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kpnut
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Posts posted by kpnut
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Wednesday 17th August
a very slow start to the day for me as I wasn’t going anywhere till at least 11am.
My car in Stalham needed to get to Wroxham and Pete’s car in Wroxham needed to get to Neatishead, so the two men set off at 10 to do just that -with a written set of instructions. An hour later and they came back pleased as punch. Good thing I delved a bit as my car was now in Wroxham as planned but Petes was in Stalham, not Neatishead. So off they went again to rectify the situation while I started worrying about the rising tide and getting through Wroxham bridge. I should have told them I would move the boat to Barnes, but didn’t dare ring and complicate things any further!!!!My slow start at least gave me the chance to fill with water at Bridge Broad yard and do a bit of housework.
Safely through the bridge at last, we wanted to stop at he Hoveton great broad nature trail but the moorings were full. One picnic boat on the end was occupied so I asked if they were moving soon but no, they were fishing!!! (Grrrh!).
We turned into Cockshoot Dyke instead and came into moor in front of Bluebell on Chiltern Lady, lovely seeing you Jim and sorry I couldn’t focus on chatting too much with 3 others on board! We were in a hurry to get lunch and have a quick walk down the boardwalk tk the bird hide. All duly done, we departed-next stop hopefully Neatishead or Gayes Staithe as our guests were booked into a b+b at Neatishead and we had a table booked at the White Horse.
The front sternon mooring at Gayes staithe was free so rather than chancing it at Neatishead, we pulled in there. I walked along to the Neatishead moorings with our guests, to find two available spaces-Sods law I suppose! Leaving them to carry on to the village I was ambling back over the field footpath with the dog when I remembered we had to collect my car from Wroxham and get it back to Stalham. Oops! Not having my phone on me, my relaxing walk turned into something rather more urgent to get back, ring Pete to come and pick up Tony and do the required manoeuvres all over again. Wow, who’d be a tour organiser!!Cars now all correct again I assume and off to the pub I go.
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4 hours ago, grendel said:
I only just missed you then
Thought that sounded about right from your write-up.
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On the ‘state of footpaths’ thread, Tom from BA posted yesterday to let him know of any path issues regarding BA responsibility paths. I’ve taken the liberty of copying your words about the path onto there and linking it to Tom’s post to let him know.
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On 16/08/2022 at 09:32, BroadsAuthority said:
Do let me know or get in touch via Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk if you spot any of our footpaths overgrown,
Hi Tom, the following was put on another thread by someone this afternoon. It was referring to the Horning bank of Ludham Bridge moorings. Is this one that the BA does?
I also walked it a while ago and found it hard going fairly near the bridge. I’d walked down from near Neaves Mill.
Quote-Battled through nettles / brambles & weeds on path going up to the bridge. Went back with secateurs, half an hour, numerous nettle stings on calf’s, path cleared”
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7 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:
Gettin. Happy Days. There is a Broads God. All good things come to those that wait. It’s my turn.
Glad to see you’d got it Griff, when we went past. As you say, your turn at last. Super spot for the dog too, haven’t a clue about the fishing!
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My thoughts too Helen. The path up is falling away in one place about halfway up and it was there I first looked up and was amazed to see the church tower looking like it was right on the edge. I’m truth, there is space for a path round it.
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Monday 15th August continued
Guests arrived later than anticipated, about 5pm. They enjoyed a cold beer watching the comings and goings.
Tuesday 16th AugustWhen I got up early this morning to walk to the public wc, I found a mobile phone on the grass by the moorings. I handed it in to the BA information centre for safekeeping as the lady there said people often come in to ask if anything’s been handed in. So if anyone reading this has lost it, that’s where it is. Didn’t really know what else’s to do with it apart from the police station.
After a leisurely start, we set off for Coltishall about 10.30, and wandered up there, with lots of wildlife photos being taken on the way. Mooring up on our own at the lock, we had a walk to see the mill, then the two villages and back down the riverbank to the lock. After a quick swim for Finlay, we then made our way back to the Rising Sun for a late lunch. So few boats on the long stretch of moorings there. The weed cutter boat came by, going to and fro on the pub bend, he must have a good patch to cut as it looked like he was bunged up at one point.
Lovely food and generous portions for both ‘loaded fries’ and Caesar salad. Back to the boat for homemade plum cake a cup of tea and then down to visit the church at Belaugh. I’ve only walked up from the main staithe before, but that was occupied so we asked the folk moored at the church mooring if we could snuck in for a wee while. They moved up a bit and with a bit of snug mooring, all was fastened up. The walk up the bank to the church is called Pilgrims Path which I thought was rather cute.
The church didn’t disappoint, historically and building-wise.
Then back to Hoveton viaduct moorings where we are one of only 6 boats. Where is everyone, so quiet down here?
Time for a light tea and the damson gin will probably make an appearance later!-
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1 hour ago, grendel said:
It's now the watch all the boats hurrying past to find a mooring time.
They ought to head for the viaduct moorings (the fact that the pilots gone home withstanding of course and maybe too big too fit anyway-such are the trials and tribulations of hiring)!
There is the princely sum of 6 boats.
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9 hours ago, BroadsAuthority said:
Do let me know or get in touch via Broads.Control@broads-authority.gov.uk if you spot any of our footpaths overgrown
Thanks very much Tom. It’s very good to know there is a procedure in place.
Can you tell me how the easiest way of finding out if it’s a ‘ BA responsible’ path? Or do I look on the council path map and if not marked as one of theirs, assume it’s one of yours?-
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I will, but I don’t know that area.
The best thing will be for you to go on the Norfolk county council website, look for the section about environment etc and there’ll be a link somewhere to reporting public footpath issues. There’s a form you fill in with location, nature of the issue etc. but first, it’d be best to check in their interactive map which shows which ones they are responsible for, as it might be a Sutton parish council responsibility.Hope that is enough detail to get you to the right place on their website. When I get home from the boat and am on my home PC I’ll have a look too if I can see which path you have highlighted.
And I’ll check the website too for the correct ‘navigation route’ through it and post it on here for anyone to use if they wish.
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Only 5 boats in at Hoveton St. John moorings this evening and 2 of those are liveaboards who shuttle between these and the viaduct.
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Monday 15th August
Now at the electric moorings at Hoveton St John awaiting the arrival of Tony and our friends. Main accomplishment of the morning was going under the bridge without any sweaty palms!
I was getting a bit jittery as I came into Wroxham and until Barnes, but a few deep breaths and once I saw the bridge I knew I’d be ok as I just did what I’d been shown to do. It helped that there was about 6’10” showing, exactly what it had shown last time, in July. The pilot then was so right to encourage me to turn round and go back to do it all over again once he’d shown me.
So housework done, dog walked, shopping got and now a few odd splatters of rain but don’t think it’ll come to much as it’s freshened up again. We’ll see.
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Sunday 14th August cont.
I got my act together eventually and left Acle Bridge round lunchtime, so I had officially outstayed my welcome I’m afraid, although happy to say I hadn’t done anyone out of a space seeing as there were plenty of moorings available. Destination:anywhere towards Wroxham. I fancied wild mooring but between Ranworth and Wroxham there aren’t many spots and I don’t mudweight in a broad cos of the dog. I passed one after Ranworth junction but felt I hadn’t given the batteries a fair chance of charging yet. I could have joined someone at the church moorings outside Horning but felt it a bit rude to do so, then there was one available on the opposite bank past the bend. I went past and turned into the tide, came alongside beautifully, got off to find myself more or less stepping on a wasp nest. So that was why it was free!
Oh well, I thought I might try Wroxham Island moorings and turn back to Salhouse river stretch if full as there would be bound to be space there (for a fee, not that I begrudge paying really and would have the opportunity to fill with water in the morning). But to my surprise, Cockshoot Dyke was half empty, I went down it, had plenty of space to turn and came back up to moor at the front by the signboard. Perfect. Chair out, book in hand, Finlay snoozing after his walk, watching the traffic, of which the vast majority comprised dayboats.
Cockshoot stayed quiet for the rest of the day. A ferry marina boat coming in right on dusk perhaps was relieved to find so much choice to moor up, as I’m not sure where the next port of call before nightfall would have been (maybe they like mudweighting tucked into the trees on the river though).
I spoke to the couple on the yacht behind to say I would be leaving early and would try not to disturb them. An hour later we finished talking and only when I remembered a plum crumble was still in the oven!If did seem to be another very sociable day.
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Any for me Mike. I’m rubbish at some topics but always learn something! Gardening, food, Norfolk broads, geography, nature and environment are my best bets. Music, books, celebrities I don’t have a clue but never mind hey! There’s always a ‘biker guess’ to be submitted.
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Adventures and ‘experiences’ certainly find their way to you, thankfully to someone with a clear head!
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Oh yes Helen, I’ve done it too. I now have a sign I put on the steering wheel. Most embarrassing!
Sounds like you had fun today, with Tabitha Rose; every day is a learning day. As Grendel said, she had other ideas about finishing her adventure.
What were the dinosaurs all about in your photos? -
Stokesby is generally well off for footpaths, some short, some long, mostly circular.
I don’t mind the heat as it’s been this weekend, as long as I can find a breeze. And Finlay manages well too as long as he can find some swimming/paddling water every now and again. I wouldn’t want to take him off down the disused railway line where I live for instance, but round here is ok.
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Does anyone know what sort of nest box this is?
There were two of them in a patch of reed bed that had been cut.
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Sunday 14th August
After yesterday’s excursion I felt in no hurry to get up. Good thing too as I woke at 5 something and the next thing I knew it was 7.30.
Today I needed to move towards Wroxham to meet Tony (hubby) and our friends who are arriving tomorrow. So a good dog walk was on the cards, seeing as he’d spent most of the day on the lead yesterday.
On the opposite bank to the Acle Bridge Inn is a footpath that leads to Stokesby so that was the plan. It starts by going across the main road and through a gate between the two sheds on the 24hr moorings side of the river. Nicely kept all the way down to Stokesby with nice views through being slightly elevated.
Walking opposite Acle Dyke I mused as to whether the odd black and white boat that’s always moored there was, in fact, owned by a baddie in a James Bond movie.
I also caught sight of ‘Daughter’s Inheritance’ that always makes me chuckle when I go past. Is it ‘this is my inheritance to you, dear daughter’ or, ‘daughter, I’ve spent your inheritance’?
The path meets the pumping station and then carries on by going back up the bank rather than along the bottom track which leads to a cottage.
It was nice to see the cottage by the drainage mill having some renovation work. What a lovely spot to be.
Getting hot by this time, there was the choice of returning to Acle bridge from here on a circular route or carrying on to Stokesby. Finlay answered the question by finding a swimming spot for himself to cool off and have a drink,
so knowing he’d be ok, we carried on, past the moored private boats on the left on the way round the bend to the village, onto the lane, across the green and you can guess where I was headed - the Ferry Inn, for a well earned drink. An enjoyable stop and then we set off back again, retracing our steps as far as the cottage and then walking up the concrete track (Muck Fleet on the map).
It’s full of dragonflies and I was wowed by a kingfisher whistling past us on a straight route up the track, surprising as by this time the track had turned at right angles away from the river. I had always presumed they stayed along the bank.
On reaching a ‘crossroads’ with another farm track, just past a concrete hardstanding for FYM, (maybe that’s why it’s called muck fleet?) the path continued in front and came out into the lane between Acle and Stokesby Turning left over the little bridge on the lane, you could then do a circular back to Stokesby by taking the path along the dyke side to the right, but I was heading back to Acle bridge, so walked along the lane to the main road (the old road to Yarmouth), crossed it, walked left along the headland of a field to avoid the road for a bit (not an official path!) and did the last few yards on the road in the lay-by and back to the Dunes cafe which was very busy by the time I arrived. A couple of swans with 8 children (is there a population explosion this year?) deterred me from letting Finlay cool off in the water, so he went in at the start of the moorings (on his lead so I could pull him back out).
I still wasn’t back at the boat though because I got sidetracked talking to a friendly couple on a Hampton 25 for a while. I think Finlay was pleased when we eventually got to the boat. The walk was about 3.5 miles, about 3/4 hour each way.-
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Saturday 13th August
The day for my adventure off the boat arrived with another super sunrise.
I was underway before 8, early for me and 3/4 hour later I was moored up at Acle bridge. The dog and I both had our breakfasts and set off into Acle up the path that goes alongside the main road to catch the first of two buses. I usually walk into the village by going along the river and up Acle Dyke, but this way was quicker according to Google maps. Might be quicker, but less relaxing as there are various ‘exits’ into the road. So a word of warning for dog owners, be careful of letting them off lead along there.
A bus was at the stop when I got there, it was the one earlier than mine that was running late so I hopped on and sat next to a chatty young man, we talked ‘dogs’ all the way into Norwich, so much so that I missed my stop and ended up at the bus station! The next bus I needed started from there, so it was easy to get off one and straight onto the next, parked in front. I must say I was very impressed, and pleased I’d chosen a route only involving one bus company as I know you often have to walk a few minutes in Norwich to get to the next ‘hub’ of bus stops if changing company too. It was £5.30 return from Acle into Norwich and out to Beccles, just the one ticket needed.
In Beccles I walked down to the yacht station and very soon felt welcomed by one and all at the wooden boat show. After chatting to Ynys Mon (Helen and Grahame) and PetersJoy (Paul) I found a little cafe along Fen Lane on Helen’s recommendation, to buy a bottle of water and a cup of tea. Highly friendly owners and again, very chatty. The whole day was a blur of chatting and looking over beautiful boats, thank you all so much. I managed to fill in half the quiz questions through spending far too long talking as usual!!After the prizegiving, Grahame had offered me a lift back to Acle, but we then ascertained that the owners of Eastwood Whelpton boatyard were going that way, so they kindly took me back to my boat. Again, conversation flowed in the car with common places we knew etc.
I arrived back sometime after 7 and was surprised to see a few mooring spots still free.
No photos of the boats, too busy talking I’m afraid!
A lovely day out and I’d urge anyone around the Broads next year to get themselves along there.
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I’m now moored at cockshoot, I passed two nice wild moorings between ranworth and here ( mind you the one I decided on had a wasp nest in a hole in the bank, just my luck!) and there was a space at the church mooring. Now at the dyke, there are only 5 boats here. Acle bridge last night had spaces for a few boats too. I’m sure the main ‘busyness’ is just day boats scooting about.
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Hi there. Sounds like you have the right mindset to go with the flow’. Enjoy every minute.
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Thanks very much to you all for being so welcoming yesterday. What a lovely relaxing sociable event. I especially liked seeing all the many different interior configurations, brilliant use of available space.
Especial thanks from me to Helen and Grahame for sharing their day with me so generously and offering the lift home and then to Annie and Andy from Eastwood Whelpton for being the eventual lift home, after we’d ascertained they were going virtually straight past Acle Bridge. Most appreciated.
And to Dave who I’m presuming organised it, thanks for the BMC info and yes, it’s there!
Enjoy the rest of the meet.-
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Friday 12th August
A misty start was lovely to wake up to. The bright sun showed the promise of the day ahead.
After breakfast I was in a rush to take Finlay for a good walk before it got too hot. Not thinking much about it, I set off upstream towards Fleet Dyke. Ok for the first bit to the pumping station with the two dead trees, but decidedly overgrown past there, all the way round to Fleet Dyke.
Having only put on shorts and t shirt and walking sandals, I was extremely wet up to the waist by the time I got to the Fleet Dyke moorings. The morning mist and dew hadn’t yet burned off the waist high vegetation.
I met a very nice man to talk to by the moorings, we discussed firstly the fact that they’d been moored there on their own overnight (or maybe with one other boat, but certainly extremely quiet), and the footpaths and being local, he was able to confirm what I suspected, that they are worse than previous years.
I had intended to go as far as those moorings and turn back, but really didn’t want to go through all the long stuff again, so I continued round past the straight length of Env Agency moorings, along the lane past the boatyard and at the corner by the phone box, (now converted to an info centre), turned left to go up the lane to wards Pilson Green. Just on the left is a footpath across two fields which cuts off a bit of walking and more importantly got Finlay off the road as I hadn’t brought the lead with me. At the end of the path, turn left on the lane and it takes you past a cottage and onto the track across the marsh. It’s a straightforward walk up to the ‘2 dead trees’ pumping station and a right turn there took me back to my boat. All in all, about 3 miles and an hour and a half.
I grabbed a plastic tub and the water bowl for the dog (he’s better drinking outside when really thirsty as he’s very messy!) and went to pick blackberries. There were just so many and really pristine. It didn’t take more than 10 mins to pick a tub full.
These are now converted into blackberry gin. I can assure you it’ll be less sweet than the lot I took to the meet at Salhouse!
500g blackberries, 215g sugar and 1litre of gin, with plenty of room in the demijohn for more when I buy some more gin next week. I’ll probably take it home for safekeeping until ready for straining and bottling in December.
Not a lot else done today as I decided I had enjoyed the peace and quiet so much the day before that I’d repeat the experience.
I quizzed in the evening after checking I had a good signal. I promised the quizzers I’d post a photo or two of the sunset I’d seen while online with them. You can just make out two boats going past in the second photo.
I also took a lovely moonshot later.
Then off to bed in readiness for a busy day with early start on an adventure to Beccles!
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Broad Ambition - Underway on the H2O
in Holiday Tales & Blogs
Posted
Thanks about the wasp nest as I’m hoping to go there next week