Anglian waterways trip - questions!

[Mike Todd]

2 hours ago, GUMPY said:

It's at Holme Fen

 

https://www.greatfen.org.uk/about-great-fen/heritage/holme-fen-posts

Oh and it's not nine feet it's nearer 13ft of shrinkage.

Fascinating

[pearley]

On 27/07/2023 at 11:29, Scholar Gypsy said:

 

My understanding is that there is (or has been in the past) a concern about the impact if the guillotine at Salters doesn't lower when they press the button. On a spring tide that would cause flooding at Salters as the water level would be above the top of the inner gates. On a neap tide the water would be below the top of the inner gates. Hence on a spring tide they operate only on a falling tide which would give them 8 hours or so to fix the gate if there is a problem.  As you say there is an issue about going under any structure with reducing headroom...

That's what happened to us in early 2009 when they had refurbished the lock over the winter. 4 boats, first went into the lick and bottom gate wouldn't close. So we all had to wait until the tide made a level and went one after the other. Except we were Tailend Charlie and  the boat in front misjudged and got stuck against the tyre fenders. No fun trying to stay in the middle of the channel whilst the mud banks each side are getting bigger.

[nicknorman]

On 27/07/2023 at 09:03, GUMPY said:

You will miss the best bits then.

Don't forget the Relief Channel 😉

 

You might also have to change your crossing dates as silting has got worse due to low flows

 

Well it doesn’t look too bad to me. This is just now, must be fairly close to low tide.

 

[matty40s]

29 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well it doesn’t look too bad to me. This is just now, must be fairly close to low tide.

 

That looks like they have been flushing down to help clear the silt banks! Does that mean you are headed back??

[GUMPY]

46 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well it doesn’t look too bad to me. This is just now, must be fairly close to low tide.

 

Looks like they are running water out to deal with the rainfall which will help.

[nicknorman]

35 minutes ago, matty40s said:

That looks like they have been flushing down to help clear the silt banks! Does that mean you are headed back??

Yes, crossing to Salter’s Lode tomorrow morning. Peterborough on Wednesday just in time for lots of rain and strong stream on the Nene!

17 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Looks like they are running water out to deal with the rainfall which will help.

Yes there was quite an outflow. We stood above as the flood came in (well, not much of a flood really as we are midway between Neap and Spring), fascinating to watch the “one way doors” on the sluices slowly close as the level reversed. It hadn’t occurred to me that they were there, I had presumed that they raised and lowered the sluices according to the tide but that would be daft!

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Yes, crossing to Salter’s Lode tomorrow morning. Peterborough on Wednesday just in time for lots of rain and strong stream on the Nene!

Yes there was quite an outflow. We stood above as the flood came in (well, not much of a flood really as we are midway between Neap and Spring), fascinating to watch the “one way doors” on the sluices slowly close as the level reversed. It hadn’t occurred to me that they were there, I had presumed that they raised and lowered the sluices according to the tide but that would be daft!

The whole Denver complex and to be fair that whole drainage system is a wonderful piece of design and engineering, it fascinates me, about the only thing I miss having moved 300 miles away.

[nicknorman]

15 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

The whole Denver complex and to be fair that whole drainage system is a wonderful piece of design and engineering, it fascinates me, about the only thing I miss having moved 300 miles away.

I think the most amazing thing is that it dates back to the 17th century, 100 years or so before canal mania.

[GUMPY]

8 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I think the most amazing thing is that it dates back to the 17th century, 100 years or so before canal mania.

And the last bit to be built was designed then but only built a few years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut-off_Channel

 

[rusty69]

18 hours ago, GUMPY said:

The whole Denver complex and to be fair that whole drainage system is a wonderful piece of design and engineering, it fascinates me, about the only thing I miss having moved 300 miles away.

Here's a job that might interest you then. 

 

https://environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/xf-e3ec37c89145/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/1/opp/27131-Denver-Sluice-and-Lock-Officer-27131/en-GB?fbclid=IwAR0mbe_Ne293CMLA4kqFzzuwng9s38k5yAiD5HEplM-LfGDJVFG425zNs0w

[GUMPY]

14 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Here's a job that might interest you then. 

 

https://environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/xf-e3ec37c89145/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/1/opp/27131-Denver-Sluice-and-Lock-Officer-27131/en-GB?fbclid=IwAR0mbe_Ne293CMLA4kqFzzuwng9s38k5yAiD5HEplM-LfGDJVFG425zNs0w

If I was still of working age😱

[nbfiresprite]

Pump out in March, broken again until further notice, unable to get repair date from the council.

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 31/07/2023 at 17:58, nicknorman said:

Yes, crossing to Salter’s Lode tomorrow morning. Peterborough on Wednesday just in time for lots of rain and strong stream on the Nene!

Yes there was quite an outflow. We stood above as the flood came in (well, not much of a flood really as we are midway between Neap and Spring), fascinating to watch the “one way doors” on the sluices slowly close as the level reversed. It hadn’t occurred to me that they were there, I had presumed that they raised and lowered the sluices according to the tide but that would be daft!

 

The whole thing is basically a massive one way valve.  There is a similar arrangement at the other end of the relief channel near Kings Lynn; and at Boston Grand Sluice; and on a much smaller scale where Soham and Bottisham Lodes join the main channel. 

[CIEL]

On 27/07/2023 at 18:18, David Mack said:

Well done! That's closer to the footbridge than we managed in 2001.

We overnighted in Bedford after going up to Kempston, and next morning the river was full of swimmers. It was the day of the Bedford Triathlon.

Since 2001 the Bedford Milton Keynes waterway people persuaded the EA to dredge,  no I mean reprofile, the gravel bottom to make a channel for their trip boat!  I was briefly involved in doing some river bed surveys and measuring the width before they finalised the specs for "John Bunyan".

Chris

[enigmatic]

Big fan of the seals. Great addition

[oboat]

On 22/05/2023 at 16:24, Scholar Gypsy said:

So do I !  There are a lot of new and good books around, I would commend The Fens by Francis Pryor which explains the new archeological techniques, and Imperial Mud by James Boyce which makes an interesting analogy between the Fens in C17 and later, and English attitudes to colonialization. (ie the Fenlanders were uncivilized savages etc).  A lot of the "accepted wisdom" has been debunked in recent years. A community that could have built this in 1083 can't have been that poor... 

If one is into Historical Geography I would recommend the The Black Fens. A. K. Astbury. Gives some clues as to why so many buildings are falling over.
That said, my other book would be, Waterways and Canal Building in Medieval England. John Blair.
As to medieval enterprise, the area has been known as the UK Holy Land and the church was the developer of the day.