks are a little different and the river varies greatly in character, at least in the fist few miles. There were very narrow and overgrown parts
Then as you pass through the Washlands it all opens up. In serious times of flooding large parts of the valley are allowed to flood so the banks are kept very low, ex cept where the extremities of the are are, and then the banks and gates are designed to keep the town safe.
After the first few locks they become more standardised. The top gates have two gates in the 'normal' way and bottom gate is a guillotine type. Most are electric, but those that aren't certainly keep you fit. As you can see they are good for two narrow boats.
We were going to stop at Wellingborough but the mill was very noisy. We did stop for lunch, filled up with water and had a wander into town to have a look to see what we could see. This is the Whitworth's Mill. They once had a tie in with Weetabix and I remember them as suppliers of dried fruits etc that we used in baking as a kid.
Our walk into town for a bit of shopping revealed a pub on Sheep Street that looked interesting. On the way back to the boat we stopped for a quick pint. The Old House is a Grade II listed building where part of the foundations date back to 948 AD when it was part of the Croyland Abbey Estate. It was originally two houses and had Medieval, Tudor additions. It was one of the few domestic buildings to survive the Great Fire of Wellingborough of 1738. It is the only thatched building in the town. From the late 1800's to the early 1900's it was owned by the local brewery William Dulley and sons. They refurbished it and in 1920 they gave it to the Wellingborough Urban District Council as it was termed in those days. Since then it has been an antique shop, a restaurant and a Chinese before the Hart Family Brewery took it on in 2017, moving in a brewery plant and opening up a tap. The building was worth a look round as were the hand pulls from their brewery.
The Hart Family Brewery was started in 2012 by Rob and Sarah Hart who between them had forty years in the drinks trade. It was founded at the 1833 Brewery on the embankment near the moorings, but in 2017 they decided to move part of the operation to the the Tudor House, renamed the Old House. Before the move they had expanded to be able to brew 38 barrels a week. I have just seen that the business went up for auction not long after we had visited. (Nothing to do with us I hope). Difficult trading circumsatnces were given as a reason. The 1833 brewery and the brewing gear at the Old House, all the fixtures and fittings and the remainder on the lease were all to go too.
As I recall they mainly had their own beers on hand pull. I tried the 1909 Porter at 4.6%. It poured with a very thin head, and the beer tasted 'thin' too. I think that it was passed its best to be honest. Not a great introduction to Hart Family beers of which there were five others on hand pull. Shame really as they have gone now, and I can never taste the best of them.
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