Hereward Newsletter

HEREWARD AUTUMN 2019 Thames Barrier Bird Medal for Roger Sexton New Bedford Wisbech & Upwell Memento

PETERBOROUGH BRANCH

www.waterways.org.uk/peterborough The IWA charity registered number 212342 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Peterborough Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers

Boats taking part in the cruise gather for the start in Carpenters Road Lock in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at Stratford

Boating to the Thames Barrier After boating to the IWA Festival at Waltham Abbey CHRIS HOWES took a cruise around the waterways of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park then ventured out onto the Thames to reach the Thames Barrier. Here Chris shares with us some of the highlights of his journey.

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he Dover Straights may be one of the busiest sea lanes in the World, but what’s the busiest inland waterway in England? As I travelled on my narrowboat up the River Thames in London, I wondered if I’d inadvertently found myself in it ! Giant leviathan barges loaded with spoil fro m the new super-sewer being dug under the Thames ploughed up and down the river, pushed by tugs, sending great washes in their wake. High speed ferries buzzed up and down (and backwards and forwards across the river) distributing their considerable wash in each and every direction. Even higher speed ‘ribs’ created disproportionately even larger washes, which further added to the swirling, heaving, melee.

Around the Thames Barrier the wash fro m these various craft had come at the boat in straight lines, and it was possible to turn the boat square to each approaching wave and ride it in relative comfort. However as we left the section of the Thames called ‘King’s Reach’ and moved into the ‘Lambeth Reach’ the frequency of passing boats increased, and the direction of their washes changed as ferries executed ‘U turns’ to get to and fro m the various piers. The river built into a swirling mass of heaving water. My boat climbed one great swell, g reater than any I had ever previously experienced, even when I‘d crossed The Wash. The bows of my boat climbed up, seemingly intent on touching the Heavens, until the whole front half of the boat was out of the water. Then gravity reclaimed the bows, and the boat arced about her middle.

The bows came crashing down, with a mighty slap, sending up a huge wave which surged into the fore-well and smashed against the (fortunately closed) front doors. Even as we breathed a sigh of relief that we had ridden this huge wave, the bows once again started to climb towards the sky, as we rode another gargantuan swell. Three times this was repeated, with the bows propelling to the skies before crashing back down again. Finally Neptune’s wrath appeared satiated, the waters relented, and ‘normal service was resumed’.

We passed under Westminster Bridge into calmer waters. Remembering the dire warning to “leave 70m clear water between your boat and the Palace of Westminster, otherwise you run the risk of machine gun fire”, I had time to reflect on how we had come to find ourselves in the boiling cauldron of Lambeth Reach.

When we had first decided to join the two part post IWA Festival of Water cruise, it had all seemed so quiet and civilised. The first stage involved passing through the restored Carpenter’s Road Lock next to the Queen Elizabeth Park Oly mpic Stadiu m in Stratford, East London, and cruising the Bow Back Rivers. There were 19 narrowboats planning on joining this cruise.

We started to assemble below Old Ford Lock on the previous evening. It was immediately obvious that it was going to be a problem finding moorings for 19 boats. Although there appeared amp le mooring spaces around the waters of the Oly mpic park, d ire notices prohibited mooring at risk of fines of £150 per n ight ! A nu mber of us rafted up at the pick up point for the water taxi.

Boating through Central London, along the Paddington Arm of the GU, the Regent’s Canal, Hertford Union Canal and Lee Navigation it had become glaringly obvious that the demand for London moorings far outstripped supply. It seems such a waste of potential mooring space that the waters surrounding the Oly mpic Park (funded by the Lottery and fro m the co mmon purse) couldn’t be used for mooring.

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The next mo rning, Thursday 29th August, we had been instructed to present ourselves at 10.00 am at Carpenter’s Road Lock for C+RT to lock us through onto the Bow Back Rivers. Unfortunately it isn’t the quickest of locks to get through. Although locking started at 9.45, and continued non stop, the last boat didn’t get through until 1.25p m, an average time of 25 minutes per locking!

The cruise through the Back Rivers was interesting but without undue excitement. Although tidal, once again it struck me forcefu lly that there was potential for further mooring spaces that could have been created. In less than an hour we locked back onto the Lee through City Mill Lock. The C+RT lock keeper observed to us that when he was sent to operate the lock he had thought it was for only a couple of boats, not a 19 boat flotilla, and he hadn’t brought refreshments with him. Ho wever a cold ‘un fro m the fridge soon cheered him up!

Fro m there we assembled in Limehouse Basin, or for those who couldn’t be squeezed in, Limehouse Cut. The 15 boats fro m the Festival had been divided into six groups. Each of the these groups was lead by a tideway savi ‘mother’ boat fro m the St Pancras Cru ising Club, making a total convoy of 21 boats. So meone, with a passion for figures, had calculated that the total length of the convoy, measured end to end, would be 327 metres. I refrained fro m remarking out loud that this was 20% longer than RMS Titanic!

Timing of the trip was inevitably dependent on tide times. We were to leave Limehouse on a falling t ide, passing through the Barrier on the ebb, wait at Margaretness for the tide to turn, and return to either Brentford of Teddington on a rising tide.

We had been allocated third in the first group. Sunrise wasn’t until after 6.00 am, but because of the tides we were booked to leave Limehouse in the first locking, at an eye watering 5.00 am. I set off fro m Limehouse Cut at 4.45 am to be in the lock on time. As it was dark I turned on my navigation lights, and because I was struggling to see where I was going, my front light. Th is was my first mistake! I was immediately corrected “tunnel lights are for tunnels, not for seeing where you are going!” Light off, I fu mb led my way into the lock. The lock keeper instructed me to t ie off my bows, however when I called this instruction to my wife, the lock keeper immed iately told me off for shouting. I was being reprimanded for a second time, and it wasn’t yet 5.00 am! As if to emphasise the need to be quiet, the lock keeper then dropped his voice before proceeding to give me instructions so quietly I was unable to actually hear them. I explained that I was hard of hearing and couldn’t hear him, but he walked off.

Limehouse Lock doesn’t operate by letting the water in through sluices, and only opening the gates when water levels are equal both sides of the gates, but by letting water in by opening the gates.

As the water in the dark lock fell, I used my engine to push the boat away from the cill. We had been warned at the previous evenings briefing that the tide would be running strongly past the lock entrance fro m the right. I couldn’t see our ‘mother’ boat as it left the lock, but I could discern the outline of the boat in front of me as it left. It may have just been the gloom, but I thought that the tide had picked it up and pushed it close to the left hand (down stream) entrance wall to the dock.

I’ve similarly left the shelter of a lock and entered a powerfu l and fast moving tide at Selby Lock (t idal River Ouse) and at East Stockwith and Keadby (tidal River Trent) and I was more nervous about leaving Limehouse in the dark, than any other part of the journey. With a sense of apprehension I ‘gunned’ my engine, pointed my bows upstream (the contrary direction) gave a single ‘toot’ on the horn, and launched into the dark waters of the Thames. Our instruction had been to leave the lock “handsomely - briskly but under control”. The tide init ially grabbed my bows, and then the whole boat. We pirouetted about our centre, and were off on the tide, passing well clear of the threatening downstream wall !

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The lights of the high buildings of the City of London sparkled on our left as we crossed to the other side of the river. We had been instructed to proceed single file, t wo or three boat lengths apart, keeping to the right hand third of the river. We had been warned not to be surprised if at any point we were approached by a Police launch and issued a ‘stop and search’ notice, but as far as I was aware , none of us were to be suspected of nefarious malintent and both the River Police and Harbour Master left us alone. We were further instructed “sound your horn, put your lights on, and the steerer raise his arm to signal d istress”. If this situation arose, the following vessel should come to the distressed vessel’s rescue, however the boat requiring rescue should always provide the tow line, not the rescuer.

We’d also been warned not to open our weed hatch if our propellor fouled, because in a swell the water will overtop the weed hatch.

We all had anchors readily deployable (not buried in a locker) and were advised to be ready to use them. Despite being the highest tide of the month, the water appeared comparat ively clear of debris, and I d idn’t hear of anyone’s propellor fouling.

As the sun rose we were treated to a sunrise which richly repaid the early start and first locking. The waters were calm, and the sky bathed in a rich glo w of yellow, orange and red. As we passed the Isle of Dogs, opposite the Cutty Sark we had been warned about the deceptive nature of the flow on the outside of the bend. It had been drummed into us “don’t point your boat at the one in front, the tide will push you onto the shore. Keep your bows 20 degrees to the left of the one in front, and stay in the middle !”.

Serenely we passed the O2 Arena, and glided between the two indicated piers of the Tha mes Barrier. When co mpleted in 1983 it was anticipated that the Barrie r would be raised only on the exceptional co mb ination of high tides, strong winds and low at mospheric pressure which lead to the 1953 flood. During the whole 1980s it closed on just four occasions, but in the 2010s it has already been raised 65 times. It looked stunning in the early morning light.

At Margaretness we stopped, opposite Barking Cree k, and turned to face the tide. We sat, ‘treading water’ for nearly 1½ hours as the rest of the convoy arrived. One by one, they all turned once they’d passed us, and queued as we all waited for the tide to turn.

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Eventually the lead boat, ‘Doris Katia’ set off back upstream, and we all fo llo wed, like an obedient family o f ducks. The water remained calm as we again negotiated the Woolwich Ferry and Thames Barrier. However the volu me of other river traffic steadily and inexorab ly rose, with increasing heights of wash hitting us at increasing frequencies. Greenwich Observatory looked stunning in the clean morning light.

We passed Limehouse and Traitor’s Gate at the Tower of London before shooting the right hand arch of Tower Bridge. The great bridges of London were now co ming thick and fast. In all those bound for Brentford would pass under 25 bridges, and those going to Teddington 29.

Some of King’s Reach, and most of Lambeth Reach remain a confused blur in my memo ry, for the wild water reasons already detailed. Ho wever above Westminster Bridge ‘normal service’ was resumed. We were able to enjoy the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ and admire the MI6 build ing (also with a 70m armed exclusion zone).

By the time we reached Putney Bridge the wind had completely disappeared and the sun returned. I was particularly interested in the 4¼ miles between Putney and Mortlake. This forms the course, not just for the world famous Oxford and Cambridge boat race, but for other rowing races. I’ve raced this water, probably ten times. In a rowing

boat the work required is equivalent to lifting a bag of cement fro m your toes to your shoulders, 30 times per minute, for 15 minutes, whilst maintaining perfect balance and absolute synchronisation with the other seven crew members. It was a pleasure to cruise the waters in a mo re relaxed manner, cup of coffee in hand, spotting the famous landmarks, rather than fighting pain and tiredness !

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We passed Brentford Creek, which leads to Thames Lock and the Grand Union canal, before the Lock had been opened to river traffic. There was less water in the river, and so it was comparatively narrower, than I had ever previously experienced boating between Teddington and Brentford.

As we approached Richmond half tide Lock, the lead ‘mother’ boat started to travel increasingly slowly. Th is was because the barrier at Rich mond was not due to be lifted until 1.45p m.

Whenever I have travelled between Teddington and Rich mond, the Barrier had already been removed and the Half Tide Lock closed. I now understand that this is because you are not allo wed out of either Teddington or Brentford until the Barrier is up.

I had not really p reviously taken in, or understood, the tidal manipulat ion at Rich mond. The Barrier is put in place around half tide to hold water in the river between Rich mond and Teddington, and the Lock is only used to circumvent the barrier when it prevents navigation.

The raising of the Barrier was 20 minutes behind schedule due to the tide being late (because of a Westerly wind).

We turned below the Barrier to face the incoming tide, an operation called ‘stemming’, until the Barrier was finally raised. Boats are charged £8 for using the half tide lock, regard less of size. Gro wing slightly impatient of wait ing, I was just contemplating paying to use the lock, when it closed and the Barrier opened.

The last part of the journey to Teddington was pleasant and uneventful, bathed in afternoon sun. Approximately 11 hours after we had launched out of Limehouse into a dark maelstrom o f turbulent waters, we quiet ly slipped out of the now gentle embrace o f the tidal Thames.

Enormous votes of thanks go to Mike Moorse for organising the trip, the St Pancras Cru ising Club for their invaluable help and hospitality, the fantastic precruise meal at Limehouse, the clear and unequivocal briefing, and fo r the boats that shepherded us through the unique and unforgettable experience !

2020 AGM ADVANCE NOTICE The 2020 Branch AGM will be held at our usual venue the Peterborough Indoor Bowls Club on Tuesday 10 March at 7.30pm. Please note this is a week later than our usual first Tuesday date. We will be having a guest speaker to follow the formal business. Details to be confirmed in the next issue of Hereward.

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Mill Drove, Ramsey Cambs. PE26 2RD Tel: 01487 813621 billfenmarina@tiscali.co.uk www.b illfenmarina.com

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ROGER SEXTON AWARDED RICHARD BIRD MEDAL

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t the recent IWA Annual Members Meeting Roger Sexton was awar ded the Richard Bird Medal for services to waterways. Roger has been an IWA member for approaching 50 years, a founder member of Peterbor ough Branch, and the Chairman of the East Anglian Waterways Association for at least quarter of a Centur y!

Roger’s interest in boating stems fro m boyhood fishing trips on the Old River Nene in h is home town of March, and dinghy sailing off Sandbanks in Dorset in the 1950s.

As a 24 year o ld he attended a dinghy building evening class at the local college of fu rther education, given by the now legendary Charlie Fo x, and learned how to construct his own 18ft dinghy. The rest, as they say, is history - Roger’s life-long love affair with boating had begun!

In 1973 Roger was the Navigation Officer for the IWA rally in Ely. Th is was before the opening of the ‘lin k route’ through the Middle level, and every boat had to pass through Welches Dam lock and along the Old Bedford River.

He was instrumental in the forming of Peterborough Branch IWA after the ’73 Ely Rally, and was Chairman fo r the 1976 ‘National’ in Peterborough. Despite this being the infamous ‘drought year’, the event still made a profit !

Roger receiving the Richard Bird Medal from Na onal In 1974 Roger co mmissioned Charlie Chairman Ivor Caplin at the recent Members Mee ng Fo x to build him a narro wboat, enabling him to set off on the waters of the Middle Level, Nene and Great Ouse “under his own steam”.

Roger has been a Co mmodore of the Midd le Level Waterman’s Club, was a founder member, in the early 1970s of the Well Creek Trust which campaigned for, and physically built, the current ‘Lin k Route’ between the rivers Nene and Great Ouse.

He was a founder member of ‘Project Hereward’, launched in ’93 at the Peterborough National, which in its first incarnation, successfully delivered extensions to Stanground, Ashline, Marmont Priory and Salter’s Lode locks, allo wing for the first time the passage of 70ft boats.

Project Hereward successfully lobbied for the construction of the brand new Lodes End lock, prior to which construction that half of the Middle Level waters would have been totally cut off fro m navigation due to the construction of Bevill’s Leam pump ing station.

Roger was a major contributor to the Fens Waterways Project in the early 2000s, and can be credited with the construction of a major b ridge on the A16 with ample clearance to allow future navigation along the Car Dyke.

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Since 2006 Project Hereward, under Roger’s leadership, has focused on campaigning fo r the re-opening of Welches Dam Lock and the Horseway Channel.

At a stage in life when many other folks would be putting their feet up, Roger still chairs both E.A.W.A and Project Hereward, is an active co mmittee member of Peterborough Branch IWA, sits on the Middle Level Navigation Advisory Co mmittee, and stands up for boating in the East Anglian Region on many other committees.

FACILITIES - HAVE YOUR SAY !

W

e all know that here in the East we have some of the most beautiful navigable waters on the whole Country, even if perhaps we sometimes seem to try and keep this incontrovertible fact secret fro m boaters on the rest of the system. But there is one big question - are we the best provided Region with services for boaters? Water points, Elsan disposal, pump outs, rubbish disposal, recycling, getting rid o f waste oil?

During the last year IWA has been undertaking its nationwide ‘Gaptracker’ survey. This aims to establish the areas most lacking in provision, or where there are the greatest gaps between services. Navigation authorities, including EA and M LC, have said that they will welco me the findings of this survey, and IWA will lobby for them to take appropriate actions to remedy deficiencies.

At the recent IWA Annual Meeting, we were given a presentation of the results so far. These results suggest that either our region enjoys the best provision of facilit ies, or we are the worst at replying to surveys.

Clearly we don’t want our Navigation Authorities ‘resting on their laurels’ so I’d be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to think about where they could ‘do better’.

Please spread the word about the “Gaptracker” survey and report any issues to do with facilities (either existing facilities or locations where you think new facilities are required) v ia the website survey. Click on ’NEWS & CAMPAIGNS’ and scroll down the Menu to:-

’GapTracker - Facilities for Boaters’ Old Bedford Observations Our intrepid observer and gua rdian of all things Old Bedford John Revell has sent these photos from his late September visit. The Welney guillo-ne ga te was fully raised and shows i t is possible. Also the collage of photos previousl y featured in Hereward is now in pla ce on the wall in the Lamb and Flag to keep our aspira-ons for Welches Dam to the fore.

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Press Cuttings O

ur region’s waterways have been receiving a fair bit of coverage in the national and local press recently. The Cambs Times for 20th September ran an art icle with banner headlines to highlight the neglected state of the waterway on the route though March. This followed a narrowboat tour through the town with representatives of March Council, the M iddle Level Co mmissioners and the IWA.

Problems identified were overhanging vegetation obstructing navigation and access, litter and debris, and dilapidated moorings The Mayor of March Cllr Rob Skould ing said ‘This is a beautifu l area and we want more people to stop and spend time in the town’. Proposals discussed were provision of picn ic areas and better moorings along with public boat trips and tours. It is hoped that volunteer work parties can be organised to support the MLC in achiev ing these aims.

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Still on the subject of the Middle Levels the Ely Standard ran the following article, again prominently placed with banner headlines and accompanying photographs relating to the impacts of the Middle Level Bill.

Boats in Fenland will have to be registered, insured and safety checked under new powers River users in Fenland will have to get their boats registered, insured and safety checked under new powers in a bid to control moorings. The new bylaws are set to improve maintenance of more than 120 miles of waterways between the Rivers Nene and Great Ouse in Peterborough through to Cambridge. It will mean that boat users on the Middle Level river system that do not have their vessels up to scratch - and exceed the four nau-cal mph speed limit - could be faced with a he4y fine. The Middle Level Commissioners (MLC), who oversees flood defenc e and waterways management in the Fens, hope that the bylaws will be in place by September 2020.

Lorna McShane, solicitor and assistant clerk at MLC, said: "This will give us enforcement powers to regulate the boats on the river. The Fens waterways are the fourth largest naviga-on system and elsewhere in the country people have to have insurance documents and safety cer-ficates. "When boats are moored up for long periods of -me they could become unsafe and possibly endanger a life”. It is also hoped that facili-es for boaters will be improved, such as disposal points, water and informa-on boards to encourage tourism. The commissioners have set up a naviga-on commi;ee that have consulted boat owners across the district a4er having a private bill passed in parliament last year.

They are also working alongside Fenland District Council (FDC) and the Environment Agency. "Most of the owners are concerned about what this will cost to them, but we won't know this un-l we officially get it in place," Ms McShane added. "It will be phased in it won't be something that will happen overnight, so owners will have the -me to sort things out. "This is well overdue and there has been an increase in residen-al boats and people who moor in the Fens."

It will s-ll be the responsibility of FDC for enforcing the moorings management scheme, but the new powers will make the process more "eff ec-ve". It comes as earlier this year boat owners were warned that they would be fined for overstaying on moorings in March and Whi;lesey. Access to the River Nene moorings is free of charge for 36 hours, but FDC revealed that in 2018 several boats overstayed the restric-ons in March for a "considerable length of -me".

Final arrangements for ad ministrating the new licence system have still to be confirmed with consultation taking place between the various stakeholders. Initial p lans were that the system will be ad ministered by the EA but how that would work with CRT registered boats is unclear.

The date for introduction of the new system has also still to decided.

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National press coverage was given to the controversial plans to restore Whittlesey Mere back to water. The Times included the follo wing art icle in a recent edition which highlighted the conflicts between the environmental lobby and farming interests.

The environmental p roposals form part of the Great Fen project and have some heavyweight support including Prince Charles, Sir John Major p lus Huntingdonshire Council. Large sums of money have been spent on buying up 6000 acres of land with another 9000 acre purchase planned.

The farming fraternity argue that the proposals are wasteful of some of the most fertile and productive agricultural land in the country and point to the fact that much of the areas already taken into the project are not being properly maintained. Th is looks like a battle which will rage for some time.

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The Wisbech to Upwell Tram Projects Background and history information

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his Project is to celebrate the memo ry of the Wisbech Upwell Tramway. The Wisbech to Outwell Tramway opened as an experiment in 1883 and was extended to Upwell in 1884. At its peak, six trams a day in each direction provided passenger and, most importantly, freight services for local produce to Wisbech and then via the main railway link to larger towns and cities. Co mpetit ion fro m the Outwell Omn ibus Co mpany started by Charles Robb in 1920 eventually ended passenger services in 1927. Freight continued until 1966 when it was cut as part of the “Beeching A xe�. The final tram journey took place May 20, 1966.

Remembering the Tramway is of impo rtance for all living in the area but also for those much further afield, for rail aficionados and enthusiasts, for local h istory lovers and tourists and also for millions of fans of Thomas the Tank Engine the creation of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry who was vicar of the nearby village of Emneth (1953 -1965). Toby the Tram Eng ine and his coach, Henrietta and later, Mavis, the Dru ry diesel tram were based on rolling stock used on the original Tramway. Very little evidence of the former Tramway remains today which highlighted the necessity for the Wisbech to Upwell tram projects The idea for the Wisbech to Upwell Tram Project came fro m a conversation, back in the early 1980s between William (Bill) Smith and Andrew Ingram (who had at that time written The Wisbech & Upwell Tramway Centenary Album -1983 and many other branch line books. Andrew remarked that, "The people of Out well and Up well should have kept some reminders of the tramway. It would have elevated those two villages as there is a vast interest in the old railways". Following that exchange, Bill decided to produce a tram memento for Out well, the village in which he lives.

Bill first embarked upon producing a tram memento for the former tram yard site at Outwell and was given an old Norfo lk County Council, spherical road sign marked "Outwell" that had been buried at Bexwell Airfield in1940 during the Second World War. It would eventually form the centrepiece of the Outwell Memento. Then, aided by his friends John Button and Tony Judd, he started to source discarded tram-related relics and other authentic railway materials. They spoke to staff at Bressingham Steam Museum who d irected them to a railway "graveyard" at Hardingham in Norfolk. Bill was offered t wo full-size Victorian tram wheels fixed to an axle (these gave birth to the Upwell memento idea) and then also four rail chairs, four hardwood 15

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blocks and two authentic sleepers with sixteen period fixtu res – many of the parts needed to ma ke an installation for Upwell.

These very early tram wheels and a xle we re designed to run on "bull-head rail" the same type used for the Wisbech to Upwell tra mway. Help was also pro mised by Nene Valley Railway enthusiasts – who offered other materials – and more volunteers lined up for restoration work.

In April 2016 on behalf of the people of Outwell and Upwell, Bill submitted a planning application to the King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council for the two mementos to be located in the old tram yards of the two villages.

The submission was supported by County Cllr Harry Hu mphrey, a ll KLW N Councillors, Outwell & Upwell Parish Councillors, local residents adjacent to each site and also the Middle Level Internal Drainage Board (at Outwell) and the Health Centre Managers (at Upwell). In addit ion, Michael Walsh (KLW BC, Property Services) also gave his support and oversaw the administration, coordinating the eventual approval for the Project to go ahead.

The picture below shows the tramway in it’s final days when Toby had been replaced by a diesel shunter but traffic was s-ll being handled in the same way. Like Toby the diesel loco has the side skirts over the wheels, a legal requirement for running close to the roadway.

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Email: gregbassam@gbwatersports.co.uk 14 18

Up The Drain!

Navigating the New Bedford River Words and Pictures by Mike Daines

If one looks at a map of the Fenland waterways two long and straight parallel channels cut right through the middle. Respectively these two channels are the Old Bedford and the New Bedfo rd Rivers. The name New Bedford River, also known as the Hundred Foot River, is somewhat deceptive in that it was only “new” upon its construction back in 1651 under the guidance of the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden. They are also two of Britain’s oldest artificial navigable rivers, pre dating the English canal system by mo re than a hundred years.

These are of course well known h istorical facts and generally known by many boaters both local and visitors to the Middle Level system but scarcely any passages take place along either of these two Environ ment Agency (EA) ad ministered navigable waterways!

The reasons are varied. Since the EA piled the entrance into Welches Dam Lock, in 2006 the only accessible route onto the Old Bedford River is via a very silted tidal channel and then and only then if a boat manages to cut its way in, it has to go through a sluice on the level to gain access, that is to say when the tidal river Great Ouse is level or thereabouts with the Old Bedford river.

It takes a determined and experienced skipper to attempt the feat plus it all has to be co -ordinated in advance with both the EA and Middle Level Co mmissioners (MLC) befo rehand.

Those reaching Welney or Welches Dam lock will have reached one of the more difficult destinations of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) Silver Propellor Challenge.

Currently there is an ongoing IWA campaign headed up by its Peterborough branch to re-open the vital Middle Level southern navigation link fro m the River Nene to the Great Ouse via the Forty Foot River through Horseway Lock and Welches Dam. On the other hand The New Bedford is less daunting although it is a tidal river and anyone proposing to boat it should take the advice of a lock keeper at either Denver Co mplex or Salter’s Lode regarding what time and on which t ide to undertake this journey. It is best made around spring tides when the rise & fall of the water is at the greatest range and high tide is highest. Any river and particularly a t idal river, co mmands respect. If undertaken on the right tides and at the most favourable part of the tide cycle, travelling the 100ft river is a pleasant and interesting experience and don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready for some interesting wildlife.

Depending on the season, swans including our common Mute are abundant throughout the year and in winter the Welney Wetlands Centre is famous for hosting the winter migrations of Whooper swans fro m Iceland and Berwick's swans making their long journey here fro m Siberia. Other rare wading birds, raptors and even seals are thrilling sights quite often witnessed.

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It is reco mmended to make the journey upstream, fro m Salter’s Lode to Earith. Start at the bottom of the tide and the rising tide carries you as far as Mepal (about halfway). As the tide turns, it is co mparatively easy to ‘punch’ the tide through the wider section after Sutton Gault.

The journey downstream has to be made on a falling tide and again valuable advice can be obtained from the Hermitage Lock keeper at Earith regarding time and tide details. One can’t set off fro m Ea rith Stuck on the Mud until the tide has fallen enough to allow sufficient air clearance to get under Earith Bridge. This delay in departure means that the tide has turned by the time one has reached the narrowest section between the A1101 bridge (Welney) and Welmore sluice. There is often insufficient water to allow passage, in 2018 two boats tried to go down the 100ft after the IWA Festival of Water in St Neots but got stuck outside Welney Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. (see photo) This wasn’t because they had actually grounded but because there was insufficient water beneath them fo r their propello rs to be effective.

So it was that on a beautifully bright and sunny September mo rning one such determined and experienced skipper, John Reve ll, stood ready at the tiller of his narrowboat Olive Emily in the lee of the Salters Lode lock entrance, ready to catch the spring flood tide heading up the River Great Ouse John was accompanied by fellow narro w boaters Chris Howes and myself as crew. Chris had ju mped at the chance to experience the ride and High Spring Tide at Slaters to take notes for his forthcoming upLode dates to the Imray guides on the River Great Ouse and the Middle Levels.

The tide did indeed arrive in the form of a small tidal bore, locally known by some wag as the Wiggenhall Wave, gurgling around the mud and gullies of the lock entrance and then speeding us along on its back up toward the junction with the start of the New Bedford River alongside the Denver Co mp lex.

A quick time check and it was exactly 07:55 hrs and we were making a steady 7.2mph over the ground at a gentle 1200 revs. The river starts off long and straight with high banks funnelling down into the distance and relatively wide at around 70 feet but with a notable amount of debris in the water. The first landmark is the Welmore Lake Slu ice at the end of the Delph River, the most northerly and downstream part of the floodwater storage area on the Ouse Washes.

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Just beyond the sluice the river then narrows passing under a stand of electricity pylons and then onto to the Welney Wetlands Centre with its distinctive bridge crossing the river and connecting birdwatching hides on either side. We passed under the bridge at 09:05 still making a respectable 6.1mph at 1200 revs.

Flotsam in the Channel The narrowing of the river at this point was made worse by discarded cut reeds compounded with dredgings deposited on the sides and also in the river part ially stemming fro m the ongoing £27 million EA flood defence improvements to the Ouse Washes flood banks from Earith to Welney. The debris was by now a serious impediment to our continued progress and necessitated constant clearing of reed build -up on Olive Emily’s bows.

At 09:55 we passed under the main railway bridge by which time the river had widened again the tide had slackened and the debris thankfully began to diminish. The next hour passed most pleasantly in bright sunshine with pleasant views across the washes over towards Welches Dam and with the added bonus of some delicious bacon and tomato sandwiches with coffee expertly served up by the skipper.

Fro m t ime to time we passed flocks of curious sheep who were obviously surprised to see what must have been to them a very strange object passing serenely by at a leisurely 4mph. it wasn’t just the sheep who were surprised to see a narrow boat on this little used historical stretch of water, the long reach excavator drivers wo rking on the Washes improvements were apt to look up and wave at our intrusion into their solitary environ ment.

Mepal Bridge was passed under at 11:10 and the Three Pickerels pub came into view but unfortunately we knew that they were closed on a Tuesday and so the chance of a swift ale passed us by. However we couldn’t but help notice a wide beam boat that was moored alongside and we were unable to tell if it was a permanent or temporary addit ion.

We then passed the Cruising under blue skies ‘Up the Anchor at Sutton Gault an Drain’ upmarket restaurant/pub which is another possible but tricky mooring. It should be noted that there are very few potential moorings on this twenty one mile stretch of river and if you should have a dog on board it would be prudent to exercise them before setting off.

By now the tide was against us but not significantly impeding our progress and at 12:10 we passed under Earith Bridge and moored to the pontoon for Hermitage Lock. The journey along the 100ft River had taken 4¼ hours.

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