Boston

Today's Navigation - River Witham

A really warm day, despite quite a stiff breeze at times. Although there was some hazy cloud around, this was one of the pleasantest days yet, certainly on this trip.

Before we left our overnight mooring, Mike walked up to the small village church as we had expected that it would be opened. However, when he arrived he found it locked but a man who was starting his day's work on the new composting toilet that the church is adding said that he too need to gain access and that he also knew the man across the road who has the key! A few minutes later Mike saw both men returning and the key custodian kindly opened up long enough for Mike to take a look around inside.

Yesterday's photos showed the exterior so today we will show inside. A small number of years ago new stained glass was added above the entrance door to commemorate the lives of several local men who died in war. The church looks well used, although with a small village population, perhaps half what it was a century ago, the congregations are modest. However, it certainly did not feel like a museum or that it is going to give up anytime soon!

We set off and continued down the river. The high banks on either side mean that there are few distance views other than straight ahead. Sometimes the only photographic interest is in the kilometre posts!

With the occasional sculpture . .

 . . . drainage channel . . .

. . . and former station building now happily finding use as a house.

We have never seen anything called a fish shelter before - but as it was alongside a series of anglers' platforms, we are not sure just how much shelter the fish actually find!

At Dogdyke a larger boat was reversing out. Although it followed us a short time, it must have pulled in as it did not appear around one of the bends a little downstream!

That seems a bit steep to moor, especially as the water point and rubbish bins advertised in Nicholsons were not to be see,. Think we'll give that one a miss. Just how many fees do they ever collect, we wondered?

Chapel Hill is the junction with Kyme Eau, or the River Slea, or the Sleaford Navigation (take your pick!). It is possible to navigate some distance up here but the winding point may be a bit iffy.

We were now at the part of the river where it is a series of very long, straight sections.

 Just a few larger farm houses stick up above the height of the bank.

We pulled in at Langrick Bridge Moorings for lunch and a chance to enjoy the peace and warmth. (There is a main road crossing the river on the nearby bridge but we were not troubled by noise from it. It is narrow with traffic lights controlling one-way operation, so the vehicles cannot go at speed close to the river)

Mike then walked across to the filling station and local shop - he was pleasantly surprised to find that there was just one copy of pour newspaper left.

On again, with another couple of long, straight reaches. On the only significant bend at Anton's Gowt is the entrance to the navigable drains.

A little closer to Boston is the Pendulum Lookout. The towpath was popular with walkers and cyclists but we did not see anyone trying out the lookout.

We were almost at our destination before we had our first glimpse of Boston Stump, but once in sight it dominates the final straight into the town.

The former railway was once more following the river (it had diverted away for a time near Dogdyke). Hopefully, the train drivers did niot have to cope with so many signals all at one!

We found room on the Visitor Moorings, although there were more boats here than at any of the previous moorings. Several were gathering for an early start tomorrow as they set out into the Wash to enter the River Welland and so up to Spalding.

Christine opted to walk into the town, leaving Mike to the luxury of just sitting and reading!

19.9 Miles - 0 Locks