28th May 2012

As I write the blog today we are sat at the end of the navigable section of the river Wissey, with birds all around whistling and a cuckoo calling in the distance.

We set of from our EA mooring at Denver yesterday at around 9am and headed for the water point by the Denver sailing club and filled the tank ready for some washing on the way down the Wissey, one of the tributary's of the Great Ouse. Leaving at around 9.30 heading south in glorious sunshine and with the temperature slowly rising and promising a hat day ahead of us.

In the picture you can see Denver sluice with the lock on the right hand side of the structure and the pub Janyns Arms on the left. It was about 1 mile to run before we came to the mouth of the Wissey on our left opposite Ouse Bridge farm and slowing down to make our turn in. The entrance looked very narrow compared to the river, but we were assured that it was wide and deep enough for navigation for a boat our length.

Although the Wissey is some 50k to it's source we will only be able to travel the 18k to Stoke Ferry which is the end of the navigable section of this beautiful and picturesque river. Although narrow at it's entrance it soon opened up and offered great scenery as we meandered through the fens on our way east heading for Hilgay were we planned to stop for bread and milk. All along the route today were line upon line of Lime trees and Willows in wool like seed, which made it at times like it was snowing. Also lining the banks were clusters of bright yellow flags bursting open and giving extra colour to what is a lush green view.

Travelling as we do at just above tick over, we were not reaching the approved 4mph for the river and therefore had to keep a watch behind us for other boats of which there were none, and we seemed to have the river to ourselves (just one of those times when you could be anywhere in the world). As we approached Hilgay we came across several boats, moored and waiting for their owners to return after a hard weeks work. Under the bridge which carry's the A10 we moored up at the EA mooring and Sally had a walk into the village for supplies while I took Socks off for a time of relief in a nice mowed field.
Trivia; It was here that George William Manby (who went to school with Nelson) invented the mortar to throw a line to a ship in distress and saving numerous lives, and this device was experimented on from the roof of the church in Hilgay.
Leaving Hilgay we continued our journey down the Wissey passing many fens and a great deal of wildlife and in the distance we could see the towers of the Wissington Sugar Beet factory.

With the factory on our right we spotted several workers who requested permission to become stowaways to escape their work which was a mass of steel work and pipes in the middle of nowhere. Apparently it was built here because it was the centre of sugar beet growing and was served by the river and the Wissington light railway. After the factory we entered into what was a large lake and me being to busy looking around, did not get any photos to put in the blog, however I will on the way back. After this came the run down, or should I say across to Stoke Ferry, with the river still lined with trees twisted and turned its way through the countryside.

Once in Stoke Ferry it was about another half mile to the end of the navigation where we would have to turn around and moor up for the night. It is here that the A134 crosses the river and a place I have seen many times while travelling into Norfolk, but never imagined that I would arrive here by boat although having seen the boats lining the bank while driving through.

This last photo shows the end of the navigation and the place where we turned the boat around and moored up. It was here after mooring that both Socks and Gypsy had a great time double ganging a poor little mouse, Gypsy caught it and was playing with it when Socks walked over, looked, grabbed it and gave it a good shaking. (you could see Gypsy looking at Socks as if to say "Hey that was mine and now you have killed it)". Also while looking out of the window we spotted a Water Vole scurrying around and eating, Gyspy just watched (too big for me Dad).

The Mayfly were dancing around mating and flying over and into the river to lay their eggs, most of which were taken by the fish laying in wait for them.