Aldreth to Hemingford Grey

18 August

It was a bit grey and overcast this morning with quite a strong breeze. Off we set at about 8.15 aiming for Hermitage Lock where the efficient and friendly lockkeeper fitted us and a cruiser in neatly and then worked us through.

It must be getting near festival time as there are definitely more boats going in the same direction as us. We arrived at the next lock, Brownhills, as a boat was going out, there was another boat in front of us and then it would be our turn.

St Ives Lock had volunteer lockkeepers on it which was helpful as it meant that I could scramble back onto the boat while they opened the gates for us. (There were boats waiting on the landing stage and it would have been difficult for Steve to pick me up there.)

I took several pictures of the old bridge at St Ives as we have a water colour at home done many years ago by a relative of Steve’s. It will be interesting to compare the pictures.

St Ives Bridge with Chapel of St Ledger

The last lock of the day, Hemingford, was full of boats when we got there.  At one time there were 14 people on the lock sides plus all those still on boats. Most of these got back on their boats while they were still in the lock, but there were still two children left! Fortunately they were very sensible and just waited while our boat and a cruiser moved off the landing stage into the lock and their dad brought their tiny boat back round to pick them up.

There are six boats in this lock, three on each side.

We are planning to go to church at Hemingford Grey tomorrow. We were hoping to see friends who live in the village, but a grandchild is imminent and they are away. This village is also of interest to us because it is where some of my mother’s family lived in the 1800s.

We first of all moored on the council moorings, but there was a lot of concrete at the wrong level for us, so we moved down to the GOBA moorings. This is another great site from where we can sit and watch the river traffic. The river is very busy here; cruisers of all sizes plus narrowboats, some boats propelled by people rather than engines and a paddle-boarder.

Our view across the river.

Venerable willows along the bank.

We walked round the village; there are some lovely thatched cottages and the village still has its school and shop (with post office) in addition to the church and the pub. Talking of the pub, The Cock, we had a very good meal there later in the evening.