Denver

 

So it’s onwards to Denver but before crossing onto the Middle Levels I have to do a bit of car shuffling.  I’d had to bring the car over to get to a job and to go to my daughters pop-up and I’d left it in Little Thetford. I thought it would take about 45 minutes to walk to Downham Market station and thought I was moored on the nearest side of the river.  I was wrong.  I hadn’t taken into account the hike around the Denver complex. Still we arrived, breathless, within sight of Downham Market  Station with nine minutes to spare.  Then there was de dah de dah and the railway gates closed for the upcoming train and then remained closed until our train had arrived and left and we were trapped on the wrong side of the crossing watching it come in and go out.  That left an hours wait until the next train so we did the only thing we could do in the circumstances.  We went to the pub. The Crown Inn in Downham Market is an old coaching inn, panelled in light oak and with a magnificent staircase.  We settled in and almost missed the next train. We got to Ely, had a long walk to Little Thetford, felt a great sense of relief that the car was still there, drove back to the ‘chips with everything’ Jenyns Arms, had a couple of drinks and then got a good dousing with rain on the walk back to the boat.

 

On Sunday friends came for lunch.  We set out to do a circular walk, completed two thirds of the circle came across a herd of cows (with calves) and turned round and came back the way we had come. Large black clouds were heading towards us, streaks of rain trailing from them.  We thought we would get back to the boat before the rain reached us.  We didn’t.

 

On Monday it was return the car to my mooring at Barnwell.  Drove to Barnwell and cadged a lift to a station. Took the train back to Downham Market, set off walking towards Denver and large black clouds.  This time they veered off to the left and I stayed dry.



On Tuesday it was through the tidal stretch of The Great Ouse.  I was sent through the lock and told to wait on the landing on the tidal side of the lock for further instructions.  There was some hold-up at Salters Lode because a boat was too long for the lock.  I seemed to be waiting there a long time.  I kept an eye on the tide, I didn’t want it to change suddenly and leave me stranded.  As it happened I went down to Salters Lode on slack water and the wind dropped which made the tight turn relatively easy.  Rain was forecast for the afternoon so as I didn’t want to get wet again I tied up and decided to head March the following day when it was forecast to be dry.