Thursday, 17 May 2018

Onwards to Newark - 12 May

Well here I am five days behind due to lack of internet.  We are home on shore leave at present, so I will catch up over the next few days.

Saturday 12th May 2018
Fiskerton to Newark
7.25 miles, 1 lock

The usual start for Monty and I when we are travelling on rivers – a good walk.  We re-traced our steps from last night, but once we had crossed the roads and arrived at the footpaths we turned right across a field towards

to Fiskerton Mill

There is no mistaking which way you are supposed to go


The mill stream is still quite fast flowing

On through a kissing gate

Over a bridge

Through a wood

Along the edge of another field

And finally, across another field to the outskirts of the next village, Rollaston which 

Does have a church

before we turned around and re-traced our steps back to the boat ready for the off.  The walk was about 2 miles and, for the most part, utter bliss.  Just Monty and I with the birds singing in the trees and bees buzzing in the undergrowth.

En route the first thing of note today was this ‘Diverted Traffic’ sign at a very inappropriate place – not for us today!

Imagine waking up to the view they must have from upstairs.

Excuse our rather odd angle – we had to make an emergency stop (reverse) as this cruiser came out of Farndon Marina right across our bow.

Is this supposed to be two hands?  It was hard to say.  From a distance it looked like a rather odd unicorn.

Shortly before you arrive in Newark there is a very large completely unprotected weir – it stretches almost all the way along this photo

The flow is strong enough to pull these trees right to the edge

The first signs that Newark is near is the church

On past the causeway

and on to the lock which ended up being a 

very full lock full - our first this season.

Four years ago we moored right opposite the castle, but that space was occupied by the Newark Heritage Barge in place for the May Bank Holiday 5-7 May!

At that time the The Leicester Trader was in dry dock undergoing major refurbishment – it is good to see it finished and open to the public.  She was the last Trent size barge to be built and also the last to be towed up the Trent with a cargo in the old way in 1979.  Maybe one day she will be open when we are in town.


We managed to breast up a bit further along and we still had a view of the castle behind us.  

We then went off for a walk across the park and beyond to remind ourselves where Waitrose was for tomorrow morning. It was a glorious day and there were many signs of summer weddings (the registry office is in the Castle grounds).  Amongst many guests, some bearing gifts addressed ‘The newly weds’, we spotted one flower girl and 



a bride and groom.

As a WI member at home, this neat little building leapt out at me – it is nestled just below the castle.



No cooking for us tonight as we were invited aboard Cleddau for a veritable feast. 

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