Wednesday 18 August 2010

Day Twenty-Seven: Right Down the Line

Wansford-Peterborough

5 miles, 3 locks

River Nene

We started our day off with a fantastic cooked breakfast from the truck stop cafe just a few minutes walk from the Wansford pontoon moorings. Big mugs of tea, huge plates of bacon, eggs, beans, sausages and bread, eaten in a proper greasy spoon surrounded by truckers and others looking for a break from the A1.

After this, we decided to take a break from boating for the morning, and take a ride on the Nene Valley Railway. We got on at Wansford station, literally a stone's throw from the mooring. There are lots of interesting old engines there and the station itself is done up like something out of the 50s. Unfortunately they weren't running a steam train today but an old diesel, however this didn't spoil our fun. We climbed into the lovely wood-lined carriages complete with violently coloured chair fabric, and found ourselves a compartment. After about half and hour we alighted at Peterborough and went for a look around the city. We bought Lyra a new cat toy in the Pets at Home shop. Soon it was time to catch the train back to Wansford and the boat.

It was a mere 2.5 hour cruise into Peterborough. This was partly because two of the three locks had been left full, which is against the rules of navigation on the Nene. On every lock there is a notice saying that the guillotine gate must be left raised, and the lock empty. One lock even had the gate paddles still open. Still, our using them set them right, at least.

We are now moored up on the town quay, and have our passage onto the Middle Level booked for tomorrow morning.

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