Hilgay Bridge to Aldreth

17 August

We woke to a beautiful sunny morning though it did have a distinctly autumnal feel. We found a little visitor on our roof - it's a long way up the side of a boat for a small snail!

Our continued journey down the river was pleasant and uneventful. On the way we saw grebes and cormorants, a  pair of Egyptian geese, a little egret and a small wader type bird which we’ve decided may have been a common sandpiper.

First view of Ely Cathedral

We stopped at Ely for a couple of hours. We wandered around a little and then went to the cathedral refectory café for lunch. We have visited the cathedral before so did not feel it necessary to pay their entrance fee for a second time.

Continuing our travels along the river we were slowed down by the sudden appearance of weed, which seemed to have been blown into a thick layer in certain places.

Tonight we are moored at another lovely spot, this time a mooring near Aldreth provided by the Great Ouse Boating Association (GOBA). We went for a short walk along the embankment. From up there you can see quite a long way – there was even a slight hill in the distance (according to our OS map, the land rises to 30 metres!)

Chyandour and Arachne

There is another BCF boat, nb Arachne, moored here but there was no-one on her when we arrived. Later on Peter and Jean returned and came on board for coffee. They know this area well and we will see them again at the festival if not before.