Just leaving Hazelford Locks. Really nice moorings here. There's a selection on
the upper side with water and there's all the normal facilities, and then on
the lower side just here, it's quite funky because there's different heights
for different sized boats. Because obviously it's a river and it doesn't
just cater for small cruises and narrowboats, it caters for gigantic yachts and
a hundred thousand pound yachts and all sorts of things I've seen go through the
locks. Multiple hundred thousand. Really nice morning though, nice and calm again.
I had to leave because the cruiser there, Fury, was cooking the most
deliciously smelling breakfast. He was obviously cooking bacon and eggs and
things and it smelt fantastic and I've already eaten my breakfast today, so no more.
But today I have that last little hop to Newark and that is supposed to last and
run about 90 minutes. So it won't be a long journey today.
{Brisk Calming Music}
There are a couple of lovely mooring spots right on the river as you head
north towards Newark-on-Trent. Here at Fiskerton where there's a popular
traditional country pub, but with a modern feel and here just south of the
town at Farndon.
Staythorpe Power Station dominates the northern side of the river here and just
after it is a huge weir. You're advised to stay on the eastern side of the river
when heading downstream and I can see why. After a relatively short amount of
orange barriers, you only know there is a weir here because the water line drops
away to nothing.
{Dramatic Music}
{Natural Water Sounds}
I passed Newark Marina, which mainly caters for cruises and moored up just
before Mill Bridge which is the first bridge as you enter the town.
{Happy & Positive Music}
The origins of Newark-on-Trent are possibly Roman, as it's so close to the
Fosse Way Roman Road. Right on the river's edge are the remains of Newark
Castle. In a charter thought to date back to 1135, King Henry I granted the
Bishop of Lincoln permission to build the castle. This castle was most likely
of timber construction and was built in stone towards the end of the century.
The town grew around the castle as well as a large marketplace. It's now lined with
historic buildings. It was a centre for the wool and cloth trades. In the English
Civil War the town was besieged by parliamentary forces and had to be
relieved by Prince Rupert in a battle known as the relief of Newark. During the
English Civil War Newark was a mainstay of royalist cause, Charles I
having raised his standard in nearby Nottingham. It was attacked in February
1643 by two troops of horseman but beat them back. The town fielded at times as
many as 600 soldiers and raided Nottingham, Grantham, Northampton,
Gainsborough and others with mixed success. But enough to cause it to rise to
national notice.
Oh Blimey. It's just gone midnight.
I've just been woken up by a load of banging and some kids
jumping on the roof.
It doesn't half wake you up. I've never had it before. In all the towns and cities
I've been through and I'm currently in Newark and I'm not staying here another
night. I'm leaving this town!
So, got lots of sleep in the end.
Deary me. Well I've moved on up the the river a tiny bit and I've come towards
Newark Town Lock. Because it's quite early in the morning,
there's no volunteer here yet and so hence there's orange lights, which
indicate that when they're on, you've got to do all yourself. So I've got my
waterways key and... I like this sign
[Warning - Do not look at welding arc]
Anyway, so it's a quite big lock. It's probably the biggest lock I've had to
manage on my own.
Let's see if I can work out how to do it. I've got to fill it,
open the gates, drive in, empty it, open the gates and drive out and then close
the gates again. So let's see what I can do.
{Please Keep Clear Of The Lock Gate Area}
{Please Keep Clear Of The Lock Gate Area} [Repeated in background]
So I'm just going to open one gate
This lock is probably wide enough to have three boats in let alone, one
side by side. So I'll open one gate and drive Alice in. It's all very strange.
{Please Keep Clear Of The Lock Gate Area}
Seems to fill up quite fast.
I wouldn't like to live near here though with these 'Please Keep Clear Of The Lock Gate Area'
announcements going on all the time but.
So that was quite lucky. Just as I came into the lock, the volunteer lock keeper
started his day. So I just stopped the boat, got my keys out and he's going to
carry on and do the rest. Which was quite good because this is a very deep lock
and I had the challenge of mooring up along the side, climbing up a huge way up
the ladders to go and let the water out, and open gates etc. So,
thank you very much Mr. Volunteer :-)
{Music}
To be honest, I was a bit annoyed with myself as between bridges 22 and 23,
there are some low moorings dedicated to smaller craft like narrowboats. It also
looks like this pontoon may be protected by a gate. So I could have avoided
children jumping on the roof! First thing I'm gonna do today is, get some fuel at
Kings Marina here.
{Engine Sounds}
So the pump was out of order. I drove all the way in, I reversed up to the pump and
then had a sign on the front saying out of order. You would have thought that
Kings Marina would put a sign up at the gate saying no diesel but anyway. I've
got more than half a tank left but it's really annoying when you navigate your
way into tricky marinas with the wind blowing and then find out it's
completely pointless.
{Music}
Whilst in the lock then, we've just agreed with both the cruisers, because
the narrowboats are obviously a lot slower, they will pass us and carry on on their
journey. So I'm just keeping to the starboard side a little bit to allow
them to zoom past. Hopefully they don't make too many waves. This is all very
different to traveling on a canal I must say.
It certainly does create a couple of waves. Not really used to this. Bobbing about on
a river.
{Sound of waves hitting the bow}
Obviously the further I go along the Trent, the Trent gets wider, and wider,
and wider. I'm going up to Cromwell Lock today. I'm meeting up with a good
friend to have some lunch.
And I'm going to moor up there because from there onwards it's tidal and I need to know
what time is best to travel. I need to get some charts, and I thought this was a
different experience but from Cromwell Lock onwards, it's even more completely
different to traveling on a canal. It's all great fun though!
You like wearing that jacket don't you? It makes you nice and
comfortable and you just sit down really leisurely.
I suppose there's a bit of padding on your bum.
As on all rivers, the key thing to remember is don't cut the corners. If you
cut them too sharply, you're bound to get stuck on a sandbank. So it's really
strange, sort of aiming towards trees, purely to keep in the middle. I've had no
problems yet but you do notice it when there's oncoming traffic. It will look
like they're aiming directly for you. So you sort of move over slightly and they
move over slightly but both of us are trying to keep in the middle. It's not
like on a canal where you go right over to the right-hand side, or to the
starboard side and let them pass on the port side,
as you might get stuck!
{Medium Paced Music}
At the end of the day I found a mooring spot and a couple of helpers at Cromwell
Lock where I stayed for a few nights. If you've not already subscribed, please do.
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notified about future releases. Until next time, see you later.