Brandon to St Ives

On Saturday morning we started the return journey on the Little Ouse but didn't go far, just to the moorings near Hockwold-cum-Wilton.  The quaint cottages in the village were studded with flint as was the Red Lion pub which served a refreshing pint. 

The Red Lion pub with flint on its walls

Back on the moorings curious cows stopped to watch us as they wandered around the meadows.

The curious cows looking at Brent III

The next day we completed our journey back to the Great Ouse and this time I had my camera ready for a photo of Scotch Mist.

Scotch Mist - a long way from Viking Marina

On Monday the magnificent cathedral of Ely came into view as we approached the city.

Ely Cathedral stands proud over the Fens

There were plenty of empty moorings in Ely due to the enforcement of the 48 hour limit.  This is achieved by a £100 charge per day for overstaying and although this sounds harsh it does ensure visiting boaters can stop to see Ely.  

We took a tour up into the West Tower of the cathedral and Kev took the binoculars for the views across the flat Fens.  They were also useful in the cathedral to look at the high painted ceilings.  

The view from the West Tower - the Cathedral's Octagon tower and the flat Fens beyond

On Wednesday our 48 hours were up so we cast off and sailed south-west to Popes Corner where we turned onto the Old West River.  It was a glorious day so we sailed passed the visitor moorings at Streatham Pumping Station. 

Streatham Pumping Station

The river narrows down and is more interesting than the Great Ouse but after a while we discovered it also has more blanket weed.  In the clear water we could see great balls of the stuff just waiting for a boat's propeller.  We stopped for the day at Aldreth and as other boats passed we could see they were also getting caught in the weed.  

The next day we sailed the last 4 miles on the weed choked river to Hermitage Lock.  This lock opens onto a small tidal section which is connected to the sea by the long straight Old Bedford River.   Brownshill Lock took us back onto non-tidal waters and it didn't take long to reach the GOBA moorings at the Pike & Eel Hotel.  We quickly found the local midge population was thriving and those bugs had a nasty nip.  

On Friday morning we were up early and away from the midges but we didn't need to go far before finding a nice spot to stay; Holywell is a quiet village with thatched cottages.  We moored opposite the pub which was popular for wedding receptions.  Some of Friday's wedding guests wandered down to the river and had a chat; some of Saturday's wedding guests wandered down to the river, stripped off and jumped in!

Wedding guests cool off in the river

Another early start on Sunday morning took us down to the pretty town of St Ives.  

Sailing into St Ives

The 48 hour mooring limit is also enforced here so we were able to pick a mooring in the cut on the other side of the bridge.  We had a stroll round the town which is a popular tourist attraction and when it was cooler the girls had a run on the meadows. 

Houses on The Quay which had been full of narrowboats when we arrived

On Monday we had a potter round the busy street market and the local shops before the heat set in.  In the afternoon we decided to take the girls for a cooling paddle which turned into a swimming lesson.  The only time either of them have swum is after falling in and the result is a lot of splash and panic.  When taken into the water in a calmer situation Brinny was able to swim and Bess surprised us by being a good swimmer but only in one direction - back to dry land. 

The local ducks came looking for food and ate the ryvita we put out.  One duck came back for more, she kept peering in the windows at us and then waddled down to the bow where she jumped onto a locker lid.  After a moment she dropped down onto the front deck and looked in through the door.  

Anything else to eat?

Our journey from Brandon to St Ives