Where is that Cormorant
Earlier this year I received an email from David Simmons asking for some advise. He was considering a cruise around out wonderful waterways and after his trip he sent in this lovely account:
We keep our boat Cormorant deep in the Fens - so we are well used to solitary boating, finding rural moorings and enjoying all the sight, sounds and (sometimes) smells of nature.
However, in June we had five delightful days which were even more "away from it all" than the Old River Nene. We travelled 44 miles and passed through 17 locks and in all that time we saw just one other boat moving and he turned out to be a local who was turning his boat round ! So where were we? Here are a few clues:-
On the Monday we left the main canal and travelled past some light industry before getting into a long green cutting, with ducklings, goslings and cygnets playing before us. We raced down a flight of eight locks, which were among the easiest I have ever come across. And at the bottom we were invited to join some very friendly residential boaters on their private moorings. One chap offered to fetch any shopping we needed and then refused point blank to accept payment for the newspaper he had brought me.
On Tuesday, we saw some suburban houses to start with, then crossed a motorway (which always makes me feel better) and finally took another turning into what I can only call water lily heaven. The bold white flowers filled both sides of the canal reaching ahead of us for nearly a mile, with just sufficient space for us to creep through the middle. More well-maintained locks, and then we moored opposite the local boat club. More friendly people, and on their advice we took a walk around part of the adjacent nature reserve.
Wednesday saw solid lines of yellow irises, bright blue lupins and every shade of foxglove from white to the deepest purple. Most exciting of all were the first spotted orchids, the cotton grass and the flowering heathers flanked by curving branches of yellow broom. That afternoon we reached what in the Fens is called a broad - a wide expanse of water big enough for a narrow boat to do wheelies. And there was no one there, so we chose the perfect mooring close to the water intake from the adjacent reservoir. The water was crystal clear and we fed breadcrumbs to the giant carp nudging our rudder.
On Thursday we returned briefly to suburbia (and a Tesco) before continuing alongside a towpath lined with more orchids - this time the marsh variety. And still more birds to watch and to hear. Gorgeous songs from thrushes and yellowhammers. Fleeting views of long tailed tits, jays, grebes and kestrels. The steady wing beat and whistling call of a buzzard. And then came another brilliant mooring with more welcoming hosts and another highly recommended nature walk, including even a sighting of the (slightly) rare bee orchid. The camera never worked so hard.
Friday's cruise was rather more built-up, but the orchids continued to line out way right up to the junction where we re-joined the main canal. And even that had bright yellow water lilies, dainty flowering rushes, and heavy branches of elder flower. It was amazing how such a variety of flowers thrived along the towpath of a busy canal with walkers and cyclists hurrying by, but seemingly taking no notice at all. And, finally we reached our planned mooring - different this time, but just as comfortable, and with all the promise of being right outside the entrance to one of the best museums in the country. We spent the whole of Saturday there, but that is another story.
So where were we ? You have probably guessed that the museum was the Black Country Living Museum and our five-day cruise had been around the BCN. We had carefully avoided this network in the past, because of its dreadful reputation, but we were delighted with what we found that week. Yes, in places the canals were shallow and I had to go down the weed hatch a couple of times, but generally the water was as clear as any river. Yes, there were quite a number of people about, but both the towpath walkers and the fishermen were consistently friendly. And, yes, there were some built-up areas, but usually this just meant suburban houses and tidy back gardens.
We shall certainly return to the BCN, probably again in June, when the flowers (and the teenagers) are at their best. If you want to follow our route, the overnight stops were at Ocker Hill, Longwood Junction, Anglesey Basin, Sneyd Junction and the BCL Museum. Just join up the dots to see the canals in question.
