Visibility was about half a mile at 7.40am as we left the Hazleford mooring. There were five Cormorants watching as the engine was fired up, they gave us a filthy look and dived away leaving us alone in the mist. Fiskerton soon emerged on our left; the protective concrete topped high steel piling giving this village a bit of an industrial look, at variance with some really nicely proportioned houses along the waterfront, two with curved turreted corners. A short distance along the river was a striking angular house with a fully glazed side to the river. A slight difference of architectural opinion produced the comment ‘what a nice house’ to that of mine ‘It looks like an office building’, however the description ‘striking’ applied equally. A few miles further produced a neglected boatyard on the left bank at Farndon, with a good Dutch barge moored outside. On the opposite bank was the entrance to the very large Farndon Harbour Marina. An expensive looking fly bridge cruiser was being moved inside by the marina tug, the crews on both gave us a cheery smile and wave as we passed by. The boarded up buildings of Staythorpe power station came into view across the bends, a hive of activity all around them, piling rigs, excavators and earth moving equipment. It will be interesting to see what transpires eventually. The large Averham weir is immediately after on the same side, the pull today was noticeable, but less than on our previous visit as we entered Newark Dyke. Amazing that BW has not renamed it with all their politically correct ideals. It will have been apparent from the descriptions of everything on the river banks that we did not see one boat on the move today, unless we include the wide beam BW boat being placed in the covered workshop at Newark town lock. Yesterday we saw six boats moving.
The lockie at Newark town today told us the same as all of the others; it has been really quiet with a few out at weekends. Down in the lock and under Trent Bridge to the BW pontoon moorings outside their Newark offices and opposite a scrap yard.
We explored Newark as it was market day, tomorrow we dust off the bus passes and head for Lincoln……………
