Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers

[kpnut]

Those kingfishers (that kingfisher) were (was) still going strong when I woke up this morning. And this time, I managed to see one as I set off. 
The bridge was showing 6’7” as I went through, half an hour after low tide. Soon after, Maurice Mynah and I exchanged cheery waves. Good to see you out and about John 

I planned on either Boundary Farm or Upton dyke this evening, stopping to look for those pesky sunglasses at St Benets on the way, but all the best plans change.

There was a space on Horning staithe so I managed to give the dog a quick walk round the village and offload a little bit of rubbish. Then Horning church mooring was free so that’s where I pulled in.
We had a relaxing walk across to Griff’s corner on the Ant, then round the overgrown path that sort of follows the river upstream into a wood near Brownhills.

The Boatshed at the end of their private dyke, hidden in the trees.

I’m sure someone once told me this dyke was used in days gone by as a duck decoy. 

I didn’t expect to find rhododendron flowers

Out of the wood the other side

and onto the grazing pasture

and to the lane that goes past the radar museum.
But before reaching that, I took the same path as Tuesday, across the sugarbeet etc to the radio mast. Back down the lane to the church, collecting plenty of blackberries on the way. 
I haven’t done that walk for a couple of years as it gets extremely overgrown in the summer, and is boggy in the winter. Today I caught it just right, with the vegetation which has been trodden down a bit by folk braver than me, beginning to die down a bit, and as dry as a bone. 

There’s a hop bine growing up the tree at the end of the mooring. It doesn’t have any flowers on it though; maybe it’s a young one. 

Later, once the sun had come out as forecast, Helen and Harry came along on Moonlight Shadow on their way back to their mooring. Helen moored up against Springer’s Retreat and we had a good catch up. Finlay enjoyed all the fuss Harry was giving him. 

And isn’t nature beautiful? I found a wonderful fungus on an oak tree. 

[YnysMon]

It was lovely to see you earlier Kate. Hope the rest of your trip this time goes well, it looks like the weather is perking up again for you. 

[kpnut]

23 hours ago, YnysMon said:

looks like the weather is perking up again for you. 

It certainly did today. Right from the off it’s been warm and sunny. Even if rather breezy. 

I moored at St Benets to walk up the concrete road to search for the baby’s sunglasses. No luck.
I continued along the track that goes off to the right from the buildings near the road end of the concrete road. It does a left turn and comes out on the road  just before the junction with Ludham’s Staithe Rd. Having no particular time schedule to keep, I turned right to explore down to Coldharbour Farm. Well, I’m certainly pleased I did. I walked along the bank towards Womack dyke mouth where a tractor had been cutting the other day when I was moored on the dyke. 

The view towards Womack dyke

I then thought I’d try the other way, following the river Thurne downstream, not thinking I’d get further than the end of the fishing pitches. But this wide mown floodbank went on,

past Thurne dyke,

past St Benet’s Level drainage mill, with a pair of sail ‘frames’ sitting on the ground looking as if they’ve been restored and are ready to go up sometime, 

past Thurne mouth, up the Bure,

so I continued on, hoping I’d end up being able to access St Benet’s. Otherwise it’d be a further and further return journey! 
There was a wide dyke running alongside to my right and thinking there is no dyke at St Benet’s I was also keeping my fingers crossed I didn’t need to somehow cross it. 
The path went all the way round and stopped abruptly at the fence of St Benet’s.

I climbed over straight into a mass of thistles that I had to wade through to reach the Bishop’s mooring where I sat and de-thistled my shoes and socks. 
I heard a while ago that this route round from St Benet’s to Coldharbour was perhaps going to be reinstated, so maybe this mowing is the start of it. 100yds of thistle bashing in the corner of the St Benet’s field along with a stile would complete the job perfectly. 

After a well earned lunch and an icecream from Sasha in the Icecream Float, we moved down Fleet dyke onto the same ‘long’ wild mooring I’d been on last weekend. The day was still so lovely that we had a walk down the moorings to the staithe, across the field and up the marsh track to the riverbank again. I just love that track with all its dragonflies at this time of year, and the blackberries were a bonus for both of us.

Even Finlay is tired tonight. 

Both sets of moorings are about full this evening. 

[kpnut]

I’ve got it into my head that I must try out mudweighting and very nearly talked myself into it last night. But 7.45pm is a bit early to give the dog a last runout if he has to wait till I’m up and about and reaching land next morning. And it was forecast misty overnight, so I chickened out, thinking I’d rather be able to see where I’ve floated off to and which trees I’m about to bump into! 
But I did give it a go on South Walsham broad for a couple of hours in the morning. How relaxing, it’s like gently swinging to and fro in a hammock. So that’s decided me; as soon as the nights get lighter in the spring for a last dog wee at 9pm, that’s me out on a broad somewhere. In the meantime, I’ll practice during the day. 
 

Mermaid came down to the boatyard for water etc, and afterwards once they’d got moored I moved off the broad and went up the dyke to the first available space, the wild mooring just after the bend moorings. It took me s good 3/4 hour to walk back to find Sam and Graham due to all the people I stopped and chatted to on the way down. Sam and I walked back to Springers Retreat for a good catch-up, then back to Mermaid to collect Desmond for a walk along to the staithe on the broad. Then just me and Finlay back to my boat. 
Somewhere down the line, Finlay must have eaten a burdock burr as he spent the evening and overnight coughing and spluttering and generally very restless. There was nothing in his mouth to be seen. First thing this morning he gorged on grass for a good 10 minutes, then ate his breakfast and has been fine since. 
He’s a blooming nuisance with what he eats - firstly that stick last year that stopped his digestive system working for 3 days, thought that was going to be an operation, now this. He’ll put me in an early grave, and I’ll be buried penniless after vet bills if he does anything more drastic! 

I’ve moved down to a windy Acle bridge with a view to walking to Thurne. 
 

[Norfolkangler]

Another one to watch out for, especially with spaniels, is grass seeds in the ears. The ones that come of the "Dart" looking grasses. You should be OK from now on till next years fresh growth of grass.

[kpnut]

7 hours ago, Norfolkangler said:

Another one to watch out for, especially with spaniels, is grass seeds in the ears

Yes, that happened last week!

My son in law was playing rough with him on the football field at Neatishead, amongst all the mown grass. He must have got one in his ear then, as when I put his lead over his head he yelped a bit. I thought nothing of it, but it happened again in the morning, so I had a good look down his ear with a torch. And spotted a very waxed up long grass seed about to disappear into the depths. A pair of tweezers hooked that out, another vet bill saved!! Good thing my dog trusts me and is a calm patient. 

[kpnut]

We managed a walk along the riverbank to Thurne and back with no further foreign bodies causing health issues (well none that wouldn’t come out by a good combing through back at the boat).
When I work him I encourage him right into the thickest thickets and he goes in very happily. He’s tough as old boots! So it’s difficult to stop him exploring the rough sides of the paths when we’re just out on a walk. 

It’s a 6.5 mile walk to Thurne and back from Acle bridge.

A view down south Oby dyke. And some swans getting on with life in a dyke. 

This is the result of the house upward extension work at the house in Thurne that had the wraparound scaffolding tower covered in tarpaulins through the summer. They’ve had a new storey put on. Looks nice. 

On the way back I spoke to the owner of Clippesby mill. They’ve very nearly finished the exterior pointing of the bricks and the scaffolding will be down within the next month. The sails will be going on sometime after that. They are ready, it just needs an overhead electric cable to be moved by the electric company.
Won’t that be a lovely sight? 

[kpnut]

I set off after helping Mermaid moor up, more to say hello again than because any help was needed! 
It’s blooming windy and miserable this morning. 
I have only ventured as far as Upton dyke with the plan to take advantage of a generous offer from one of the owners of Upton Mill, to help myself to damsons.
So what’s all this talk of long walks on another thread then? It’s been so uninviting out there that I’ve stayed in all morning. 
But it’s gradually getting brighter. 

[kpnut]

My damson collecting was ok, but most had already fallen off and I should have gone at least a week ago. I have about enough for one litre of damson gin. I chatted awhile to the stockman on the marsh who was checking his youngstock, and we both agreed summer is a much easier time than winter with cattle. 
Other than that, we did very little, apart from tying an extra fender as the water level was nearly over the top. Further up the dyke, it was onto the grass in places. 

As teatime approached I set off  for the river Ant. Ludham bridge was 7’7” or thereabouts right on high tide. For interest of anyone who needs to know, both of the height gauges on my approach said the same thing. 
I moored at Griffs corner, along with two other boats and another came along later. So at busy times, the whole stretch is certainly useful. 

[Norfolkangler]

40 minutes ago, kpnut said:

 I have about enough for one litre of damson gin.

I can see Gracie could end up a regular to Springers Retreat  

[kpnut]

I’ve had another interesting excursion today, setting off from Irstead which I was pleased was free as I came along this morning. Someone had kindly left me 38p as well. 

We walked to the round towered church at Beeston St Lawrence.

Now, why is it that I fancied doing that by walking all the way from Irstead when I could park right by it on one of my numerous car trips between Stalham and Wroxham? The latter just doesn’t satisfy my sense of curiosity I suppose! 

We walked a roundabout route via Irstead Street and Alderfen Broad, where I heard an owl twit twooing loudly in the wood as I walked through. I also thought I heard a woodpecker but, on standing stock still a while (even Finlay sat silently a distance away, he probably thought we were waiting for the whistle that signals the start of a beating session when at work 😄), I realised the drumming sound was a fallen branch creaking against the one it had fallen onto. What a dissapointment! 

Then around past Neatishead church, the primary school and the village hall into the village and I passed the White Horse without a thought about going in. Well, maybe just a little thought crossed my mind. 

Then along past Iken’s Farm which is now set of little units including a beautician, a hairdresser and a bookable swimming pool,

past Barton Turf church in the distance across the field, and eventually to the church I was aiming for. 

I was half expecting it to be closed as I think I’d read on here sometime ago that it often is, but it was open. It took me by surprise as I went in, my first impression was ‘white’. It had the feel of a nunnery chapel, very plain. But it was lovely overall. 

I wouldn’t fancy having to climb the ladder into the tower to see to the bells! 

And it’s completely full of Prestons, which funnily enough is my maiden name. Obviously I should have named my son either Thomas or Jacob as most of the memorials seemed to mention those names, a few Isaacs too. Not that he’s a Preston of course. 
This Preston family is the family from Beeston Hall. 

I pondered as to whether they have to dig up the church floor every time one of them dies and they bury them underneath.

The memorials did say their remains were under the slabs, so not just a plaque. And some of them were quite up to date. They seem a rather long lived family. Hope I’m related in that case 😂. 

Some other photos

The pews were very comfy indeed with their slightly backward slanting backs. It would be ok listening to a long, boring sermon sitting there! 

This font must have seen lots of baby Prestons over the centuries. 

I managed to walk past the White Horse on the way back without a visit too. I have quite a bit of food still on board that I want to use up and after my trip to the Lion at Thurne on Sunday with its plate of cheesey chips which stopped me eating anything else for the day, thought it best to bypass any more temptation. 

I did get some fudge as a present for a friend. And I noticed all the ivy out in flower. It’s rather pretty with it’s pom-poms of flowers but I can’t abide the smell- like privet, somewhere between fox poo and cat urine! 

And now back at the boat, the drizzle has started, so good timing achieved all round today. Think the diesel heater’s going to be fired up, either that or a £1 on the meter for the ceramic heater. 

[kpnut]

11 minutes ago, Norfolkangler said:

can see Gracie could end up a regular to Springers Retreat  

And she’d be most welcome indeed!

[Wussername]

18 minutes ago, kpnut said:

And she’d be most welcome indeed!

Somewhat presumptuous i know. May I join Gracie? I am able to bring my favourite corkscrew. Never known to be defeated.

Very Old Wussername. 

[kpnut]

46 minutes ago, Wussername said:

Somewhat presumptuous i know. May I join Gracie? I am able to bring my favourite corkscrew. Never known to be defeated.

Very Old Wussername

Of course.
At this rate, I better raid my freezer and see what other flavours I can get started. 😀😀

[kpnut]

Forgot I took this photo. Someone living locally might be interested. 
Bet it’ll be good entertainment. 

[dom]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

I wouldn’t fancy having to climb the ladder into the tower to see to the bells!

That ladder's actually a relatively new addition. It used to be a very ancient wooden one, which I climbed on one occasion when we lived nearby in Ashmanhaugh.

The Prestons used to be a very public spirited and philanthropic family. The old school in Ashmanhaugh was gifted to the village for community use by the family and is still named the Preston Rooms. Beeston Hall often held fundraising events, which I can remember going to on occasion. At one time, if you walked from Neatishead staithe, past the White Horse and down the little track on the right (actually the old course of the street), you'd go past the gamekeepers cottage, round the lake and come out on the A1151 by the hall's drive, quite near the church. I presume it was probably used by the local clergy to travel to the church for services in the past. Unfortunately, it looks like it was never classified as a footpath and has probably now been lost, which is a shame, as the hall's grounds were rumoured to have been influenced by Capability Brown and were quite scenic. I suspect the fact they now run a stud there has made them less receptive to members of the public wandering around.

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

I pondered as to whether they have to dig up the church floor every time one of them dies and they bury them underneath.

I'm a bit of a church geek (more for the history and architecture) and from what I've seen elsewhere, there's usually a single slab near the altar which lifts and gives access to a crypt. In some cases, there's an entrance on the outside of the building.

Up towards the coast, there's a really interesting church at North Barningham, with what's said to be a very ornate crypt entrance. Every time I see it, I get the massive urge to dig it up in the hope of finding King John's treasure or something buried there!

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, dom said:

At one time, if you walked from Neatishead staithe, past the White Horse and down the little track on the right (actually the old course of the street), you'd go past the gamekeepers cottage, round the lake and come out on the A1151 by the hall's drive, quite near the church. I presume it was probably used by the local clergy to travel to the church for services in the past. Unfortunately, it looks like it was never classified as a footpath and has probably now been lost, which is a shame, as the hall's grounds were rumoured to have been influenced by Capability Brown and were quite scenic. I suspect the fact they now run a stud there has made them less receptive to members of the public wandering around.

I had noticed that track/path on the OS map, marked as a double black dotted line, meaning track but not necessarily a public right of way and went down there for the first few yards from the White Horse hoping to be able to use it. But it had a ‘private’ sign so I had to walk round by the lane. The grounds of the Hall certainly do look very interesting on the map. I think if I’d been able to use it, it’d have taken me to the main road by Beeston Lodge and I’d have walked up another path on the far side of the road.

Using one access to a crypt certainly makes sense. 

[dom]

45 minutes ago, kpnut said:

I had noticed that track/path on the OS map, marked as a double black dotted line, meaning track but not necessarily a public right of way and went down there for the first few yards from the White Horse hoping to be able to use it. But it had a ‘private’ sign so I had to walk round by the lane.

The lane to the lake used to be semi-public, as it was the main access to the lake for fishing. I fished it quite a bit when I was young (and once got on the wrong side of the gamekeeper creeping in to fish at dawn, waking up his dogs in the process). The fishing was terrible, but it was a lovely place to just while away a few hours. Looking around online, it seems like fishing is probably no longer offered. I can't imagine there's a full time keeper these days as the Buxtons from Hoveton Hall hold shooting rights over most of the surrounding land, so the keeper's cottage is probably also a private residence now.

[Gracie]

12 hours ago, Norfolkangler said:

I can see Gracie could end up a regular to Springers Retreat  

I'm not a gin drinker but if Kate was to turn her hand at crushing a few grapes or turning water into wine, which I'm sure this lady could manage (is there anything she can't do? She's amazing) I would certainly join her on board 

12 hours ago, kpnut said:

And she’d be most welcome indeed!

Thank you Kate, hopefully one day. I feel a Springers Retreat party coming on 

I know there have been a few posts recently about the way this Forum is heading but we mustn't forget the lovely, kind members we have on here and the bond we have 

Enjoying your write up and photos very much, thank you 

Grace x

[Norfolkangler]

1 hour ago, Gracie said:

 know there have been a few posts recently about the way this Forum is heading but we mustn't forget the lovely, kind members we have on here and the bond we have 

Enjoying your write up and photos very much, thank you 

Agree entirely Gracie.  

I have been hoping to maybe give a wave to some of you on my angling sessions and have kept an eye out for some of the boats I have got to know on this forum (not many, cant miss springers retreat with that colour  or BA ) but to be honest I don't start until most of you are moored up for the evening. 

We all have our own individual opinions and thoughts, that is what makes us who we are. As long as we stay courteous to one another.

We all need a bit of light hearted humor in our lives. Keep it up everyone. 

 

[kpnut]

2 hours ago, Gracie said:

I'm not a gin drinker but if Kate was to turn her hand at crushing a few grapes or turning water into wine,

I’m not a gin drinker either Gracie, can’t stand the smell of the stuff, but damson/gooseberry/blackcurrant/sloe guns are nothing like gin. Think ribena with a kick!!!!!

Not sure you’d want to taste some of the wine I make! My grapevines started off making wonderful wine, but then started getting mildew which made the wine taste of that, ugh!!!! So I pulled them all up and now have cider apple trees instead. First crop next year hopefully. Watch this space. 

[LizG]

That looked an amazing walk - I should add that ivy flowers are an amazing nectar source.  I agree the smell is horrid but it always alerts me to them and quite often especially on say warm sunny September/ early October mornings about 10 o'clock they might be covered in Red Admirals, Commas and maybe a Speckled Wood if you are lucky.  As the day progresses the butterflies fly off but the ivy is still gets visited!

[kpnut]

Although the walk was mainly on lanes it was extremely enjoyable. Lots to notice etc. The ivy alert stink is sometimes counterbalanced by the gorgeous sweet scent of late flowering honeysuckle, so there’s a bonus to everything. 
No butterflies yesterday (fairly cold afternoon and windy) but still some dragonflies on the lane leading to the church, and I couldn’t see any ditches etc to attract them. Maybe they were coming quite a way over from the lake at Beeston Hall. 
And another thing I saw was a whole field length of newly planted hedgerow whips. Very pleasing as quite a few hedges on that estate, as in most other places too, have obviously been grubbed out over the years to make fields bigger. 

[CeePee1952]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

 but damson/gooseberry/blackcurrant/sloe guns are nothing like gin.

If your guns are a bit slow then maybe you need to have a word with Griff to get them sorted? 

Chris

[kpnut]

Wednesday 11th September

I was in no rush to leave Irstead as, if all goes as planned, it’ll be my last night on the river for a while. I had that ‘last trip of hiring’ feeling as I came across a very choppy Barton Broad. That wind is certainly nippy. 
I went round to Kingfisher Quay at Richardson’s for a pump out, and the young man, Jamie, did a great job with extra rinses and plenty of blue. Don’t want any unwanted pongs while my boat is in their shed! 
The rest of the day was spent taking down curtains and generally prepping the boat for the job ahead. Because of the postponed painting job from last winter, I was still half thinking it wouldn’t happen this time either. Oh me of little faith!!!!