We awoke to another sizzling day, even hotter than last week and definitely more than the past few days. Initially we pushed back the short distance to the service point for a full service.
As we left the moorings at Ely we could see on the opposite bank this 'project' boat under the shade of a small dock. It looks as if it will be there for some time yet!
The next section of the Great Ouse is, as we found on the way up, very good for training rowers. There were more solo boaters out this time and the largest was a coxed four with its coach alongside. Apart from one coxless four that seemed bot to be taking any lookout, all the others were careful not to turn suddenly in front of us.
Our aim today was to get to Prickwillow, a couple of miles up the River Lark where, later in the afternoon we will meet up with Adrian and Joanna after their bike ride and Jess will return with them for her last week of the present school term (Alice has already broken up)
The part of the river we navigated to day is wider than we expected and the flood banks are not oppressive.
As we approached Prickwillow Bridge we could see what had been reported to us that the main moorings are closed - but there is no explanation. At least the water point is till accessible. As we saw later on, this closure did not stop the space being used by plenty of Sunday afternoon picnic groups. So we turned the corner under the bridge and hesitatingly made our way to the other EQ mooring but could see from a distance that it was fully occupied by two cruisers and a narrowboat. As the signs say that boats must be prepared to double up at busy times we nervously approached the narrowboat.
However, we were highly delighted when they offered to move out of our way to allow us to tie to the mooring since they were planning to leave before long. Very pleasant people and we had quite good chat about out various experiences on this river as well as the Nene and Middle Level.
After we had completed the mooring we closed up the boat and headed towards the Drainage Pumping Engine Museum, one of our reasons for stopping here. As we crossed over the river by the 20C bridge we waved farewell to nb Knot On Call (guess what - he is a retired surgeon!).
At the museum our priority was the mall cafe where we had drinks and snacks before finding our a bit more of the history of Fen drainage.
The original purpose of this site was to pump water from a major drain into the Lark which is noticeably higher. At this time of the year the drains are usually more a provider of irrigation and so nothing was being pumped.
The pumps here have followed the progress of technology. Alas, when it was converted to diesel power in the earlier part of the 20C, all of the previous equipment was destroyed. But some of the engines, from here and similar stations nearby, are early examples and really massive. The flywheel on this one is itself 6 tons in weight.
Keeping the engines properly lubricated needed constant watchful work by the person in charge - this one experimented with an array of sight glasses to give a clearer report.
A few days each year - alas not today - some of the engines are set running - this is one of them and it must be a really impressive experience.
Also, the gallery running around and above the engines has a line that shows the level of normal high tide at Kings Lynn, demonstrating the extent of how the draining of the Fens has caused the ground levels to fall.
Today the water is pumped by electric pumps in a much smaller building alongside the older one.
Time then to return to the boat for lunch. shortly after another boat arrived for an afternoon picnic at the mooring - there was no easy place for them to land so we helped them offload their food, drink an equipment via our stern - after the favour done for us earlier it was the least we could do.
One of the items they had brought was a ladder to that they could more easily go swimming in the river. Alice was quickly tempted to join them.
Hr thumbs up indicated that she really appreciated the chance to refresh herself!
Mid afternoon, Mike and Jess went to explore the village - Mike had been looking at the old maps and wanted to see how they matched with what is here today. In 1826 an earlier failed project to straighten the Great Ouse between Ely and Littleport was recommenced and, this time, completed. It took over 400 workers to dig it out by hand.
It seems that the hamlet of Prickwillow really only developed at that time, we think because of the growth in the number of workers needed to maintain the pumping engines. As a result there are no really old buildings. However, by the time of the first OS map available online dating from the 1880, there was a parish church, a Primitive Methodist and a Baptist chapel, a Post Office, a smithy, a letter box, two pubs and a school.
We found almost all of these but few still retain their original function. The Post Office is now a dwelling although the letter box and the shop-like windows are a bit of a giveaway.
The parish church closed in 2012 and the village has returned to being part of a parish in Ely. It was surprising just how quickly nature is reclaiming the space now that there is no-one to look after the churchyard.
The Methodist Chapel has been converted to a large home (as has also the school)
However, the Baptist Church is the only one of the three still being used for worship - every Sunday it appears from a poster on the village noticeboard.
At the far end, even the letter box is still in position! (Well, it is probably a later replacement . . .)
However there was no sign of the pubs nor of the smithy that was on some of the old maps. There are no shops of any type that e could see, but there has been a lot of infill of late 20C homes - at the far end several are under construction and a planning application on a telephone post showed that more are on their way. The village is a classic ribbon development and so almost all of the houses are close to what is now a fairly busy road.
This may look like a classic red telephone box and at first we thought that the hands were showing the way to an art studio. However, there was an promotional flyer on the noticeboard and we learnt that the box itself is the studio!
Late afternoon and Adrian and Joanna arrived and were ready for shower and the meal that we had (slowly) prepared during the afternoon, interrupted by various rest breaks to cool down!
5.7 Miles - 0 Locks
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