marshman

Q - it was good to see that this year they moved the S Walsham mark a little up Fleet Dyke but I thought it a little odd that it was bang in the middle of the big bend! Whilst it is not as bad as the Ludham turn, surely it would make some sense to move it into one of the bays where the fishing platforms are ( only 50 m or so away ) - it would give everyone so much more room and enable crews to prepare as you could not see that guardship until you were right on top of it? Similarly Ludham - I know its meant to be exciting for spectators but if my boat was damaged because of a poorly positioned mark I might be a little waspy about it!! As has been said you could not see the guardship until after you went round the bend approaching the bridge - would it really made a lot of difference to put it, say, where the bridge height board board is downstream where it is wider? I know its not quite as challenging(!) there but it may save damage which no one really wants to see?

Well at least everyone has well rehearsed arguments having worn them all out with last years predictions of mayhem and impending disaster - so what happened then?? Nothing! It made little of no impact at all if I remember! I welcome ALL visitors to the Broads to enjoy themselves and appreciate this area which is for all, and not just a privileged few - welcome!!

From my recollection the locks are slightly narrower - I thought they were around 12'?

Excellent - i had spotted she had gone!

Interestingly there is no blog post from yesterday!!! Why is it that they are happy to tell you the good news - but not the bad? Its ok - we can accept the bad news you know! That happens in real life too.

Simply because, especially in the Ant Valley ,the chalk aquifer continues to be drained by farmers who are really very keen to grow potatoes and high value salad crops, in an area of the country which has insufficient rain to grow the damn things without irrigation. Who benefits from that ? The farmers methinks. If that was NOT an issue, Ludham Village would be able to continue to draw drinking water from that aquifer, yet Anglian Water are going to spend millions for a new main from Norwich to that area as the abstraction licences are to be withdrawn. We are not talking about drained marshes as thankfully they are becoming fewer and fewer, but the "upland" farmland areas adjacent thereto. IMHO, for whats that worth, is that farmers should generally grow stuff in the fields where the local rainfall can support that crop, and not have to rely on irrigation to the extent that is now seen - and if you do water then that should be supplied from your own reservoirs, and not the aquifer! Because potatoes have fairly shallow roots, they respond readily to frequent irrigation in high summer, often when the east has little rain: this watering substantially benefits the yield and profit. But who is to blame? By all means use flood water and/or drainage water to top up your reservoir but beyond that I cannot see anyone to blame other than the rain gods!!!

Malcolm - I accept most of your comments but it is a little harsh to judge the whole village by the actions of an owner of a pub! To be fair to the village there is plenty of free on road parking within 50m and a free car park provided by the village within 200m! Part of the problem revolves around the fact that "free" facilities are often abused by the world at large - Horning PC provide waste bins for boaters adjacent to the carpark but regularly they are filled by "locals" with everything from garden waste upwards!!

Vaughan - there is a difference in flooding us with seawater and a shortage of freshwater methinks!!!!!

I did exactly the same thing , when I got towards 60, as I found after many years of ditch crawling, I needed a change from getting up early and then finding the water did not come far enough up the creek, or finding the water did come in, and then not being able to get back in for another 10 hours!!! I bought a stinkpot and indulge my love of sailing these days by hiring from Colin Buttifant at Swallowtail or one of the Hunters day boats just to remind myself that its a bit like riding a bike really; once you can do it the habit remains! Never really regretted it although the bank balance does not improve but what I did find with Broads sailing is, that its much more skilled than it looks and its never boring!

How fact, if it is, is corrupted!!!

Chris - shows you just how important the crash actually WAS!!!!

Shows how very important a wherry is!!!!!!

PW is right about the mooring rings - by putting a large shackle on you will not only have cleaner ropes but a smooth shackle will reduce chafing! Its the finer points which make all the difference!! P.S. About the bathing platform - however it is made, or attached, it would never be as durable or efficient as a moulded platform from the outset, and may well look like it was - an afterthought. I would leave well alone!

Why does everybody love Reedham Quay????? Much less tide running so much easier to moor, and a much quieter mooring, and a pub, at Cantley! And the station is nearer only 200 yds or so, so pop into Norwich for the afternoon.

Difficult to see where the boat stops and the wood begins!!! Still, don't have far to carry the water........!!

Ooops - digressed a bit from Dilham "Lake"!!!!

Thats Mr Cator's private shooting broad!!!! You are, I suspect, very welcome indeed to put your suggestion to him - cannot guarantee the response!!! All around that area the Cator Estate actively manage the marsh to produce a large quantity of reed on an annual basis. The two Martham Broads are better identified as North and South these days if only to differentiate them - the North used to be used by fishermen but is now quite weedy - the South to which access is only through a locked gate, much less so. The Hundred Stream does indeed come out at Dungeon Corner where the NTL is - for the early stretch there is still water in it. There is actually a barrier structure there so there is no access but the marsh to the west of the Hundred Stream, Starch Grass, is another very productive and active reed cut by a well known (locally) character - or whatever else you may call him!

My Historical Atlas of Norfolk had been "remaindered" in Roys!! It was NOT anywhere near that much but have just seen what Abe Books are charging - as Griff would say chuffin heck!!

Excellent work Griff with some good stuff coming out of the woodwork ! I hope to add to the bit on Dilham "lake" but an trying to find a link as I know the NWT archivist published an article on it sometime ago. However one thing that is incorrect I think is the point raised about the Natural Tidal LImit on the navigation bit - the NTL is an official point marked on OS Maps and the NTL for the Ant is just as you enter Barton Broad - tidal influence is felt above these marks but that does not mean it is the official point. The one on the Bure is is just level with the top entrance to Wroxham Broad for example. No doubt someone will tell me I am wrong and that its now been moved - actually I wonder who decides that?

Briggate Mill you mean!!!!!

I am pleased to hear progress is being made!! I wait to see how successful the honesty system works - will this be adopted by the other extensions to Broadland rivers such as the Waveney and the Bure or are they different I wonder.

Griff - you have indeed made inroads into some issues but what really troubles me is that IF it really that easy, then why has progress over that bit NOT been made???? No one invented those issues referred to and they are common knowledge around Broadland; a fallen tree cannot be an issue at all - I have a chainsaw!! It has been totally neglected south of Honing Lock for years and why, has it suddenly been necessary to introduce a Toll? It was not charged before and it seems to me that even on other restored waterways the BCU permit suffices? I have never seen ANY attempt at clearance south of the lock, although that could have changed over the last year or so. Other points which to me, have not been clarified include if the Canal Co own all the way to Wayford, then how can an individual own another bit and charge a toll - why is the toll not going to the Canal Co? Whilst Griff you have cleared some things, legal issues now seem more blurred but I am not discussing my thoughts on an Open Forum but I am not entirely convinced! To convince me I require to see some action on that bit - why is it that everything being done is above the lock and nothing below for example? If you look at any online mapping system you will see Tonnage Bridge is about half a mile or so below the East Ruston Branch an perhaps a little bit less down to Wayford.

Griff - you could certainly make it up to the East Ruston branch which is half a mile or so above the Tonnage Bridge and whilst it would be weedy in places, I doubt whether depth is a real problem - it wasn't a few years ago as I went up in a workboat. What is really required, I suspect, is a convoy of boats to "force " passage with lots of publicity and really bring the point home but because you cannot get access to the banks to clear trees etc, I suspect that is a problem too with him letting them fall across the waterway. His argument is that he owns the whole canal in that area. I am always surprised how the NW & D Canal group do not get more involved with this - but perhaps they continue to hope that things will get better? Perhaps someone from the Group or who knows the real issues could bring us up to date with the current position and whether these problems remain or are improving?

Sadly the biggest frustration remains the attitude of the landowner who owns the land surrounding the water from the turn off at Wayford up to Honing Lock - currently he is trying hard to even prevent the canoes from Banks Boats paddling up there. Yes I know he cannot but he can make it unpleasant for people.....

And please don't let me hear people moaning how busy the rivers are these days!!! They just have short memories!!!