kpnut

I remember you saying, Grendel. Red shirt if is then for my next trip!

If it’s sunny on Thursday I’ll moor at wood end staithe and go to Catfield Fen. Failing that, if sunny on Friday I’ll drive to the walk round the weavers way that you mention, it’s a nice walk anyway, with or without butterflies.

Now moored at a blustery St Benet’s and going to go for a walk round to Ludham Bridge then Ludham itself, via Ken’s veg shed. And I must do a bit of touch-up painting etc this afternoon. No point bringing all the gear with me if I don’t then use it.

Hope the photo was good enough for you to be able to check up on them (the boats that is, not your brother)! I wish I’d had enough internet signal to read that yesterday evening. I would have done, although the sun was hiding most of the time. I perhaps met your brother last time I moored here, looking for the first yellow brimstones of the year. Is that true Grendel? If so, I’ll have to raid a charity shop to keep one on board😂 They say that about kerb appeal of houses as well. I looked those boats up online, a Cobra Futura. Seems you can multiple alternative layouts and designs.

I’ve used so much of my monthly data I’ll look when I get home. The anticipation will be good for me! Monday 29th May It was distinctly chilly this morning, this north east wind is being unfriendly. It had been a very peaceful night at Coltishall lock. No music, in fact it had stopped soon after I mentioned it. Maybe it had been coming from somewhere other than Hoveton Hall after all. I had a leisurely pootle back down to Wroxham, stopping to fill with water at Bridge Broad yard. It’s so handy to stop there. I then double tracked and moored up at the Hoveton viaduct moorings to take Finlay for a run in the rough field behind. Not so rough as it’s been mown in the past few days. I swept the exterior of the boat to remove all the willow seeds stuck all over it from the trees at the lock. And then Finlay had to manage on his own for a bit while I went to do a food shop. The bridge gauge was showing over 7’ as I went through, 2 hours before low tide, then it was just a matter of negotiating numerous dayboats etc on my way downstream. At one point I did have to do a quick reverse as a dayboat with a child driving decided to start weaving to and fro rather dramatically just as I was pulling out to overtake it. The adult supervising had a bit of a panic, as did the people relaxing at the back. I just waved nicely!!! Horning was very busy. I took a picture of a very strange looking boat, but was a bit late and it doesn’t look so odd from behind. It got the ranger excited, waving his ‘slow down’ board at it sped past Southgates and the New Inn. Spying a space at Horning church mooring, I pulled in behind the other moored boat, had a bite to eat and braved the still chilly wind by walking over to Griff’s Corner above Ludham Bridge on the Ant. A very friendly couple with their dogs were moored there, their second holiday and they had certainly caught the bug for boating on the Broads, loving the quieter spots, wild moorings etc, and planning their next booking and looking on the boat sales sites already. They told me a load of cows had got out from the grazing marsh earlier and their dogs had been surprised by 19 cows staring through the window at them! So the mooring was slightly less pristine than normal underfoot!! On my return I sat a while with a glass of wine on the bench, watching quite a few of the yachts returning from their weekend of racing at Thurne mouth. As I returned to the boat, a hireboat came along, close, closer, closer until it gently kissed my boat. Why it had to do that when it had the whole river to itself is anyone’s guess but the man sitting in the aft well was certainly extremely alarmed and apologised profusely to me before disappearing inside, hopefully to give the helm an earful. No harm done whatsoever, but totally unnecessary and could have been an incident to report to the hire company and negotiate a repair. The river is now totally peaceful and calm.

We’ll, fancy that Jean. I’ll have a proper look later. Hope I wasn’t doing something silly!

Allotments - can’t go past one without looking for someone to talk to. Couldn’t find anyone at either of those yesterday. I would have asked if Finlay could have a drink of water!

I hadn’t realised it was ‘man-made’, thinking it was just a random natural feature. I think the news article said after a year drying out, it’d be dug out again as compost/fertiliser. I would have loved to have explored a bit more.

He’d just start barking, adding to the sound effects.

I see that Hylander has already mentioned the planning permission for the dredging spoil. I had a little look up there this afternoon, taking a photo of the High and Low bridge and finding this planning application sign. More details on the Springers Retreat thread.

Sunday 28th May I used up the remaining electric turning on the immersion heater to get a full tank of hot water prior to my VERY short cruise up to the lock this morning. What luxury that is! Another beautiful morning, but the whispy cloud probably promises something else later today. It didn’t take long up to the lock where the only boat there departed just as I came in. I enjoyed having the place to myself for what seemed like ages, before canoeists started to arrive. By the time I set off for a walk, about 2pm, there were 5 boats moored up, more than I’ve seen before on previous visits. But fewer people enjoying the attraction of ‘riding the weir’ in the millpond over the way. In fact, when I returned at 5pm, there was no one. I had an excellent 6 mile walk, partly going places I haven’t been to before. I set off by following the path right opposite the vehicle entrance to the weir, up a steep bank to a small lane which then joins the main lane I’d just crossed. Round ghe corner, a very dusty track leads off to the left (marked Dove Farm only) and you can do a fairly short walk by following that round in a sort of square and turning right, back to the weir when you hit the road. It’s a nice walk that I’ve done a few times, some field edge, some pretty woodland (I’d just missed the bluebells). On hitting the road, I turned left instead and followed it before heading off on a path leading due south. Stopping to read the map as I reached a right angled bend, I realised I was at the ‘High and Low’ bridge by Little Switzerland. Seeing as all the posts about this place have intrigued me, I couldn’t resist climbing down the bank to take a look. So pleased I did. Very overgrown and the stream is virtually silted up, but very atmospheric. I retraced my steps up the bank and went to see what was the other side, but the way down was inaccessible. Continuing on the walk, I could see a track on the map that would lead me into Little Switzerland itself, but when I got to it, it was marked ‘Private’ etc, so I respected that. When I reached the next road, I found a current planning permission application sign tied to the tree, for the dumping of dredging spoil in the marlpit. I can’t find evidence of a marlpit on the map. I hope it’s not Little Switzerland itself as that would seem a shame from an historical point of view. For anyone local who is interested The rest of the walk took me to the outskirts of Crostwick and then along a path that led between two stinky oilseed rape fields. I can’t abide the smell of it. Then through a horse livery complex to Frettenham - 2 places I hadn’t heard of. I walked the long way round the triangle of Frettenham to see what there was to see, but it’s a village comprised solely of houses; no shop, no pub. It does have a nice allotment site though! I then followed the lane up to Horstead. The signpost had said 1 mile. I don’t know who they’re kidding, it was more like 2, but enjoyable all the same. Horstead has some nice allotments too!!!! And so down to the weir, which as I said was empty of folk playing in the water. The wind has picked up so perhaps they were getting chilly. Finlay hadn’t had a drink all the way round the walk - it’s not often we do a completely ‘dry’ walk for him. So he was soon in the water back at the boat and I got the training dummy out to do some. water work with him. That finished him off and he’s now lying feet up on the sofa snoozing.

I can confirm it’s coming over loud and clear at Coltishall lock this early evening, helped perhaps by the stiff breeze from the same(ish) direction. Earplugs at the ready tonight. Mind you, I’ve quite liked their choice of music so far this evening 😀

I do like to see ‘how busy can it get’ pop up into the list of recent posts. Always good to follow your latest project MM. And very glad the saw now works as it should!

Now that does look lovely. I’ve only been to Rockland twice but never moored at the staithe. It’s on the list for my next trip south.

Saturday 27th May Not such a peaceful night, with music coming from somewhere in the Hoveton direction for a lot of the night. I’ve since been told it’s a festival at Hoveton Hall. But an absolutely glorious morning to wake up to. A leisurely start as all I was doing was going to Coltishall and wanted to time it for some spaces, assuming it’d be busy. I arrived to find just one other boat. I plugged into the electric and used the credit to hoover and recharge a few things, like my toothbrush - modern problems !!!! Not long after I arrived and as I was going across to the bins, a group of 7 young girls dressed in football kit ran over and asked if they could stroke Finlay. He’s not normally bothered to give anyone the time of day, preferring to just look at me and ignore, as if to say ‘do I really have to?’ but he completely surprised me by lying down in the middle of this noisy group of excited youngsters, and rolling over to enjoy the cuddles. That bodes well with new granddaughter then.😁 The rest of the morning was spent just watching the paddle boards, canoes etc. As the heat of the day gradually died down, we set off for a walk. Up a footpath opposite the old post office, leading to a quiet lane. This meandered round to an access point for the path running alongside the Bure Valley Railway. It was lovely and shady for the most part. I noticed some very splendid mile markers, someone has done an excellent job fabricating those from galvanised steel. Tony would have loved a commission like that. Plenty of hawthorn was out in flower. It might make a pretty scruffy tree, but is always stunning in flower (especially the red flowered varieties) and generously keeps us in the best wood for the woodburner each season, as most hedges that Tony gets to lay seem to be hawthorn. I came off the railway path at Hautbois Hall and made my way back along the riverbank. The river was busy with canoeists and paddle boarders. Another dog walker told me it had recently got very busy after some publicity calling it the best place in the area for such activities. Everyone seemed to having a lot of fun and if it gets youngsters out into nature, I’m all for it. Just respect the natural environment and go quietly and you’ll learn a lot. I love that footpath down the side of the Bure at Coltishall. I walked back along the main road from the bridge, resisting the urge for an icecream from the garage. I’ll save that treat for when there’s ‘special icecream’ on offer somewhere. But on my return to the boat, I sat in the front well in the sunshine with a glass of cider and a book. The land based picnickers and water sports enthusiasts seemed to disappear about 6pm, the pubs still looked busy which must be good news for their futures. Coltishall in the holiday season, especially weekends, is not a peaceful place to moor, (well overnight it is) but it’s picturesque and always full of happy people.

I also heard it at the far end of the viaduct moorings on Friday night. That’s a good old distance the sound is carrying all around the area.

Presumably some of the cake is left for later? So share the cost and it’ll seem a bargain.

Get up there quick! If I weren’t so far up the other way I most certainly would. It now says 6’9.5”.

Humph, according to project troll just now, I’ve made the wrong decision. Potter Heigham bridge is showing 6’8” a few minutes ago.

Friday 26th May. Another glorious weather day forecast. First job was a message to Tony back at home that a big watering session is needed on the allotment. I try to keep it to a minimum and certainly for when he’s in charge, but I wasn’t expecting such a long spell of dry weather so peas, beans, germinating parsnips, flowering potatoes and new fruit trees will need doing. Poor love! He’s already having to give away spinach, asparagus and lettuce. Sooner or later he’s going to bring up the subject of boating versus allotment but till he does, I’m keeping stum🤭 I have my tomatoes on board to keep me company. I’m putting the canopy up at night to prevent shocking them, but they did get a bit wind blown when going along a few times. They’re still only tender babies and had spent the previous week sheltering in the car (I didn’t think tomatoes would fit on the boat as well as extra guests over the past weekend) My plan had been to gently find my way back up the Bure and along the Thurne over the next couple of days but then I remembered about the Thurne regatta, so thought I’d make haste out of the area. Mooring up on the Bure to watch would theoretically be lovely, but in practice rather stressful as I wouldn’t know if they can turn quick enough when hurtling towards me moored up. Of course they can, but it’s the fright of it! So a long old cruise up to Wroxham and under the bridge was done and very enjoyable too. Low water was at 12.30, so with unexpected perfect timing, I arrived dead on! It was still quiet all the way up, plenty of space anywhere I could have chosen to stop, apart from Horning staithe. I was nearly tempted by the wild mooring nearly opposite Ranworth Dam, Cockshoot, then Horning church, then Wroxham Broad island but my goal was Hoveton Viaduct. Karizma passed me heading downstream (or was that the day before? sorry Steve and Tracey). Bridge showed approx 7’ so no sweaty palms going under. Plenty of space at both sets of moorings and I chose the far end spot of the viaduct moorings which I’ve often hoped for but never achieved. It’s nice being able to easily see both ways along the river. No long walk do-able from here, so a leisurely afternoon with a trip to Roys diy for some black japanned woodscrews and lots of chatting to other ‘moorees’ and then a very welcome visit by Jean (SwanR) whom I’d messaged earlier to announce my whereabouts and invite down. Great to catch up on news Jean. Organising some ‘guest bookings’ on board over the summer now I have the boat back, and Friday’s quiz completed a very relaxing day.

Agreed in full

Leaving the office early again Grendel, you city slicker!

My knees ache this morning!

I think I might bring my little camera with me next time to try it out.

Hi ree and welcome, The Wroxham tour boats are informative. When I went, the year before first hiring, it did nearly put me off though as starting at Wroxham where there are so many boats moored up and zipping along, I thought ‘how on earth does anyone manage this themselves’? But it certainly did give me the bug for hiring later. I’d suggest spending half of your day at How Hill. Not only is it a good place for a shortish walk along the moorings and river, and with a walk to the secret garden (very colourful at this time of year) and the formal gardens if you catch them on a day they’re open, but there’s also a boardwalk nature reserve (no dogs), an old eelcatcher’s cottage/museum to explore, very tasty icecream to buy, a wherry to have a look around and a wonderful, peaceful electric boat trip into the nature reserve, along narrow dykes, right down at water level with a stop off at a bird hide halfway round. Apart from the electric boat trip, everything is free. How Hill is on the river Ant near Ludham.