The day began on a very different note from the past couple of weeks. As well as being completely overcast sky and a strong breeze, if not wind, which meant that we felt somewhat chilly to start today's cruise.
Casting off - remember the problems we had yesterday when mooring? - was generally less fraught, despite the timid approach Mike made when crossing the gangplank! (No, you cannot see a photo!) Even though it was about 8:15, three other boats had already left the mooring, with only ourselves the late birds.
As we arrived at our first lock, a cruiser was tied up on the lock landing but the doors were open and the guillotine closed. It transpired that they were trying to correct some mechanical fault so we were able to go straight in. This was the last of the manual (Wheel!) locks but not only was this the smoothest but also the lady from the cruiser came to assist. Guess what, Mike forgot to take most of the usual pix at this lock. Will have to try harder on the return trip.
However he did note the unusual more formal bywash, running quite fast it seems. The very friendly people on the cruiser assured us that this was the last manual lock before Peterborough. Phew!
Next came Elton Lock. Some the very varied lists of manual Nene Locks suggested that this was still manual but, cheers, it is indeed electric.
Just after passing the village of Nassington we passed through the remains of the abutments for a former railway bridge. Not quite That railway but the Rugby and Peterborough branch line. Back on 30th April, we noted the start of the Rugby to Stanford railway, similarly closed by Beeching. Both were early developments from the 1840s. After it was first opened and had proven its success, its directors decided to link to Peterborough and joined up with the other line for the final section in to the town. They joined at Yarwell Junction,. now the western end of the Nene Valley Railway.
Yarwell Lock followed and, unusually, has a very good water point accessible only when on the upper lock landing!
The lock is alongside the former Yarwell Mill, still looking imposing. Beside that is a large residential mobile home park aimed at people over 45, but it seemed to have a few pitches for touring vans.
The downside at this lock was the exit to the lower lock landing. As can be seen in the above photo, a long boat comes straight out into the remains of a concrete landing and a large tree, It took Christine some effort to avoid both! Short cruisers might have sufficient room to turn sharply right as they exit.
Our final lock today (or so it turned out) was Wansford Lock. A large sluice controlled weir was built just where an upper lock landing might be expected. Instead, boats stop a distance back from the lock on a sharp bend with no sightline of the lock. Still, it is electric so we can forgive most things! Christine took a punt on when to leave the landing, had to wait a little while for the lock to finish filling but then came in without touching either side. Surprisingly, the name board here, and at Yarwell, has a black background whilst all the others before have a white one. New styling?
Wansford has three bridges. The first, the most splendid in appearance, dates from about 1600 and carried the Great North Road. It has a total of 12 arches but most were too camera shy.
By the early part of the 20C it was increasingly a bottleneck and a new bypass was built in 1928 with the bridge constructed in the new fashion of mass concrete. The names of the local highway authorities on each bank are indented into the structure.
That too became insufficient and another crossing opened in 1975 to carry a southbound carriageway, leaving the earlier bypass to provide for northbound vehicles.
Wansford Pumping Station tales water from the Nene and transports it to Rutland Water 12 miles north west for drinking supplies.
Stibbington Boatyard is a recent development where there was previously a boat builder P W Buckle. We could not see any sign of the boatyard and the rest of the development seemed to be in an uncertain state. However, other than a short reference to OwnerShips Google yielded little evidence. Anyone know more?
And so to Wansford Station where we planned to stop at least for lunch if not longer. If we could find a space, that is. Just before passing under the Nene Valley railway bridge we could see that the whole of the short pontoon was free. But then, as we were almost alongside we realised that a boat coming the other way was heading to the same pontoon. We both took it gingerly as the space is limited but the other boat, a vintage sea going vessel, was much shorter and we both fitted comfortably, albeit with no space to spare!
By now we had decided to stay here tonight as the next possible mooring, Ferry Meadows, is at least 2.5 hours away. It was certainly our fall back if we could not moor at Wansford Station and offers a lot more pontoon room.
There was no regular service on the Nene Valley today - yesterday would have felt very different! However, they were running a series of special Deltic No 55009 Alycidon Driving Experience sessions - 1 hour on the footplate at £450 per person (Only two allowed on any trip)
Late afternoon Mike walked up to the station and took a series of photos. Let them speak for themselves!
The main station building dates from 1885 but designed to reflect the style of the times when the line opened 150 years earlier. (The extension on the left came in 2011)



















































