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The Lowest Pound


Alway Swilby

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The relief channel could be even lower. It's worth noting that the Old River Nene used to flow in the direction you are travelling, ie downhill towards Upwell.  The lock at Marmont shows how much the bottom section was lowered in 1850 or so when the main drain was built.

 

I do think Mullicourt muist be the lowest aqueduct on the system ...

PS the stretch to the south west of Lode End lock is lower than the main section when the lock is in use, but is not at a lower level below sea level if you see what I mean!

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2 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

Is the pound between Ashline Lock and Marmot Priory Lock on the Middle Level the lowest on the connected network? I find it strange that tomorrow we are going to lock UP onto a tidal river at Salters Lode.

 If you think that's odd wait until you try Hermitage Lock when the Gt Ouse is carrying several feet of fresh. The highest spot on Midnight is the tiller pin top it was just 5mm from the underside of the road bridge above . When we entered Salter's Lode from the tidal I expected to go up instead of down. Weird but well worth it. The Nene, Fens and Gt Ouse are just brilliant.

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This is a fine map of the system as it was in about 1080.  Source: Anglo Saxon Hydraulic Engineering by Chisholm.  You can see the original Nene that (obviously) went round March (to the North) not through it in a cutting (as the Old Nene does...).

 

Chisholm_plate11.jpg.5a74931e01eb20b3e8450a81a5778161.jpg

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16 hours ago, PaulJ said:

@Alway SwilbyI will wave to you as we pass 😀

I will be on a slightly crusty looking Annie heading for Salters tomorrow (unless Ive had the chance to wash it by then)

 

Expertly executed turn into Salter's Lode Lock this morning. Nice to bump into you again.

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31 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

Expertly executed turn into Salter's Lode Lock this morning. Nice to bump into you again.

Thank you 🙂I thought Paul may have jinxed me when I spoke to him yesterday as he was saying about coming in without touching the sides again 😀

Nice to see you both again too-hope suns come back out that end again...

Enjoy the Ouse 👍

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18 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

This is a fine map of the system as it was in about 1080.  Source: Anglo Saxon Hydraulic Engineering by Chisholm.  You can see the original Nene that (obviously) went round March (to the North) not through it in a cutting (as the Old Nene does...).

 

Chisholm_plate11.jpg.5a74931e01eb20b3e8450a81a5778161.jpg

Now that would be quite a restoration project!

 

Do we know to what extent these were navigated? Given the low lying land I guess quite a lot 

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21 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

Is the pound between Ashline Lock and Marmot Priory Lock on the Middle Level the lowest on the connected network? I find it strange that tomorrow we are going to lock UP onto a tidal river at Salters Lode.

If you're continuing onto the Great Ouse via Ely, you'll probably end up locking UP onto a tidal river at Hermitage Lock too after many miles of river that's below high tide levels

 

Think Ashline/Marmont must be lower than the Old West River and downstream Great Ouse though

 

 

21 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Do we know to what extent these were navigated? Given the low lying land I guess quite a lot 

Surrounding land was marshy and the saturated parts of the fens resource-rich so they would have been the main transport routes of the immediate area. When William the Conqueror tried to get his army to Ely on foot, his causeway sank...

 

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5 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

 

The weather is improving in Ely, though the moorings are pretty full. (Queen Adelaide EA moorings are still out of use).DSC_6959.JPG.d5be1ec5c3c7e0baaa7c29b464f76f53.JPG

I was only in Ely long enough to get some food-moorings were full and I rafted up to Brutus Maximus (I think)  opposite the marina.

Shopping done went and spent a peaceful night at the Picnic site mooring (or whatever its called)

Weather reverted to normal as went through Denver, grey, wet & cold..😀

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15 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

Now that would be quite a restoration project!

 

Do we know to what extent these were navigated? Given the low lying land I guess quite a lot 

 

I'd need to look at the book again but yes they were used for navigation. It is thought the stone for Ely Cathedral came by stone from the Crowland area, and the river was moved nearer to the site to permit that, to its current route.   Some of these waterways are part of the scheme to connect Boston to Peterborugh by non-tidal waterways, as part of sorting out drinking water supply in Cambridgeshire.  Chris Howes did a rather good talk about this a year or two ago. 
 

 

10 hours ago, PaulJ said:

I was only in Ely long enough to get some food-moorings were full and I rafted up to Brutus Maximus (I think)  opposite the marina.

Shopping done went and spent a peaceful night at the Picnic site mooring (or whatever its called)

Weather reverted to normal as went through Denver, grey, wet & cold..😀


You may mean Little Thetford, just south of Ely?

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2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:


You may mean Little Thetford, just south of Ely?

Nope- one by the A10 layby/Ship.

Nice to see the 2 new wild moorings between March and Whittlesey on the ML-first time Ive seen them as havent been through since last October.

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