Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[kpnut]

14 hours ago, Mouldy said:

According to the Blessed Authority’s FB page, the boardwalk at Cockshoot Dyke has now reopened:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0FLTk7XujcCCwgm6ZEr7uF1uUWxyKsHDRfsKMp94uQKJtterQ1gkBPUXmU9uqPqAJl&id=100070552110990

Just realised the mixup about this. 
 

On looking at the broads post again, the picture shows a VERY small length of boardwalk that’s been repaired at the turning end of the dyke itself, on the corner as you go round the right hand side of the turning end to the back of it. This bit allows access to the other side of the moorings and to the actual boardwalk up the dyke. 

The actual Cockshoot Dyke/Broad boardwalk, from the entrance to the straight bit of dyke going up to the hide has a barrier across. 

I would say that’s more than a bit misleading to say the ‘site’’ is now fully reopen.

All that’s open is the ability to walk from one side of the moorings to the other. And why would anyone need to do that unless they want to visit a boat moored on the other side?

[kpnut]

12 hours ago, garryn said:

Looks like the grass has been cut and down the track. That's good as it was getting a bit long.

It’s cut all the way upstream to the track leading off to IpperStreet, so a walk to Horning is do-able, the ‘short’ way as I call it. 
When it reaches the track junction, it’s overgrown if you take the turning to the right up to Brownhills, the ‘long’ way to Horning via the radar museum. 
 

Going downstream, it’s cut as far as Neaves Mill and totally impassable after that on the footpath down to Ludham Bridge. Once I’ve check whether it’s a council maintained path, I’ll report it on their website. 
 

Edit : it’s not a county council footpath or a BA footpath. Just have to hope it dies down again in the autumn.

I’ll give both parish councils (Horning and Ludham) a ring when I get home and ask them. It’s not marked as a green public footpath or orange permissive path on the OS map, just a line of black dots signifying ‘path, not necessarily right of way’ so perhaps this is going to be a lost path over time. 

[Mouldy]

2 hours ago, kpnut said:

Just realised the mixup about this. 
 

On looking at the broads post again, the picture shows a VERY small length of boardwalk that’s been repaired at the turning end of the dyke itself, on the corner as you go round the right hand side of the turning end to the back of it. This bit allows access to the other side of the moorings and to the actual boardwalk up the dyke. 

The actual Cockshoot Dyke/Broad boardwalk, from the entrance to the straight bit of dyke going up to the hide has a barrier across. 

I would say that’s more than a bit misleading to say the ‘site’’ is now fully reopen.

All that’s open is the ability to walk from one side of the moorings to the other. And why would anyone need to do that unless they want to visit a boat moored on the other side?

Their FB post states ‘the site is now fully open . . .’  To say that it’s a bit misleading is being rather charitable, in my opinion, if indeed there is still no access to the boardwalk to the bird hide.

Have a band of lying politicians infiltrated the Blessed Authority now, to give them carte blanche to report such massive porkies?

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

report such massive porkies?

I think the BA would argue that their site is now fully open ie you can access the whole of their moorings by foot. 
The other bit is Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

But of course to Joe Public, and themselves if they wanted to be totally open and clear, the ‘site’ means the whole thing, especially as I expect the reason many people moor there is to visit the boardwalk. 

[kpnut]

Before I left one of my favourite moorings in the sunshine, I cleaned all the windows, inside and out, ready for my guests onboard this weekend. A few boats went by up and down and I can easily say, all were very courteous with their low speed. 

I rang to ask if it’d be a good time to call in for diesel at Sutton Staithe BY and whoopie, I saw my first Bittern, it flew very sedately across in front of me as I crossed Sutton Broad. I was so shocked and gawping at it that I didn’t have time for a photo. 

A pump out at Richardsons was next on the agenda, where I had plenty of time to chat to Salmar who happened to drive past. 

Back to my mooring and a visit to Lathams for a few bits, then to Boulter’s in Hoveton for a joker valve for the wc, plus spare. 

I plucked up the courage to then fit the new joker valve when I got back to the boat. Turns out it was a very straightforward, quick and remarkably clean job. Chuffed with myself! 

[kpnut]

Friday was a day of cleaning, bed making, food shopping  etc, generally getting sorted for my guests. My two sisters were joining me for the weekend. 
The plan was my older sister to arrive at 5pm and for us to head off to Ludham Bridge where George at the boatyard had kindly said my younger sister could park for the weekend. But the best laid plans and all that. It turned out to be a 6 hr drive from Guildford so once I’d realised we’d be delayed, I told my younger sister to come up to Stalham instead. Depending on time, I thought we might then go as far as Paddy’s Lane. 
In the end, with everything/everyone on board just after 8pm I decided to stay put and open a bottle of wine!

[kpnut]

Our first stop this morning was How Hill for a bacon and egg breakfast and then a visit to the cottage museum, Hathor and an icecream purchase. We were lucky enough to moor up on Luna’s nook right next to Hathor, it really is very picturesque there.
I’d seen GarryN’s Daisy Chain at Irstead, but neither Garry nor Oscar aboard it seemed.
And then Rambling Rosie at Griff’s corner but again no-one to be spotted.  

Then on to the Hoveton Great Broad boardwalk, ignoring enticing spaces kat both Horning church mooring and Horning staithe. As we arrived at the boardwalk, the heavens opened for about 20 minutes. When it settled down to just ‘normal rain’ we went round the boardwalk, knowing it’s quite protected from the worst of weather in most parts. I do enjoy visiting this trail, always finding things of interest. Today there were tern chicks being fed and wild Angelica flowering. 

We got straight back off down the Bure in intermittent storm and sunshine, thinking to go to Boundary Farm for a walk round Thurne, but deciding to moor up at St Benet’s instead. The black cloud that had been chasing me along the river dumped its rain on us as well as giving us a good display of horizontal lightening to the accompanying thunder. 

It didn’t last long though and we walked up to the cross while Finlay exercised himself running around, up and down, to and fro. He had a swim on the way back to the gatehouse. Our walk then took us up the track to see the old course of the Ant along the Hundred dyke, along to The Dog Inn and down the permissive riverbank path back to St Benet’s. And yet again, the black cloud started approaching, blowing a bit of a gale just as we walked along the mooring and threatening to make us wetter than it actually did. I did get wet sorting out the fenders but the others got in before too much rain had fallen. 

The plan was then to go up to Griff’s corner where I knew Neil on Rambling Rosie was moored. This had always been my original plan even before I knew he was going there, but with a bit of worry about the start of the fishing season tonight, I decided we’d stay put rather than risk there being no space. I wish I’d read Neil’s and Grendel’s posts earlier as there was space after all. It would have been nice to give my sisters the experience of a wild mooring. 
Fish in sauce with veg and new potatoes, with strawberries and lemon drizzle cake for pudding with a bottle of wine went down well indeed. And a brief musical accompaniment from the Southern Comfort. 

For all the changeable weather today, this evening is the calmest water I’ve had at St Benet’s for a very long while. 

[YnysMon]

11 hours ago, kpnut said:

Then on to the Hoveton Great Broad boardwalk, ignoring enticing spaces kat both Horning church mooring and Horning staithe.

You were lucky...when we passed on Thursday there were 'no mooring' signs in place plus a handwritten sign which I think said something about the boardwalk being closed due to flooding. 

[kpnut]

It stayed nice and calm all night at St Benet’s and the rain held off while I took the dog out at about 7.30am. Breakfast done and dusted, we set off at 9.30am, up the Ant where just downstream of Griff’s corner we passed the time of day with Grendel on his way to Wroxham. And then past Neil still on the mooring. 
We were aiming for Neatishead where I’d reckoned an arrival time of about 11am would find us a space. And it did. As usual, my nervousness for reversing down the dyke was worse than the actual delivery. 
I then rang the White Horse to book a table but they don’t open till 12 so I got no reply. We went for the obligatory visit to the fudge lady and then round the field and lanes back into Neatishead. 
On entering the pub, it looked ominously like all tables were reserved and on enquiring, found that was true. I could have booked a table days ago, but not knowing how busy the weekend was going to be with the fishing season starting, I didn’t like to book and then have to cancel if I couldn’t moor up at Neatishead, Gayes staithe or Irstead. I don’t think cancelling at the last minute is fair in the business. So we lost out and had a replacement feast of finishing off the food in the fridge instead. 

All that was left was to get back to Stalham, (happily spying a couple of kingfishers on the way), and say our goodbyes. I hope my older sister has an easier journey than on the way here. 

Weather-wise today we had another couple of outbursts, interspersed with warm sunny spells. And the afternoon has got better and better, lovely and warm and bright. 
To my daughter’s early tomorrow morning for 5 days of gardening. 

[SwanR]

That’s a great photo of the Southern Comfort against that sky. Safe travels tomorrow Kate. 🤗