A week of sights

The River Great Ouse is a wide expanse of waterway and we were able to travel faster than anticipated.  We were halfway to Ely when we moored up at Brandon Creek on our first day travelling on the river.  

2 cruisers follow us and soon overtake us on the wide river

On Tuesday we left the wheelhouse up to keep dry in the heavy rain.  As we approached Ely strong winds blew across the river rolling Brent III as she soldiered on.   We were relieved to see a mooring space not to far from the city centre.  

Ely Cathedral has been on our wish list of places to see and we weren't disappointed when we took a tour of the octagon lantern tower.  Our guide led us up ever narrowing spiral staircases, through narrow doorways, across a roof and into the stone base of the tower.  Here we could see the  wooden framework which spans 74 feet and has the lantern at its centre.  The lantern has painted wooden panels some of which open to reveal the stained glass windows and painted ceiling above them and looking down you have a view of the cathedral interior. 

Looking up at the lantern. The wooden structure spans across from the stone arches supporting the lantern.  3 of the wooden panels are open and visitors on the previous tour are looking down.  

Looking across the lantern

The guide had a final view for us and took us up another spiral staircase.  He led us out onto the lead clad roof giving us an excellent view of The Fens including the dust storms whipped up by the strong winds.  

View of the Cathedral's main tower, Ely and The Fens from the roof 

After a couple of days in Ely we set sail for Cambridge turning onto the River Cam at Popes Corner.  At the first lock the River Cam Conservancy take authority on the navigation but in practice there is little difference for the boater.  That is until we arrived at the second lock and found it was out of order.  I rang the Cam Conservancy and within 10 minutes an engineer arrived to take us through the lock.   We sailed into Cambridge passing the elaborate rowing club boat houses and on to the visitor moorings at Jesus Lock.  This is the extent of the navigation for most boats; the far side of the lock is the preserve of punts. 

One of the Cambridge rowing club boathouses

Cambridge is a very busy city; 'Like ants in a nest' observed Kev as pedestrians and cyclists rushed along the streets.  Bicycles are chained up on the many cycle parks, against any available railing or just propped up against walls.  I joined the ranks of camera carrying tourists blocking the streets to take photos of the grand college buildings.  

Detail on the Gonville & Caius College building

We left Cambridge early on Saturday morning but not early enough to beat the rowing teams.  Kev kept close to the bank as the fast rowing boats sped passed but occasional traffic jams occurred.  At one point we had to stop in a queue with 3 rowing boats in front of us as another turned and blocked the river.   After the first lock we had the river to ourselves and continued back up to Popes Corner where we rejoined the Great Ouse and moored up. 

The river narrows after Popes Corner and we saw a variety of birds, many nesting or already with a brood of chicks.   A tern accompanied us along the river treating us to an aerobatic display as it ducked and dived around us. 

This tern accompanied us along the river

Before coming onto this river we joined the Great Ouse Boating Association which allows us the use of their moorings.  These are often in quiet, out of town locations and the one near Aldreth made a good stop.  We climbed the flood bank to look across the flat cultivated fields and Kev spotted something we have been looking out for since leaving Goole, a couple of hares were sat at each end of a field.  One quickly disappeared but we enjoyed watching the other loping across the field, pausing here and there to sniff the air and possibly watch us.  


Our journey from Denver Lock to Cambridge and Aldreth