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Springer’s Retreat On The Rivers


kpnut

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Sunday 14th August cont.

I got my act together eventually and left Acle Bridge round lunchtime, so I had officially outstayed my welcome I’m afraid, although happy to say I hadn’t done anyone out of a space seeing as there were plenty of moorings available. Destination:anywhere towards Wroxham. I fancied wild mooring but between Ranworth and Wroxham there aren’t many spots and I don’t mudweight in a broad cos of the dog. I passed one after Ranworth junction but felt I hadn’t given the batteries a fair chance of charging yet. I could have joined someone at the church moorings outside Horning but felt it a bit rude to do so, then there was one available on the opposite bank past the bend. I went past and turned into the tide, came alongside beautifully, got off to find myself more or less stepping on a wasp nest. So that was why it was free!

Oh well, I thought I might try Wroxham Island moorings and turn back to Salhouse river stretch if full as there would be bound to be space there (for a fee, not that I begrudge paying really and would have the opportunity to fill with water in the morning). But to my surprise, Cockshoot Dyke was half empty, I went down it, had plenty of space to turn and came back up to moor at the front by the signboard. Perfect.  Chair out, book in hand, Finlay snoozing after his walk, watching the traffic, of which the vast majority comprised dayboats. 
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Cockshoot stayed quiet for the rest of the day. A ferry marina boat coming in right on dusk perhaps was relieved to find so much choice to moor up, as I’m not sure where the next port of call before nightfall would have been (maybe they like mudweighting tucked into the trees on the river though). 
I spoke to the couple on the yacht behind to say I would be leaving early and would try not to disturb them. An hour later we finished talking and only when I remembered a plum crumble was still in the oven!

If did seem to be another very sociable day. 

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Monday 15th August

Now at the electric moorings at Hoveton St John awaiting the arrival of Tony and our friends. Main accomplishment of the morning was going under the bridge without any sweaty palms!

I was getting a bit jittery as I came into Wroxham and until Barnes, but a few deep breaths and once I saw the bridge I knew I’d be ok as I just did what I’d been shown to do. It helped that there was about 6’10” showing, exactly what it had shown last time, in July. The pilot then was so right to encourage me to turn round and go back to do it all over again once he’d shown me.

So housework done, dog walked, shopping got and now a few odd splatters of rain but don’t think it’ll come to much as it’s freshened up again. We’ll see. 

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Monday 15th August continued

Guests arrived later than anticipated, about 5pm. They enjoyed a cold beer watching the comings and goings. 

Tuesday 16th August

When I got up early this morning to walk to the public wc, I found a mobile phone on the grass by the moorings. I handed it in to the BA information centre for safekeeping as the lady there said people often come in to ask if anything’s been handed in. So if anyone reading this has lost it, that’s where it is. Didn’t really know what else’s to do with it apart from the police station. 
After a leisurely start, we set off for Coltishall about 10.30, and wandered up there, with lots of wildlife photos being taken on the way. Mooring up on our own at the lock, we had a walk to see the mill, then the two villages and back down the riverbank to the lock. After a quick swim for Finlay, we then made our way back to the Rising Sun for a late lunch. So few boats on the long stretch of moorings there. The weed cutter boat came by, going to and fro on the pub bend, he must have a good patch to cut as it looked like he was bunged up at one point.
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Lovely food and generous portions for both ‘loaded fries’ and Caesar salad. Back to the boat for homemade plum cake a cup of tea and then down to visit the church at Belaugh. I’ve only walked up from the main staithe before, but that was occupied so we asked the folk moored at the church mooring if we could snuck in for a wee while. They moved up a bit and with a bit of snug mooring, all was fastened up. The walk up the bank to the church is called Pilgrims Path which I thought was rather cute.
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The church didn’t disappoint, historically and building-wise. 

Then back to Hoveton viaduct moorings where we are one of only 6 boats. Where is everyone, so quiet down here?


Time for a light tea and the damson gin will probably make an appearance later!

 

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Sounds like a good day.

Belaugh Church is a hidden gem. Approaching it from the Parish Staithe always makes me wonder how on earth it has stayed up there on its hill so long. A few graves look as though they are about to tumble down the hill, and the walls of the church tower aren’t that much of a distance away.

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My thoughts too Helen. The path up is falling away in one place about halfway up and it was there I first looked up and was amazed to see the church tower looking like it was right on the edge. I’m truth, there is space for a path round it. 

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Wednesday 17th August

a very slow start to the day for me as I wasn’t going anywhere till at least 11am. 
My car in Stalham needed to get to Wroxham and Pete’s car in Wroxham needed to get to Neatishead, so the two men set off at 10 to do just that -with a written set of instructions. An hour later and they came back pleased as punch. Good thing I delved a bit as my car was now in Wroxham as planned but Petes was in Stalham, not Neatishead. So off they went again to rectify the situation while I started worrying about the rising tide and getting through Wroxham bridge. I should have told them I would move the boat to Barnes, but didn’t dare ring and complicate things any further!!!!

My slow start at least gave me the chance to fill with water at Bridge Broad yard and do a bit of housework. 
Safely through the bridge at last, we wanted to stop at he Hoveton great broad nature trail but the moorings were full. One picnic boat on the end was occupied so I asked if they were moving soon but no, they were fishing!!! (Grrrh!). 
We turned into Cockshoot Dyke instead and came into moor in front of Bluebell on Chiltern Lady, lovely seeing you Jim and sorry I couldn’t focus on chatting too much with 3 others on board! We were in a hurry to get lunch and have a quick walk down the boardwalk tk the bird hide. All duly done, we departed-next stop hopefully Neatishead or Gayes Staithe as our guests were booked into a b+b at Neatishead and we had a table booked at the White Horse. 
The front sternon mooring at Gayes staithe was free so rather than chancing it at Neatishead, we pulled in there. I walked along to the Neatishead moorings with our guests, to find two available spaces-Sods law I suppose! Leaving them to carry on to the village I was ambling back over the field footpath with the dog when I remembered we had to collect my car from Wroxham and get it back to Stalham. Oops! Not having my phone on me, my relaxing walk turned into something rather more urgent to get back, ring Pete to come and pick up Tony and do the required manoeuvres all over again. Wow, who’d be a tour organiser!!

Cars now all correct again I assume and off to the pub I go. 

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35 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

that car shenanigans sounds too complicated for a Broads holiday! 

Yes, getting my head round planning day routes with the need to bring our guests back to shore at the right place each night took some pondering. 2 separate overnight bases, with one day of car moving in the middle seemed the best option. 
Jean, a new retirement venture, private taxi exclusive to boaters!

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Thursday 18th August

Gayes staithe has a lot of wasps I’ve decided. Even drowned ones in the side-on dyke. I couldn’t see where they were coming from but my boat had 5 in at one point and when our guests arrived and we set off, they still accompanied us on our way for a while, flying in and out. 
How Hill was our first stop, arriving at 11.15. Busy, busy. Our guests loved having a look inside Hathor wherry while I gave the dog a good leg stretch on the grass(straw) park. The secret garden had a bit of colour and the ‘Werthers Original’ tree (sorry, can’t remember it’s proper name at the moment) was starting to release its lovely caramel scent. It’ll be like that till October now. The formal gardens were open too, meaning no residential groups are staying at the moment. The roses looked pretty and the fig had one or two ripe ones on -um, how do I know that? Another dog run while the others went for a look in the cottage, an icecream purchase and we were ready to leave. On our way back past later at something past 5, there weren’t many boats in at all    

We made for St Benets for our lunch stop with a walk round the site later. I squeezed into a mooring with a couple on a Horning Pleasurecraft boat moving up slightly for us. A first timer and certainly a convert to boating. The views from the cross were super, somehow the light just captured the Broads at their best and I always love to see the yacht sails moving along above the fields. 
Then it was back up the Ant, hopefully to find a mooring spot at Neatishead. I wasn’t too hopeful seeing as ETA was going to be 5.45 so was thinking of plan B seeing as our friends were eating onboard and then had to walk back to the village once dark. I couldn’t really go to Gayes staithe, having been there last night, so plan B was moor up somewhere for tea (wild/paddy’s lane/mudweight on the broad) and before dusk, motor along to Neatishead to drop them off and then come back to go wherever again, even Wood End possibly. I do have nav lights but have never been in a position to use them before.  
Anyway, all this planning in my head was unnecessary as there was one last mooring at Neatishead available, meaning I had to be on my best, reversing right down to the far end. I was pleased to be honest with how I did for my first time. So ironically, I moored up at the very nearest spot to my guests b+b!

I was amazed that we were able to sit with windows, roof and door open and a light on till well after dark and still not be bothered by midgies. 

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1 hour ago, kpnut said:

The secret garden had a bit of colour and the ‘Werthers Original’ tree (sorry, can’t remember it’s proper name at the moment) was starting to release its lovely caramel scent. It’ll be like that till October now.

Ooo…which tree is that? I mean, what does it look like and where in the garden is it? (Just in case we stop off at How Hill in September.)

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It’s called a Katsura tree. Whichever way you follow the boardwalk you’ll come to it. If you imagine the main boardwalk as a rectangle with the entrance as bottom left corner, it’s in the opposite diagonal corner, top right. Near a lovely bench to sit on, called mollys bench, and appreciate the scent. Enjoy!

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1 hour ago, NeilB said:

Maybe all the wasps have eaten the midges!

You know Neil, I was just being pestered by some wasps while eating breakfast. They were getting a little lost after getting drunk on some nearby blackberries and I pondered-I wonder if wasps eat midgies! 
Sympathise about the children. 

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Friday 19th August

Our friends and Tony’s last day. The men had a tinker with the engine, getting to know it really (both ex agric engineers), couldn’t find the diesel drip we’d spotted on the injector pipe back in May, so I have a no.4 pipe spare in stock now. Tony did comment that he’d never seen an air cleaner like the one on the engine, after I told him where JanetAnne had shown me it’d be. Thanks Dave. Tony’ll investigate over the winter. 

Ladies went for a quick circular walk up past the fudge lady, turned up the footpath across the stubble fields, left turn halfway along across sugar beet, onto the lane and turned left down past the wc to walk back along the lane. Obligatory stop at the fudge lady completed, we all had a lazy half hour at the moorings which had emptied, with just one other (new in) boat there. My friend did some sketching while we chatted and a kingfisher came along to complete the picture. 
Once underway, we took a detour to Barton Turf just to show my guests, and then went up past Wayford Bridge to Dilham, just ‘cos we could’. The nice long stretch of wild mooring on the right just past Hunsett Mill now has BA ‘no mooring’ signs on it since putting all their dredging there. 

The moorings to the left just after the bridge are still ‘no mooring’ even though the holiday company that owns that stretch have signs (is it GB hols or similar?) at the boatyard on the right before the public moorings downstream of the bridge saying ‘24 hr mooring after the bridge’. It’d be confusing to folk who don’t know that those moorings have been closed for a few years now. 
Dilham had space for one boat but we turned and came back. I’d only wanted to go to check out the weed/depth really. We had the bonus of another kingfisher sighting on our way up there. 
Back to Stalham and safely moored up on my ‘home mooring’ I caught up with the gossip, had lunch to eat up the considerable contents of the fridge, and we then drove over to Horsey Windpump and then to Waxham cut to see the seals on the beach. Loads of them, all lolling about, singing to each other and making an awful stink! A few pups too. 
With my tour operator hat still firmly on, we took a look at Potter Heigham bridge and wandered down the lines of boats for sale. Our guests pondered as to why the bridge has the small triangular holes too - anyone know? 
Then onto Horning as it was so sunny by this time that I thought a drink in the garden at the Swan Inn would catch the sunset. We hadn’t intended eating there, but ended up doing so. Very nice too, not the enormous portions of the Rising Sun or the White Horse (Neatishead) so just right after our rather large lunch. 
A relaxing round-off to another successful week. 
No seal photos I’m afraid as I left my phone behind. 

 

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Thanks again for your blogs love reading your adventures you’ve definitely made me decide to own a boat next year hopefully ! I’m now looking ideally for a Hampton safari I’ve always wanted one of those. 

Potter bridge the main arch is actually a circle I think someone told me the triangles at the sides are to do with tide flow/ decoration. 

Ive also been told the bridge stops a lot of water from flowing back out again don’t know if this is true? 

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Lovely write up again Kate. I had thought about going to PH this morning to wander by the boats for sale ... for no reason really as I have no intention of buying!! It's a beautiful day today so I hope you're having a good time wherever you are.

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Thanks Jean. It certainly is a beautiful day. I’m just waiting for my friend Cath to turn up and we’ll be off out again till Thursday. 
 

3 hours ago, Roy said:

you’ve definitely made me decide to own a boat next year hopefully ! I’m now looking ideally for a Hampton safari I’ve always wanted one of those. 

I don’t want to be held responsible for your bank balance being constantly drained Roy, but very good luck. I met a couple who are perhaps thinking of selling a nice little Hampton in the winter. Called Wagtail-keep an eye out for it. 
And thanks for the bridge info. We did wonder if the triangles were to do with the flow.

 

48 minutes ago, StillCruising said:

Back in the day you could get a dingy through the side arches.

And we also wondered that. We did come to the conclusion though that it had never been possible to walk through them, even centuries ago. Even then I think the water would have been to high for that. 

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20 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Thanks Jean. It certainly is a beautiful day. I’m just waiting for my friend Cath to turn up and we’ll be off out again till Thursday. 
 

I don’t want to be held responsible for your bank balance being constantly drained Roy, but very good luck. I met a couple who are perhaps thinking of selling a nice little Hampton in the winter. Called Wagtail-keep an eye out for it. 
And thanks for the bridge info. We did wonder if the triangles were to do with the flow.

 

And we also wondered that. We did come to the conclusion though that it had never been possible to walk through them, even centuries ago. Even then I think the water would have been to high for that. 

Thanks I’ll certainly keep my eye out 

enjoy your next adventure im already looking forward to reading it 

Roy 

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Saturday 20th August

Moored down the Ant at the moment, NeilB moored just ‘up the road’. Just had fun hooting at a couple of boats going way too fast, having just picked up their boats. I heard Neil tooting,  so followed suit to reinforce the point, not that they took too much notice!!!!

Evenings entertainment when nothing on TV?

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