Public moorings whittlesea

[David Mack]

Even if you could go via Horseway Lock you would still have to cross the tidal Great Ouse between the Old Bedford River entrance, which is close to Salters Lode, and Denver Sluice.

[Martin44]

21 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Even if you could go via Horseway Lock you would still have to cross the tidal Great Ouse between the Old Bedford River entrance, which is close to Salters Lode, and Denver Sluice.

Might be mistaken, but isn't there a plan to restore the navigation from horseway lock towards Earith via Old Bedford River? 

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 hour ago, Martin44 said:

Might be mistaken, but isn't there a plan to restore the navigation from horseway lock towards Earith via Old Bedford River? 

Correct, Chris Howes did a talk about this recently. See the maps at about 5:00 in this video

 

 

16 hours ago, Martin44 said:

Are there any new developments on opening the Horseway lock? It could be very relevant in the future as according to the link below, the crossing between Denver and Salter's lode might be getting quite tricky.

https://teamup.com/ks7f3fcbc3e94ed8f0/events/579619671

It already is. I went to a meeting with a consultant working for EA a year or two ago, who concluded that Rennie had built the lock in the wrong place, ie it should be where the big Eye is. Not sure what can be done about it...  

[MoominPapa]

22 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

It already is. I went to a meeting with a consultant working for EA a year or two ago, who concluded that Rennie had built the lock in the wrong place, ie it should be where the big Eye is. Not sure what can be done about it...  

As the big Eye is not in use, I suppose you could remove it and build a new lock there. Given the vandalism done to Rennie's lock over the years by the purveyors of steel beams, there's not much to lose historically. In fact if a new lock was built, the current one could be restored to a non-functional exhibit as it was originally built, with the guilotine frames and access walkways removed.

 

MP.

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

11 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

As the big Eye is not in use, I suppose you could remove it and build a new lock there. Given the vandalism done to Rennie's lock over the years by the purveyors of steel beams, there's not much to lose historically. In fact if a new lock was built, the current one could be restored to a non-functional exhibit as it was originally built, with the guilotine frames and access walkways removed.

 

MP.

 

A couple of 1983 photographs showing the gates facing both ways ....

 

 

 

[Tacet]

1 hour ago, Martin44 said:

Might be mistaken, but isn't there a plan to restore the navigation from horseway lock towards Earith via Old Bedford River? 

On my visit-before-last, Well Creek was not navigable and our route across the Middle Level included Horseway and Welches Dam locks, the Old Bedford River and onto the Greater Ouse via the sluice adjacent to the Salters Lode Lock.

 

I struggle to keep up with all the changes

[Martin44]

49 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Correct, Chris Howes did a talk about this recently. See the maps at about 5:00 in this video

Thanks for that. Very informative!

 

I remember, last time I was crossing from Salter's to Denver, I was keeping well to the left of the sand bank, but still had to power through as the baseplate hit its edges. Perhaps, it was on low tide though.

[Athy]

26 minutes ago, Tacet said:

On my visit-before-last, Well Creek was not navigable and our route across the Middle Level included Horseway and Welches Dam locks, the Old Bedford River and onto the Greater Ouse via the sluice adjacent to the Salters Lode Lock.

 

I struggle to keep up with all the changes

This must have been some time ago: we have lived beside Well Creek for 13 years and it's been navigable throughout that time - though they did carry out extensive dredging three or four years back, so perhaps it was temporarily closed then.

[Scholar Gypsy]

29 minutes ago, Martin44 said:

Thanks for that. Very informative!

 

I remember, last time I was crossing from Salter's to Denver, I was keeping well to the left of the sand bank, but still had to power through as the baseplate hit its edges. Perhaps, it was on low tide though.

It seems to change quite a bit from month to month. Part of the problem is that for much of the year there isn't enough fresh water to spare to blast through Denver sluice. It's all going to Essex to be drunk. I have seen one boat have a similar approach to what you describe, suddenly slowing down. I did think they were going to stop for a few hours ....

[Ouse on Board?]

On 26/06/2020 at 10:20, Athy said:

Depending on where you're starting from, there are public moorings at Nordelph, Outwell Basin, Upwell (staithe by the church, landing stage half a mile further along on the right) and March - this one is within easy reach of all shops and also of the Middle Level's only public sanny station. 

We passed through march last week and noticed that the public moorings were all full. Even though they are 48 hour max (i think) there were some boats that looked like they had been there just a little longer. Passing back through on Monday so will be interesting to see if they are the same boats still

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, Ouse on Board? said:

We passed through march last week and noticed that the public moorings were all full. Even though they are 48 hour max (i think) there were some boats that looked like they had been there just a little longer. Passing back through on Monday so will be interesting to see if they are the same boats still

Our member Firesprite, who moors in Fox's Marina in March and thus knows the area well, would be able to tell you about the public moorings in the town.

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, Ouse on Board? said:

We passed through march last week and noticed that the public moorings were all full. Even though they are 48 hour max (i think) there were some boats that looked like they had been there just a little longer. Passing back through on Monday so will be interesting to see if they are the same boats still

Thay will be, There was a posting on Facebook inviting boaters to come down as they could moor in town as long as they liked because no one policed it

[Martin44]

There are http://middlelevelwatermensclub.com/ moorings in March, which need to be booked in advance, but it is an alternative.

[MoominPapa]

On 26/06/2020 at 09:46, MartinV said:

Hello

 

Does anyone know if there is still a public mooring available in Wittlesea on the Middle Level Navigation? Alternatively does anyone know of a mooring before Standground lock - only 24 hours required.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Martin

If you're just looking for an overnight mooring on the way to Stanground so you can set off and do the last hour and arrive there on time (and woe betide you if you're late, or early!) then go through whittlesea in the direction of Stanground, pass under the railway, then look for the huge empty clay pits to the right. You can moor there, either on the road (left) side if you want access, or on the claypit (right) side for isolation. Depending on when the last vegetation cut was done, it might be a bit of an adventure to get off and get pins in, and you may need a plank if you're deep. Somewhere around here is where we normally go. https://goo.gl/maps/u6cTKi1RLJ12NdLWA Just try not to think about what would happen if the waterway breaches into the enormous hole next to it.

 

MP

[Scholar Gypsy]

27 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

If you're just looking for an overnight mooring on the way to Stanground so you can set off and do the last hour and arrive there on time (and woe betide you if you're late, or early!) then go through whittlesea in the direction of Stanground, pass under the railway, then look for the huge empty clay pits to the right. You can moor there, either on the road (left) side if you want access, or on the claypit (right) side for isolation. Depending on when the last vegetation cut was done, it might be a bit of an adventure to get off and get pins in, and you may need a plank if you're deep. Somewhere around here is where we normally go. https://goo.gl/maps/u6cTKi1RLJ12NdLWA Just try not to think about what would happen if the waterway breaches into the enormous hole next to it.

 

MP

I hadn't realised Kings Dyke was quite so close to Must Farm, which looks worth a visit ... 

[MoominPapa]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I hadn't realised Kings Dyke was quite so close to Must Farm, which looks worth a visit ... 

Can the public visit it?

 

MP.

[MoominPapa]

5 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

A couple of 1983 photographs showing the gates facing both ways ....

 

 

 

That looked so much better. I didn't realise it was changed so late.

 

MP

[Movin' on]

There used to be a really good Chinese within walking distance ....................

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 hour ago, MoominPapa said:

That looked so much better. I didn't realise it was changed so late.

 

MP

I'm offended. I think I have aged quite well in the following 37 years......

1 hour ago, MoominPapa said:

Can the public visit it?

 

MP.

I think probably not open. Website looks interesting.  http://www.mustfarm.com/bronze-age-river/ 

I watched an interesting IWA webinar recently about archaeology and canal restoration, the key point that with a bit of training and care volunteer canal restorers can recover a lot of useful archaeological information. 

[Keeping Up]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I think I have aged quite well in the following 37 years......

I watched an interesting IWA webinar recently about archaeology and canal restoration, the key point that with a bit of training and care volunteer canal restorers can recover a lot. 

Question and answer in the same post ...

[MoominPapa]

2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I'm offended. I think I have aged quite well in the following 37 years......

You have indeed, but the lock has apparently suffered a couple of episodes of dodgy cosmetic surgery

 

The fen waterways must have been very different before the Middle Level locks were lengthened; I came onto the scene after that.

 

MP.

 

 

[MartinV]

Thank you all for the great information and many apologies at my delay in replying. We've just moved onto this boat and so have been manically busy, working late into the night then falling asleep exhausted, trying to get ready to cruise for today which has all come to nothing because the winds are too high.

 

We're near March at the moment and will then be heading west so really unfortunately we won't be able to look for your Terrapin at Upwell which is a pity!

 

For info for anyone else we've been informed that the Standground Lock is being opened mornings only at the moment.

[Athy]

12 minutes ago, MartinV said:

 

 

We're near March at the moment and will then be heading west so really unfortunately we won't be able to look for your Terrapin at Upwell which is a pity!

 

For info for anyone else we've been informed that the Standground Lock is being opened mornings only at the moment.

Is your boat green? If so, we saw you go past about 20 minutes ago.

[MartinV]

Just now, Athy said:

Is your boat green? If so, we saw you go past about 20 minutes ago.

Nope - not us. The wind is slowly calming down but we've now changed our plans to move on later next week instead. 

[Ouse on Board?]

2 hours ago, MartinV said:

Nope - not us. The wind is slowly calming down but we've now changed our plans to move on later next week instead. 

We are heading from Fox's east tomorrow so we may well pass by you tomorrow morning.