Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[NorfolkNog]

1 hour ago, Jbx5 said:

You will notice a bit of a difference Howard

Indeed! reminds me a bit of the Woods End conversion, certainly looks a lot brighter. I'll have a walk down there if I can drag myself away from the Norfolk Nog 

This is from a few years ago, you can tell the difference

[kpnut]

On 02/01/2024 at 12:42, 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

Hi Simon, haven’t been up to Ludham Bridge today, but based on the amount of rain this week, and the rising levels by the look of it, I reckon you might be unlucky indeed. 

It’s tipping down again now and the forecast says it’s due to continue, albeit less heavy, till tomorrow lunchtime. 

[kpnut]

I feel I’ve finally made the transition from having ‘boating breaks’ to using my boat as accommodation while I get on with my social life!

First it was a guitar concert in Stokesby a year ago, then a couple of brass band concerts this winter, along with a few  cafe trips to meet NBN forumites and a few meet-ups on moorings, including a lovely fish and chip meal on Luna Aurora one evening with Sam. 

Today, it was a whole day of socialising, thanks very much to Helen and co on Moonlight Shadow. We arranged to meet up at Ranworth mid morning and we’re both still here now, having whiled away the whole day chatting, dog walking and eating. The boat was just a vehicle for facilitating the meet. 
 

Thanks Helen. A great day. 
And thanks NBN for being the ‘friendly forum’. 

[YnysMon]

35 minutes ago, kpnut said:

I feel I’ve finally made the transition from having ‘boating breaks’ to using my boat as accommodation while I get on with my social life!

First it was a guitar concert in Stokesby a year ago, then a couple of brass band concerts this winter, along with a few  cafe trips to meet NBN forumites and a few meet-ups on moorings, including a lovely fish and chip meal on Luna Aurora one evening with Sam. 

Today, it was a whole day of socialising, thanks very much to Helen and co on Moonlight Shadow. We arranged to meet up at Ranworth mid morning and we’re both still here now, having whiled away the whole day chatting, dog walking and eating. The boat was just a vehicle for facilitating the meet. 
 

Thanks Helen. A great day. 
And thanks NBN for being the ‘friendly forum’. 

I'll echo that Kate. I really enjoyed the day. I'd never have met you and Jean, Peter (Grendel) Dave (JanetAnne), Ian and Marina and many others if I wasn't for the forum, and am looking forward to meeting Sam properly sometime instead of just exchanging waves.

And I'm only mentioning a few members met 'in the flesh', there are many others, plus those that I've only met online but count as friends. 

It really is the 'friendly forum'. 

[kpnut]

A day of doing not a lot! 

I promise I was awake and thinking of getting up when Helen left soon after 8am. I waved to the stern of Moonlight Shadow from the bedroom window! Hope you’ve had a nice day out with the car Helen. 

At times through the night it had been windy to accompany the rain, blowing in off the Broad, therefore noisy, and I’d already decided I would (over)stay another night, so after breakfast I pulled the boat down to sit side-on down the side dyke - the best way to keep the boat warm, the wind hitting the bow rather than all the way down the side of the boat. 
I’ve been Billie no-mates all day and got some indoor jobs done. I’m gradually tidying and clearing the interior before SR is taken out of the water for her re-paint. But I’m in no hurry till next week. I had wanted to wash the exterior but the weather was just too horrible. Maybe I’ll get a chance over the weekend. I don’t think there’s any sun forecast till Tuesday. Medics certainly have a point recommending we all consume vitamin D tablets! I have yet to succumb but maybe I’ll give it a try if this winter continues so gloomy. 

I finally plucked up the effort to take Finlay out for a walk. I took the lanes up to Panxworth tower and had a mooch amongst the gravestones. Many headstones are from the same families, their surnames also mentioned on the memorial to the 1st World War casualties. 

After my return to the staithe, one other boat came in to join me. Now dark and cosy indoors again - the days fly by with all this murky weather. 

[CambridgeCabby]

Lovely spot you’ve moored in , must try it sometime myself 

[YnysMon]

We noticed that you had a light on as we departed, but I'm afraid that I missed the wave Kate.

[kpnut]

The sun did come out this morning after all. Being on the river was wonderful. 
I headed off down the Bure and took a short detour up the Ant to check on the bridge gauge for those who had asked or might need to know. It was showing 7’2” at 2.5 hours before low tide. 

I continued to Boundary Farm moorings. And took Finlay for a walk up to Thurne. The pub was closed for a wedding reception. And the landlord told me it’s now shut on Mon-Wed for the rest of the winter.

View from Boundary Farm towards Thurne. 

So we came back the long way round, down Oby Dyke. Better for my waistline and pocket, and gave Finlay more exercise too. 

According to the Aweigh app, we’re now halfway towards high tide. But the water is definitely flowing out and quite fast too.  I threw some reed in to check. I really don’t think the wind is making that much of a difference to the flow. 
Is this a case of all the floodwaters off the fields further upstream allowing the current to override the rising tide?
If so, it’s a sure sign the water levels will be dropping soon. 

[YnysMon]

20 minutes ago, kpnut said:

The sun did come out this morning after all. Being on the river was wonderful. 
I headed off down the Bure and took a short detour up the Ant to check on the bridge gauge for those who had asked or might need to know. It was showing 7’2” at 2.5 hours before low tide. 

I continued to Boundary Farm moorings. And took Finlay for a walk up to Thurne. The pub was closed for a wedding reception. And the landlord told me it’s now shut on Mon-Wed for the rest of the winter.
According to the Aweigh app, we’re now halfway towards high tide. But the water is definitely flowing out and quite fast too.  I threw some reed in to check. I really don’t think the wind is making that much of a difference to the flow. 
Is this a case of all the floodwaters off the fields further upstream allowing the current to override the rising tide?
If so, it’s a sure sign the water levels will be dropping soon. 

I took some bad news and some good news from this. The Lion being shut on Monday is the bad news. Monday is Graham’s birthday and I had a tentative plan to cruise to Thurne for Monday lunchtime.

Signs that the water levels will be dropping soon is definitely good news. Maybe we can go up the Ant instead. 
 

[kpnut]

At least you have the heads up to replan. 

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, YnysMon said:

I took some bad news and some good news from this. The Lion being shut on Monday is the bad news. Monday is Graham’s birthday and I had a tentative plan to cruise to Thurne for Monday lunchtime.

Signs that the water levels will be dropping soon is definitely good news. Maybe we can go up the Ant instead. 
 

Don’t head for The White Horse.  They’re closed too!

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

Don’t head for The White Horse.  They’re closed too!

Oh! Thanks for that Mouldy. I was going to go there on Tuesday.

Need to start looking things up before deciding anything. 

[NorfolkNog]

Thanks for the pub info, we are back in February so need to look out for those, normally two must visits. 

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

Don’t head for The White Horse.  They’re closed too!

Thanks for the heads up. That was an alternative plan. 

[Mouldy]

8 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

Thanks for the heads up. That was an alternative plan. 

According to their website, The White Horse at Upton is open on Monday (and Tuesday), although a phone call to confirm might be prudent.  With EW’s boats all lifted and on the hard, you could easily get down there and turn.  The pub certainly could use any additional custom at the moment.

[Tess10]

49 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

According to their website, The White Horse at Upton is open on Monday (and Tuesday), although a phone call to confirm might be prudent.  With EW’s boats all lifted and on the hard, you could easily get down there and turn.  The pub certainly could use any additional custom at the moment.

 

Revised opening hours for White Horse Upton-

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid03BkTBv6EmwcKe4poBQsMVBQab8MGCUg28Jh2KZTQUFJxFYbV4VxxMJeEPhzF38UAl&id=100063717333512

 

[YnysMon]

Okay, so Graham’s birthday is officially cancelled. 

It doesn’t help that I left his birthday pressie at home. Though, to be fair this is the first year for quite a while that I’ve actually bought Graham a birthday present. He is very adamant that cards and pressies are not his thing. It’s taken me 40 years of marriage to try and buck this trend, then I go and mess it up by leaving the pressie at home. I’m safe in revealing this as he doesn’t read the forum, so at least I can surprise him when we get home.

 

[Mouldy]

7 hours ago, YnysMon said:

Okay, so Graham’s birthday is officially cancelled. 

It doesn’t help that I left his birthday pressie at home. Though, to be fair this is the first year for quite a while that I’ve actually bought Graham a birthday present. He is very adamant that cards and pressies are not his thing. It’s taken me 40 years of marriage to try and buck this trend, then I go and mess it up by leaving the pressie at home. I’m safe in revealing this as he doesn’t read the forum, so at least I can surprise him when we get home.

 

Pretty sure that The Kings Arms at Ludham will be open.  They’re advertising a specials menu for lunchtimes on their website, so it does look as if the kitchens will be open for other options, too.

No offence intended here obviously, but the pub may be an option.  Alternatively, you could go to The Fur and Feather at Woodbastwick.  No mooring fees At Salhouse at the moment (I think - ask Kate), but no need to cancel Graham’s big day! 😉

[Happy]

7 hours ago, YnysMon said:

Okay, so Graham’s birthday is officially cancelled. 

It doesn’t help that I left his birthday pressie at home. Though, to be fair this is the first year for quite a while that I’ve actually bought Graham a birthday present. He is very adamant that cards and pressies are not his thing. It’s taken me 40 years of marriage to try and buck this trend, then I go and mess it up by leaving the pressie at home. I’m safe in revealing this as he doesn’t read the forum, so at least I can surprise him when we get home.

 

Save it and give it to him next year  

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

No mooring fees At Salhouse at the moment (I think - ask Kate),

That’s correct, and path up to the car parks not too bad. Dogs allowed in both pubs. Recycled teenager menu at Ludham is ‘just right’ portion sizes. 

[kpnut]

15 hours ago, kpnut said:

According to the Aweigh app, we’re now halfway towards high tide. But the water is definitely flowing out and quite fast too.  I threw some reed in to check. I really don’t think the wind is making that much of a difference to the flow. 

Looking at the EA height gauge info, I think yesterday pm was an example of one of those prolonged ebbing tides. Right across the system it seems to have lasted longer than normal.  Of well, and there was me hoping it was receding flood water causing it. 

[kpnut]

Life on board seems to have its own pace in winter. I wake early, but then get another couple of hours sleep. That doesn’t happen at home. Let the dog out for a short walk, (or sometimes longer if the fancy takes me), back in for breakfast and slowly decide whether the plan for the day is still as it was. 
Today it was, the wind was still fairly light with no substantial rain in the offing, so I pootled up to Potter Heigham. Most of the water on the marshes up the Thurne towards Potter has receded, leaving some pools that’ll be getting a bit stagnant. Good thing it’s getting colder, to ensure no nasty midgies decide to lay eggs in that water. 
After mooring up and adjusting the fenders, I did a bit of food shopping in Lathams -nothing fancy, in fact I think that’d be impossible anyway!

I’m trying very hard not to overbuy or overeat and have been using up store cupboard food, but I was down to plain pasta on its own, so bought a jar of sauce and some cheese, and some reduced peaches in juice that weren’t even on their last date. They’ll make a dessert with Greek yoghurt I brought from home. I am eating salad and some allotment veg to keep up the greens!

Catering sorted, we went for a walk. The water behind the chalets has also receded and it was pleasant all the way along past the Bond mill to Staithe Road. We walked up past the wind energy museum and the egg farm, where I noticed a smart hole in the barn wall storing chilled eggs, with a very reasonable price list. 
We took the path across a sugar beet field to the right, following along through the wood (muddy) and then across the footbridge that leads along a path to reach the lane to Thurne. 
The lane (Ashby Rd) was surprisingly busy with cars. It eventually led back to the top of Staithe Road where I noted a church to have a look in on a future walk.
Back down Staithe Road to the track opposite where I’d turned off 45 mins earlier. It leads towards Bastwick, emerging by some very sorry looking allotments. 
I could have turned left to follow the B road that emerges onto the main road further north, but decided to extend my rather meandering walk by crossing the road just before the fork that splits the road to Acle from the road to Yarmouth, and following Grove Rd round past Bastwick tower. That’s in a private property and I presume it’s an old church tower. 
I stopped to chat to a lady with a labrador and a field spaniel. Rather embarrassingly, I had to apologise for sounding a bit drunk as my lips were so cold they weren’t working properly. It’s certainly a lot colder today, especially with the windchill added in.
This walk seems a good one for muddy conditions as the only soggy bit is in the wood. 

We made our way back down to Potter, wading across the muddy remnants of the large flood lake in the pilots’ yard and after a quick dip to clean the dog off, we made ourselves snug indoors again, with dusk falling. 
So a day of nothing spectacular, but another good walk for winter conditions in the bag for future reference. 

Part of this walk is the one I did to Thurne in November. It’ll make a good day out with guests onboard if combined with a pub stop for lunch at the Lion. 

[Turnoar]

I passed the Bure at both Aylsham and Burgh yesterday and observed that the flow was both quick and high. The fields in the vicinity are sodden and puddling as far as the eye can see from the roadside. There is a lot of surface water drainage demand from housing also so I suspect, whilst the new may be built on old fields, the floodwaters are contributed to by building over the uplands.

Aside of the river by my calculations your next three visits to the Lion are destined to be weddings!

On 06/01/2024 at 16:44, kpnut said:

...
According to the Aweigh app, we’re now halfway towards high tide. But the water is definitely flowing out and quite fast too.  I threw some reed in to check. I really don’t think the wind is making that much of a difference to the flow. 
Is this a case of all the floodwaters off the fields further upstream allowing the current to override the rising tide?
...

[kpnut]

21 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

Aside of the river by my calculations your next three visits to the Lion are destined to be weddings!

I’ll avoid Saturdays!

22 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

There is a lot of surface water drainage demand from housing also so I suspect, whilst the new may be built on old fields, the floodwaters are contributed to by building over the uplands.

I agree that the high river levels are likely not just due to something going on on the lower Bure. The Bure seems to drain half of Norfolk, so something going on miles away is going to effect the speed at which the river fills. I expect that’s why we’re not seeing the level at Wroxham bridge changing much over the past ten weeks. 

[kpnut]

Certainly a chilly day today. The strong easterly wind is bringing in flurries of snow.