On To Gunthorpe - Thursday 2nd June

This morning we motored down to the Marina entrance and winded returning to breast up with Autumn Years to fill with water as the taps are only at the one end of the pontoon. Setting off again we reached Town Lock just as the Lockie was coming on duty and went up with a third boat. Above the lock is this enormous dry dock which I believe was built in the old lock.

A little way passed Newark Marina is this redundant Basket Factory where Queen Victoria would have all her basketware products made. The willow trees which supplied the factory are being regenerated further up river as a visitor area.

The river now changes character and becomes softer and more interesting.

It is quite a shock therefore when you reach the very long Averham Weir with Staythorpe Power Station in the background.

Farndon Marina has a very imposing entrance and some lovely boats moored inside. Around the corner is the well recommended Riverside Pub and Kitchen.

Entering Fiskerton you first see this lovely ultra modern house followed by the original village houses some with their own mooring. There are visitor mooring for the pub and next to that the old boat building sheds have been converted into another modern looking residence but still retaining the gantry

The river once again changes character with the Trent Hills on the one side and lakes on the other. We seemed to be collecting boats as we go along, we started as two and ended up as five narrow boats going towards Gunthorpe.

At last we reached the lock and another cruiser joined us so the Lockie managed to squeeze 5 narrowboats and a cruiser into the lock and all went up safely.

The other boats decided to moor up just above the lock and we carried on to the pontoon mooring where we found just enough space to moor up either side of the pontoon. One of the other narrowboats had a dog on board and came up to see if he could join us on the pontoon as it is difficult to get a dog off there. We moved a few boats to fill the gaps and he was able to squeeze in on the end.

Later we went to Tom Browns Restaurant with four friends of Graham and Carolann’s for a meal.