Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[Turnoar]

That’s a good question about the path of the ‘Ant, I thought I may have the answer in the form of an old map of Norfolk but 450 years is going back  two or three centuries too many I think... certainly has been a nice start to the yaer!

Enjoy your new year cruise!

[credit Christopher Saxton 1574]

[LizG]

I think @Vaughanwill have the answer. As to the rest of the Ant get an OS map which shows the parish boundaries and that will show the old course of the Ant!!!

[kpnut]

What a fascinating map. A few things don’t seem to be in quite the right places, like Thurne above Ludham. 
A most interesting feature is the river coming off the Bure and going up towards Rollesby. I suppose it’s what is known as Muck Fleet nowadays but looks like it was a lot bigger once upon a time. 
 

The current OS Map puts the Hundred Dyke as starting by the ‘inlet’ by the bridge gauge, but that doesn’t mean the Ant went off there, as the bit between the Ludham Bridge big bend and that inlet (ie the straight bit with all the moorings) could well be part of the dug channel when the river was rerouted. 

[kpnut]

8 minutes ago, LizG said:

As to the rest of the Ant get an OS map which shows the parish boundaries and that will show the old course of the Ant!!!

Ah right Liz. The parish boundary does veer off the main river onto the Hundred Dyke at that inlet. 

[kpnut]

Just noticed my OS map (OL40 The Broads) shows the Norwich ‘Ring Road (for want of calling it by its proper names) as a dotted line, opening early 2018. 
I’ll have to see if there’s a more updated map now. 

[YnysMon]

33 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Just noticed my OS map (OL40 The Broads) shows the Norwich ‘Ring Road (for want of calling it by its proper names) as a dotted line, opening early 2018. 
I’ll have to see if there’s a more updated map now. 

I think mine predates even that, and our SatNav is pretty much behind the times too. On the other hand the river features seem to have lasted pretty well since Arthur Ransome wrote The Coot Club, so I’m not sure I’ll be buying a replacement OS map soon. 

[kpnut]

For info, as I haven’t seen it mentioned on a BA notice or anywhere else. 

There is a tree down and lying about 1/3 across the river Bure on your starboard side if travelling upstream, shortly after Salhouse. 
It is marked with yellow posts and a light on the outermost post. 

Photo was taken on the way back downstream. 
 

[CambridgeCabby]

If you pass under Ludham bridge later this week could you let me know what the clearance is please as we are this weekend , thank you xx

[kpnut]

21 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

If you pass under Ludham bridge later this week could you let me know what the clearance is please as we are this weekend , thank you xx

Will do Simon, although I’m hoping not to go back up till early next week. 
Helen on Moonlight Shadow might have a look if I don’t. 

It was over 7ft when I went down on Sunday lunchtime, about a couple of hours before high tide. The cills were showing nicely if that helps. 
And then we’ve had rain since of course, a lot last night and today. 

Hope we might ‘meet’. 

Water at Gays staithe is on by the way. I’m not sure when Richos water is back on, (expect it will be by the weekend mind you). It wasn’t on Sunday and I could see no evidence of a water hose outside reception, or a suitable gap even if there had been one. 

My neighbours at Salhouse don’t seem to be concerned by the horrid weather. 

[NorfolkNog]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

For info, as I haven’t seen it mentioned on a BA notice or anywhere else. 

There is a tree down and lying about 1/3 across the river Bure on your starboard side if travelling upstream, shortly after Salhouse. 
It is marked with yellow posts and a light on the outermost post. 

Photo was taken on the way back downstream. 
 

Thanks for the heads up, that was there in December, I should have mentioned it but you're right, didn't see it anywhere on the BA media. I guess it hasn't been shifted due to the Christmas holidays.  

[kpnut]

14 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

I guess it hasn't been shifted due to the Christmas holidays.  

Yes, I’m sure it won’t be there much longer. 

[YnysMon]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

Will do Simon, although I’m hoping not to go back up till early next week. 
Helen on Moonlight Shadow might have a look if I don’t. 
 

We'll be traveling to the boat tomorrow. We quite fancy a trip up the Ant, so if we do go to Ludham Bridge I'll let you know the clearance Simon.

Helen

[kpnut]

Beautiful herd of British White cattle in the field at the top of Salhouse Broad. 

[YnysMon]

5 hours ago, YnysMon said:

We'll be traveling to the boat tomorrow. We quite fancy a trip up the Ant, so if we do go to Ludham Bridge I'll let you know the clearance Simon.

Helen

I probably going to revise that plan Simon. Having an extra couple of days and the weather looking likely to settle down a bit makes it look like getting down south for three or four days could be a real possibility. 

[kpnut]

Tuesday 2nd January. 
With the forecast set for rain and more rain and 45mph wind thrown in for good measure in the late afternoon, I decided outstaying my welcome at Horning would lead to a pretty noisy evening, so set off upstream for a wander, with my eventual destination being Salhouse Broad. 
I went up to Wroxham just for a nosey. The high water levels seem to be more persistent up there than down at Horning, based on looking in peoples gardens. 

The rain started in earnest at some point and by the time I arrived at Salhouse it was pretty miserable outside. I moored side-on to get more bits of boat attached to the land. I put the canopies down and enjoyed some quality reading time, realising at about 3.15pm that the weather had cheered up greatly. So we escaped for a walk round the site, taking a few photos. 

The wind picked up on cue at something past 5pm and it sounded like we’d got ourselves into a washing machine for the next few hours. But the boat was nicely snug and the storm blew itself out by about 9pm. And by morning, you’d have never guessed there’d been some brief wild weather. 
I had thought it’d be a bit more sheltered at Salhouse but it was as noisy as Horning would have been - nicer view to wake up to though!

[kpnut]

I took the chance this morning to explore round Salhouse a bit more. Usually I only come here for the NBN meet or to head up the hill with friends to the Fur and Feather. So I don’t know my way around the footpaths to the west very well at all. 
Heading towards the village, we forked right and went along Upper Street, passing the loke back down to Lower Street by the pond, and ignoring the footpath off to the left a bit further along. We went along Vicarage Road as far as some houses and took a footpath alongside a pasture field (more of those British White cattle, bullocks this time, and a lonesome tup, his job for the year done before Christmas). The path ran across a drilled field and then at the far headland it met another, turning right towards the church. I’ve been in that church before, so we didn’t stop today.
We crossed the road and carried on along a nice dryish path, (mainly cos it was edged by those stupid Leylandii trees-whoever planted them needs a talking to!), skirting the back of Salhouse Hall, where I spotted a herd of ‘proper’ deer, not those Muntjacs, with babies, in the field by the house. The hedge was just a bit too thick to take a decent photo, but they had rather grand antlers. I have no idea what breed they are. 
The path came out onto a lane called Howletts Loke where I turned left, passing Old Hall farmhouse and walking parallel to the railway line. At the junction, I took the footpath across to the bend where the newly named Stag pub is (formerly the Bell). From the end near the pub, this path has a lovely shiny sign to point pedestrians along it to the railway station. Well, if I were a villager and needing to catch a train, I would definitely not walk along there. It’s a terrible, muddy, potholed path at the railway station end, passing round the back of a horse livery farm which, and I’ll be kind here, had a rather unkempt yard. The path nearer the village end is much better. 

Having been 4 days since that sickness bug, I decided to stop in at the Stag for an orange juice and lemonade (still can’t quite face beer). I asked to see the food menu for future reference and it looked nice, but beyond my price range I’m afraid. 
All that was left was to saunter back along Lower Street. 

And now, looking at Google Maps, I see I’ve STILL missed the biggest chunk of Salhouse, the other side of Lower Street, which does seem to only comprise houses mind you.

A convenient place to live I would think though, with a railway station, on the bus route, country walks, a Broad, two nice pubs in easy walking distance, not forgetting Norwich and ‘Roystown’ within reach. 

[kpnut]

And I saw some snowdrops on a verge. Cheery sight!

[NorfolkNog]

30 minutes ago, kpnut said:

see I’ve STILL missed the biggest chunk of Salhouse, the other side of Lower Street, which does seem to only comprise houses mind you.

It is pretty much housing and the school. The bus comes round there along Norwich Road, then up Thieves Lane, back to the Stag and onwards to Wroxham. Must have a look in the Stag, John mentioned it too. 

[kpnut]

2 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

Must have a look in the Stag, John mentioned it too

It was nice and warm with a good fire lit. And welcoming in so far as I was with a very muddy dog.

Much smaller than I’d imagined it would be (I hadn’t been in the Bell) unless I missed another room at the back perhaps? The carpark seemed bigger than the pub. 

 

2 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

The bus comes round there along Norwich Road, then up Thieves Lane, back to the Stag and onwards to Wroxham.

I know the bus route from the time in July it was supposedly being diverted on its way to Norwich, but turned out it wasn’t, and I had to go running up onto the Norwich road to try to hail it down after we had been standing at the temporary stop that had suddenly become out of action. 

[NorfolkNog]

27 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Much smaller than I’d imagined it would be (I hadn’t been in the Bell) unless I missed another room at the back perhaps? The carpark seemed bigger than the pub. 

Not been in for a while but from memory there was a stone flagged bar area at the front as you went in and the lounge area was to the right hand side and extended through to the back. The bar was L shaped, so the front bit served the bar and the side bit the lounge. There used to be a good sized garden at the rear. We're back in February so I'll try to make a point of having a look. 

[CambridgeCabby]

Before the refurb when was up for sale 

[NorfolkNog]

That's pretty much as I remember it. Be interesting to see what its like now. 

[Roy]

44 minutes ago, kpnut said:

It was nice and warm with a good fire lit. And welcoming in so far as I was with a very muddy dog.

Much smaller than I’d imagined it would be (I hadn’t been in the Bell) unless I missed another room at the back perhaps? The carpark seemed bigger than the pub. 

 

I know the bus route from the time in July it was supposedly being diverted on its way to Norwich, but turned out it wasn’t, and I had to go running up onto the Norwich road to try to hail it down after we had been standing at the temporary stop that had suddenly become out of action. 

Yes the stag (bell ) is quite small as mentioned the garden is big out the back to the left of the pub garden was the bowling green my grandad used to be the green keeper. 
salhouse is one of my favourite easy days out walk to the broad followed by a picnic there and now the stag is open a look at the old bowling green and a look at the house my mum grew up in. 
 

As ever enjoying your travels thanks Roy 
 

[Jbx5]

You will notice a bit of a difference Howard

John 

[kpnut]

Pleased they kept the fireplace. 
I think I missed the bit down the side. I didn’t like to venture onto the carpet area with a muddy dog. Flagstones have gone, timber (or timber lookalike?) floor now.