Although today was another wonderful, bright blue day, there was also a stiff breeze iost of the time which meant that we did not feel as heated as yesterday.
It was a little distance to the first lock of the day - Wadenhoe - on the way we passed one of the newer Friends mooring sites. It looks rather pleasant even if, like most of their moorings, somewhat isolated!
As the river swung around several large bends we had some difficulty keeping track of direction and hence being sure which church was which! Across the flood plains we could see these two - one of which we understood to be AChurch - but which?
Gradually we neared Wadenhoe and could see that this was their church.
As we worked through the lock we could see some substantial earthworks alongside but it was only after we left that, looking back, we could see this power generator under construction.
A little later we came closest to AChurch so we now knew which this one was! Unfortunately the direction of the sun did not make for the best of photos.
As we reached the next lock we could see that a single hander was preparing to go down. As she was fairly new to boating she was pleased to have help. She and her boyfriend (who was off working today, much to her annoyance) bought the boat in Oxford and are working it to Earith on the Great Ouse where they live.
Below the lock were several rowing crews who rapidly spread themselves right across the width of the river! We eventually, at dead slow speed, managed to pass them - except for the singleton who it seems was having his own battle with the other boats!
At Upper Barnwell the wind and the pull of the river current into the mill stream proved to be rather troublesome, We only just managed to tie up on the lock landing, after some strenuous heaving on the centre line, but the other boat - with nowhere to tie up, ended up actress the mill stream and we had to use our boat to pull her free!
Cotterstock Church looks as if, as with so many of the churches along the river, has been very much extended over the generations as one landowner sought to outdo his neighbours! Old maps indicate that the next door building is part of Church Farm - the village had a number of very grand houses as well.
A multi-generational group of (shire) horses!
Tansor Church - somewhat hidden from the river by trees - is barely half a kilometre from Cotterstock - but on the opposite side of the river. We learned later that both of these churches are looked after by the same parish priest - along with a couple of others, the main one being Warmington.
As we approached Fotheringhay - where we hoped to be able to moor for the night and to give us an opportunity to look around the famous village - we could see that most of it is wrapped in scaffolding and plastic sheeting. Would we be able to see very much, we wondered?
We moored close to the site of the former castle where Mary Queen of Scots met her end.
The only remains of the castle building itself is this small piece.
An information board shows an artist's impression of how historians imagine the castle would have looked when still in use.
We walked up to the top of the mound and were rewarded by a magnificent view of the river meandering below us.
The village itself is tiny but most of its houses are clearly most venerable!
As we approached the church we thought that we would not be able to look inside as a notice said that it was closed for repairs. However, one of the churchwardens was at the entrance and greeted, inviting us to look inside. He also talked at length about their restoration project, work started in 2016 and still has some way to go, with a complete re-build of the tower and the main roof, both of which they now know were on the pint of collapse which, with four tins of lead, would have cause a nasty mess!
They have been very fortunate to receive a major grant from a charitable fund that was being wound up and have fully funded the work which will cost over £1.5 million.
Fortheringhay had strong connections with the Plantagenets and, even in modern times, the Richard III Society takes a keen interest in the church as this was the place of his birth.
Apart from an ornate pulpit, the church is quite plain inside. At the time of Henry VIII, the building was at least twice the length. The high window in the east wall was, at that stage an internal window left as a result of various extensions.
However, when Henry was busy buying support, he allowed the church to fall into the hands of the then Duke of Northumberland. he arrived, took one look at a large amount of very valuable fixtures and fitting, took them all away and, just for pleasure, knocked down half the building.
A model of how the church once looked shows its grandeur - and how that fitted with the importance of this place to the former rulers of the country. Another of the churchwardens was also keen to pass on some of the history of the place - one speculation is that Mary was executed here because it was formally at one time part of the Scottish realm, so a reminder that they were now much less important than the English!
Later afternoon we had a crowd of visitors who took a keen interest in looking in through the windows of the boat. Here are a few of them!
13.9 Miles - 7 Locks
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