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Guidance for visitors to the Fenland Waterways


Scholar Gypsy

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14 minutes ago, jetzi said:

So based on what was said above about the un-navigability of forty foot above Horseway lock, and of the Old Bedford being unnavigable for full size craft, and the New Bedford being hazardous due to shallowness, does this map (modified from IWA peterborough) reflect an up to date picture of MLN navigability?

 

middle-level-map1.thumb.jpg.0a8aa879309ca78f63842e5b411fb6af.jpg

More or less. Notes E and I denote low bridges that very few NBs can get under. The bridge at R was raised about 15 years ago and is at a more normal height. The MLC map is the definitive source.

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16 hours ago, jetzi said:

And then Welches closed shortly thereafter? It seems a bit of a pity that the MLN commissioners only see the need for one way through, it would be nice for visitors to be able to go there and back a different route, not to mention the redundancy preventing people being stranded one side or tother.

 

 

 

 

That's probably because the MLC is not primarily a navigation authority: it's a water management body which allows boats on its waters.

Now that the MLC has started to charge licence and transit fees (as from last year in theory, though corona virus may have delayed the process) perhaps that emphasis will change.

 

It is also worth noting that the only public sanny station on the Middle Level is by March town bridge. Decent (and legal) moorings are also rather sparse: there are public staithes in March (good for shopping), at Upwell church and at Outwell Basin where the Wisbech canal formerly joined Well Creek. There is a staithe at Nordelph but it was looking pretty knackered last time I saw it.

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I seem to remember it was EA that closed Welches as they didn't want to repair the lock onto the OBR.

 

ETA Welches dam lock is EA not MLC so MLC have no say over it.

The Sani Station at March is council owned not MLA as far as I know.

MLA are putting in new moorings but seem to want to put them the "wrong" side of low bridges ?

Edited by Loddon
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5 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

E and I denote low bridges that very few NBs can get under.

I measure my boat's air draught as 5' 9". According to the headroom map on the maps page of the MLN site, Exhibition Bridge 80 (E on the above map) has only 5' of headroom.

 

Given that Bevill's Leam is blocked by the pumping station, that effectively cuts off Yaxley for most craft, right?

 

And Ramsey, Great Raveley Drain and Monk's Lode are accessible but will require reversing in one direction.

 

There's a sluice on Great Raveley Drain that is well before the indicated head of navigation, but I can't find any evidence that it's passable - @Scholar Gypsy you said in this post that you got up to the sluice but the signs (not legible in the photo) discouraged you from passing it.

 

The MLN is starting to look a bit less extensive than first glance!

 

5 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

The MLC map is the definitive source.

Unless I'm looking in the wrong place, the navigation map (2013) on their website doesn't really seem definitive. This shows forty foot drain and new bedford river (though they are outside ML so I suppose that could be overlooked). But it also shows Old Popham Eau as navigable to Nordelph, which is at odds with every other map I've seen.

Edited by jetzi
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47 minutes ago, jetzi said:

I measure my boat's air draught as 5' 9". According to the headroom map on the maps page of the MLN site, Exhibition Bridge 80 (E on the above map) has only 5' of headroom.

 

Given that Bevill's Leam is blocked by the pumping station, that effectively cuts off Yaxley for most craft, right?

 

And Ramsey, Great Raveley Drain and Monk's Lode are accessible but will require reversing in one direction.

 

There's a sluice on Great Raveley Drain that is well before the indicated head of navigation, but I can't find any evidence that it's passable - @Scholar Gypsy you said in this post that you got up to the sluice but the signs (not legible in the photo) discouraged you from passing it.

 

The MLN is starting to look a bit less extensive than first glance!

 

Unless I'm looking in the wrong place, the navigation map (2013) on their website doesn't really seem definitive. This shows forty foot drain and new bedford river (though they are outside ML so I suppose that could be overlooked). But it also shows Old Popham Eau as navigable to Nordelph, which is at odds with every other map I've seen.

 

I actually had in mind the bridge map. I think the eastern part of  Popham's Eau is navigable, it just doesn't connect to Well Creek at Nordelph as the levels are obviously now different, and there is no lock there. 

 

I wouldn't go under the control sluice at Great Raveley drain, it is clearly marked as the end of navigation and the sluice gates can move without warning, in theory!   The waters to the south of it are shown as non navigable on the map.

 

How long is your boat?

 

Please remember that this part of the system is a drainage system first, with optional navigation. Also that it was not designed for anything like a modern narrowboat - in length and air draft.  That is part of its charm I think. 

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Oh interesting that the eastern part of Popham's Eau might be navigable, many maps are missing this section.

 

My boat is 65'. Yes I agree part of the appeal is that it's not primarily meant for navigation, my comments are not meant to "blame" MLN/MLC or EA, it just seems a pity that there are a number of "almost but not quite" cruising rings!

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Just now, Loddon said:

The MLC have put one of their new moorings the wrong side of Exhibition Bridge, don't know who will ever use it?

People in canoes, it will also prove more moorings are not needed, bit like the lock at Brandon, why make it longer there is no record of longer boats going above it

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14 hours ago, Loddon said:

 

 

ETA Welches dam lock is EA not MLC so MLC have no say over it.

 

You're probably right, thanks for pointing that out.

14 hours ago, Loddon said:

 

The Sani Station at March is council owned not MLA as far as I know.

 

You could be right, but it's a public facility nonetheless.

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On 16/06/2021 at 16:28, Athy said:

There is a staithe at Nordelph but it was looking pretty knackered last time I saw it.

We moored for lunch there a few years ago. A boat passed quite fast and pulled us and the plank with the mooring rings straight off the structure. Only held on with 6 inch nails.

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5 minutes ago, pearley said:

We moored for lunch there a few years ago. A boat passed quite fast and pulled us and the plank with the mooring rings straight off the structure. Only held on with 6 inch nails.

Urgent Well Creek Trust directive: "Send more nails".

(Some moorings are installed and maintained by the MLC, others by the Well Creek Trust, I suspect that the Nordelph one was put in by the latter).

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On 16/06/2021 at 22:12, Loddon said:

The MLC have put one of their new moorings the wrong side of Exhibition Bridge, don't know who will ever use it?

A very narrowboat minded view! Narrowboats accounts for less than half of the boats based on the Middle Level. The site of the moorings at Yaxley was slected and put forward by members of the March Crusing Club.

Edited by nbfiresprite
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On 16/06/2021 at 16:51, Loddon said:

The Sani Station at March is council owned not MLA as far as I know.

 

It is owned by Fenland hall, but it will not be there for much longer. The council are to remove it along with the tolet block as part of the town square inprovements. Seems it's costing to much in repairs, as someone keeps emptying their compost loo in there and blocking it.

 

862229329_Marchriverside.jpg.c40ae82dbf63cd92e8de5b9c20433f88.jpg

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As with all the new moorings, the sites have been put forward by boaters.

 

New Moorings built

 

Yaxley

Monks Lode

Ramsey Forty Foot

Boots Bridge 16th Foot River (Skylark moorings) Short walk to the Skylark Farm Shop and Garden Centre also on 56 bus route

 

Pending New Moorings

 

Kings Delph Layby (Kings Dyke)

Whittlessey Dyke/ Bevill Leam Junction

Golden Lion Pub Stona (16th Foot River)

 

The moorings at Salter Lode were rebuilt over the winter, New moorings at Ramsey are proving to be a problem with the local council who don't want them

next to the lane (Tesco side) the otherside has access problems.

 

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On 16/06/2021 at 16:28, Athy said:

. There is a staithe at Nordelph but it was looking pretty knackered last time I saw it.

It was knacked 20 years ago when I arrived. Than it had a very odd garage over the bridge where only the owner could understand the reading was on the pumps. Like the mooring at Cutty Ducks 3/4 mile toward Upwell. No repairs have been done for years

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1 hour ago, nbfiresprite said:

A very narrowboat minded view! Narrowboats accounts for less than half of the boats based on the Middle Level. The site of the moorings at Yaxley was slected and put forward by members of the March Crusing Club.

I wasn't looking at it from a NB centric point of view. No cruiser I have ever owned, and there have been a few, would get under that bridge except possibly my Norman 20 after removing the screen. I actually got confused by bridge names, I meant the one on the way to Yaxley which I believe is 5'1" about all you would get under there is a day boat/rowing boat/ canoe.

 

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1 hour ago, Loddon said:

I wasn't looking at it from a NB centric point of view. No cruiser I have ever owned, and there have been a few, would get under that bridge except possibly my Norman 20 after removing the screen. I actually got confused by bridge names, I meant the one on the way to Yaxley which I believe is 5'1" about all you would get under there is a day boat/rowing boat/ canoe.

 

Is that the one I posted the photo of?

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  • 7 months later...
On 17/06/2021 at 07:15, ditchcrawler said:

People in canoes, it will also prove more moorings are not needed, bit like the lock at Brandon, why make it longer there is no record of longer boats going above it

image.jpeg.35c5c819b6337c1dc68211b471ac1a31.jpeg

The local eel catcher in the distance complete with his crew of three terriers.
https://braggaboutlife.wordpress.com/2018/02/05/forty-foot-sixteen-foot-drain-new-pophams-eau-to-march/

 


 

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 04/03/2021 at 09:20, Scholar Gypsy said:

 

I'd agree with others' comments, really. It's a perfectly pleasant stretch but nothing special. 6 visitor moorings at the end, I have never failed to get one. The annoying feature is that the GOBA mooring at Waterbeach is 200m the wrong side of the EA/Camcon boundary, and there is nowhere else obvious to moor there on EA water (and catch the bus). So train from Ely or guided bus from St Ives. 

 

More interesting trips can be had 

  • during the Bumping races (the May races, held in June), when it is possible to get through between races (which happen every 45 minutes) 
  • during the winter when you can go further upstream and explore the Backs. I do this quite regularly and always happy to take day-trippers...

    dsc_4477.jpg

dsc_4495.jpg

 

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Further to your comments about doing the Backs and taking visitors.

The piece in Waterways World this month that refers to one of these trips has a fundamental error.

Which way does the Cam flow?  Does "Down River" have the same or opposite meaning to "Down Stream".

I think the author has got confused as to which way the Cam flows and meant to say that you met up below (he wrote above) Jesus Lock and the head of navigation is just upstream (he said just down river) from Silver Street bridge where you had to turn. 

As far as I am concerned the Cam flows down from the pool above Silver Street bridge and continues down through the backs and to Jesus Lock which lets down to the visitor moorings below.  It then flows on towards Ely.

Chris - whose home mooring is on the Great Ouse just upstream from Eaton Socon lock.

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