News
Saddington to Yelvertoft
Last full day today. We set off from Saddington at around 09:15 arriving at the foot of the Foxton flight at around 10:15. We entered the bottom lock at 10:25 and with the help of the lock keeper we were out of the top lock at 11:15, 50 minutes for 10 locks or 5 minutes a lock.
Leicester to Saddington
From Kings lock a long slog up 19 locks and around 10 miles to a mooring just above Saddington tunnel, with brief stopp at Kilby Bridge for lunch. Fortunately a glorious day if a little windy. Dinner on the boat tonight to start using up the fresh stocks before Saturday.
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| From June 2012 Leeds - Yelvertoft |
Managed to talk to the marina at Yelvertoft today and confirmed the temporary mooring, also obtained the number for the local taxi service to get to Rugby on Saturday to pick up the hire car to go home.
Tomorrow Foxton in the morning before the weather deteriorates if the forcast is accurate, then the long pound through Husbands Bosworth to Yelvertoft.
Nottingham to Leicester
A late start today as the flood gates at Sawley, Beeston and Cranfleet. The news finally came through at around 10:30 that the flood waters had receded and the flood gates were now open. Setting off from Beeston along the river to Cranfleet the flow was strong enough to reduce speed to around 2 mph at times. From Cranfleet we re join the Trent for the final few yards to the mouth of the Soar for the trip up to Leicester where we join the GU Leicester Line. Compared with the Trent the Soar is small and with a much gentler flow. We made good progress and stopped for an overnight mooring at Barrow on Soar at around 7pm. Dinner in the Bengal Restaurant.
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| From June 2012 Leeds - Yelvertoft |
Wednesday Morning on the move just after 9am continuing up the River Soar to Leicester eventually stopping above the town just above the Junction with the GU Canal
Fiskerton to Nottingham
After breakfast we left Fiskerton. The water had dropped about 1ft overnight and although the flow still look strong we made much better progress reaching 4mph on some stretches. The reach between Stoke and Holm locks was particularly slow with speeds dropping to 1.4mph at times. The lock keeper at Holm told us that Beeston, Sawley and Cranfleet flood gates are closed with the flood guage being 9" in the red at Sawley so we may not be able to proceed much further before the water level drops.
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| From June 2012 Leeds - Yelvertoft |
Tonight we went for a few pints and dinner in the Canal House pub situated inside the FMC Warehouse and rounded the evening off with a pint in the "ye olde trip to Jerusalem" pub claimed to be the oldest in England and carved from the rock under Nottingham Castle.
Newark to Friskerton
After a night in Newark and an excellent dinner at Rushtons 'next door' we set out for Nottingham. Overnight the river levels had risen and our progress was slow and getting slower. By hugging the insides of the bends we were able to make around 2.5mph but in the main current this slowed to around 1mph. As we had 24 miles to go this was going to be a very log day to make Nottingham and after around 6 miles we called a halt at Fiskerton and settled in for the day. Fortunately the station a mile out of townallowed the crew who were joining and leaving to get to and from Nottingham. Dinner in the Bromley Arms.
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| From June 2012 Leeds - Yelvertoft |
Overnight the EA river level gauges show that the river level has dropped around 300mm and the pontoon we are moored to has also dropped by a similar amount. Fingers crossed for a slightly quicker journey today.
