Salters Lode

And it was going so well . . .

We set off - just a short distance to the Sani Station - but before long we were off properly. It was a wonderful, hot and sunny day and we made expected progress from Ely. The first stretch is a long straight, popular with rowers. Not so many were out as when we came own but enough to need to keep a wary eye.

Not a lot to report until we arrived at Denver sluice just before noon.

We knew that the tide would not allow us through until 3 o'clock so we tied up at the lock landing and went for a walk along the river embankment into Downham market. Apart from picking up the brass bolt we need for the side window we came away empty-handed - for once!

Andrew returned by the river bank whilst Mike and Christine came along the Relief Channel. We did discover that we could easily have cruised up to Downham Market, moored and turned, as the channel is even wider than the river. This channel was created to provide an alternative path out to sea if excess water comes down the Ouse from the Levels. Apparently it is used only rarely. As we returned a couple of narrow boats were exiting the lock onto the channel.

After a late lunch back the tide was ready and we we allowed into Denver Lock. As it was a rising tide, our instruction was to go past the entrance to Salters Lode, turn and come into the lock in an upstream direction - rather than turn directly from upstream. Andrew managed it perfectly, with extra instruction from the lock keeper on the bank for the optimum turning point. Our transit through the lock was unusual as we went through on the level tide, which meant that the keeper did not have to close and re-open the guillotine gate at the lower end.

After a few hundred metres we suddenly ground almost to halt. Despite clearing the prop a couple of times we could not make progress. We even had to resort to pulling the boat by rope from the bank and using the long pole to keep the boat in the centre of the navigation. Christine contacted the Middle Level Commissioners we informed us that the water level was down because there had been a pump failure which was currently under repair.

We gradually made progress but until Mullicourt Aqueduct we probably never exceeded one mile an hour! At that point we could see that the pump was now working and pushing wquite a lot of water into the stream ahead. We picked up speed and came though Outwell and Upwell at much the same (slow) speed as we came down. We were now well behind our schedule for passing through Marmont Priory so we planned to find a mooring around eight o'clock. However, by the time we had cleared the villages there was no obvious mooring point so we arrived at the lock around 8:15. Christine called the lock keeper again (she had earlier said that she would be in all evening) and, after she finished her meal, she kindly let us through, enjoying the chat about how she comes to still be the lock keeper!