Great Ouse to Nene vis Middle Level

[Traveller]

Could some kind sole advise me what the restrictions are when navigating through the Middle Level - air draft, length, draft etc?

 

Many thanks

[by'eck]

My 60 foot nb with 33" draught got through both ways recently, although length is less of an issue. As you have to book anyway ask Tina at Stanground lock to flush a little extra water through in advance if you are close to my draught.

 

On return from Ely because I booked a little late with Tina, was touching bottom on approach to Whittlesea lock. The stretch between there and Floods Ferry is definately the shallowest.

 

ETA: The Imray Fenland Waterways guide gives lots of useful info as well as charts.

Edited July 23, 2015 by by'eck

[David Mack]

Full length narrowboats can get through, but you have to time the passage through Salters Lode for when the tide makes a level, as the lock is only 60-something feet long. The upstream end of Stanground Sluice is shallow, so deep drafted boats may have to go down backwards (so the stern is in the deeper part of the lock chamber). If this happens you may need to reverse a mile to the first point where you can wind (I have that particular teeshirt).

[Traveller]

Thanks for that. What about air draft - would a 6ft 6 limitation seem reasonable or is more possible?

[by'eck]

Lowest air draught is with bridges in Upwell/Outwell area, 2.1 metres I seem to remember so 6.5 feet should be ok.

 

ETA: The situation at Salters Lode lock is illustrated below with pic taken earlier this year during maintenance. The outer set of gates allow reverse lock operation, and providing you are dropping onto the tidal Ouse on a rising tide, can accomodate boats over 60 feet. Paul the resident lock keeper will tutor you through.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2015 by by'eck

[Scholar Gypsy]

See here. Note the Bridge heights are relative to the nominal water level - can be higher, can be lower.

 

http://www.middlelevel.gov.uk/docs/Navigation/NavBridges2013.pdf

 

extracted from here: http://www.middlelevel.gov.uk/docs/Navigation/NavNotes15-web.pdf

 

You could always go via the Wash, of course ....

[Traveller]

Thanks all.

[Scholar Gypsy]

See here. Note the Bridge heights are relative to the nominal water level - can be higher, can be lower.

 

http://www.middlelevel.gov.uk/docs/Navigation/NavBridges2013.pdf

 

extracted from here: http://www.middlelevel.gov.uk/docs/Navigation/NavNotes15-web.pdf

 

You could always go via the Wash, of course ....

 

Here we are going under Br 35 (nominally 1.96m), the lowest point on the main transit route. As you can see there was still quite a bit of stuff that could have come off the roof if necessary. I got under a bridge near Ramsey that is nominally 7 cm lower, with the plants just brushing the bridge.

 

Edited July 23, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[Athy]

That's Church Bridge in Upwell, less than a mile from our house, I know it well. Two things to note: it's lower at one end than at the other (church end is lower I think), and the Five Bells pub/restaurant which you can see in the photo is currently closed, as it has been taken over and the new owner is having it refurbished. The Globe a little further towards Marmont Priory lock is open and has a (one-boat) landing stage.

[Scholar Gypsy]

That's Church Bridge in Upwell, less than a mile from our house, I know it well. Two things to note: it's lower at one end than at the other (church end is lower I think), and the Five Bells pub/restaurant which you can see in the photo is currently closed, as it has been taken over and the new owner is having it refurbished. The Globe a little further towards Marmont Priory lock is open and has a (one-boat) landing stage.

 

Thanks - good to know, I will be travelling along there in a couple of weeks!

[Cheshire cat]

We travelled through Salters Lode on Thursday morning. Our experience left me puzzled. We called the lock keeper and were advised we could do 8 o'clock Thursday morning or nine o'clock Friday morning. I was hoping for mid afternoon Thursday!

 

According to our guide the lock is passable at any time.

 

At 8 o'clock we rose up in the lock until the point where our Alde chimney only just cleared the iron girder on the outer gate.

 

Any idea why our passage time was restricted? Are they reluctant to let you out on a falling tide?

[Scholar Gypsy]

We travelled through Salters Lode on Thursday morning. Our experience left me puzzled. We called the lock keeper and were advised we could do 8 o'clock Thursday morning or nine o'clock Friday morning. I was hoping for mid afternoon Thursday!

 

According to our guide the lock is passable at any time.

 

At 8 o'clock we rose up in the lock until the point where our Alde chimney only just cleared the iron girder on the outer gate.

 

Any idea why our passage time was restricted? Are they reluctant to let you out on a falling tide?

 

You were a day ahead of us - we went out at Salters Lode just after 0900 on Friday morning. That was the only locking opportunity that day.

 

My understanding is that there is a general policy of not opening the guillotine on a rising tide, in case the gate gets stuck in the up position (or if a boat gets stuck under it - the headroom at high tide yesterday was about three feet). If the gate fails on a falling tide then the Environment Agency (it is their gate) have 8-10 hours to fix it.

 

So the normal approach (subject to reasonable working hours etc) is to operate the lock about an hour after high water, on a falling tide, when the water has dropped to the level of the top of the gates at the other end. That way if the headroom is a bit tight then you just wait a bit - the tide was dropping at about a brick every 5 mins yesterday morning.

[pearley]

We've been out on a falling tide with Salters Lode making a level. When you can see the mud banks each side physically getting larger as you cruise downstream, it is not something I really want to do again.

[by'eck]

 

You were a day ahead of us - we went out at Salters Lode just after 0900 on Friday morning. That was the only locking opportunity that day.

 

My understanding is that there is a general policy of not opening the guillotine on a rising tide, in case the gate gets stuck in the up position (or if a boat gets stuck under it - the headroom at high tide yesterday was about three feet). If the gate fails on a falling tide then the Environment Agency (it is their gate) have 8-10 hours to fix it.

 

So the normal approach (subject to reasonable working hours etc) is to operate the lock about an hour after high water, on a falling tide, when the water has dropped to the level of the top of the gates at the other end. That way if the headroom is a bit tight then you just wait a bit - the tide was dropping at about a brick every 5 mins yesterday morning.

 

When I headed south through Denver late last year and north earlier this year, both passages where on a rising tide.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

When I headed south through Denver late last year and north earlier this year, both passages where on a rising tide.

 

Thanks - another urban myth then!

 

I guess it's a combination of tide times and reasonable working hours. eg yesterday would have required a rather early start to get though on the rising tide (HW Kings Lynn 0700, so about 0800 at Salters Lode).

[gazza]

Our last trip in May was on the fag end of a neap rising tide on the way to Denver

On our return we were pushing the smallest of floods and only just had enough water to get across.

 

We have been thru several times both ways where we have only just had 6' air draft in Salters.

[Cheshire cat]

Thanks everyone. Even though we don't have a consensus I'm sure the lockie knows what he is doing. I must admit I was concerned that we wouldn't get through at first but we were held in the lock for a while and then seemed to have more headroom.

 

The lockie also told us to "give it everything you've got" to get up to Denver Sluice so we were probably on a falling tide after all.

 

We met you Scholar Gypsy at Ashline Lock, Wittlesey. We were on our shared boat Steelaway. We had to cruise until dark and be on the move again at 06.00 to make the 08.00 passage.

 

A more relaxed approach would have worked but I didn't know at the time that the crew taking over from us were going to be delayed by four hours on the M6.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Thanks everyone. Even though we don't have a consensus I'm sure the lockie knows what he is doing. I must admit I was concerned that we wouldn't get through at first but we were held in the lock for a while and then seemed to have more headroom.

 

The lockie also told us to "give it everything you've got" to get up to Denver Sluice so we were probably on a falling tide after all.

 

We met you Scholar Gypsy at Ashline Lock, Wittlesey. We were on our shared boat Steelaway. We had to cruise until dark and be on the move again at 06.00 to make the 08.00 passage.

 

A more relaxed approach would have worked but I didn't know at the time that the crew taking over from us were going to be delayed by four hours on the M6.

 

Ah yes - I remember now. Yes, you were definitely crossing on an ebbing tide.

 

Still at least you didn't have to deal with the cruiser that broke free from its moorings at Upwell. Sorting that out in a strong cross wind was a fun way to spend 20 mins.