From one cathedral city to another…

10 Aug

Written By Boatwif

Ely - Denver - March - Peterborough: 41½ miles, 5 locks

A crow flying direct between Ely and Peterborough would cover 24¼ miles; by road the distance is 31 miles, but take the watery route and the mileage is 41½…Ely, visited by boat on a number of previous occasions, is still a location much enjoyed.On each visit favourite places have to be checked out, the first being Babylon ARTS, the gallery on the waterfront. The stitchery display seen in June has finished now, replaced by a Summer Open Exhibition.Two other favourite places are the Antiques Centre (three floors of browsing to do) and as well the rather fine kitchen, homeware and DIY shop (Cutlacks ) which is about half way up the hill to the market square.Then of course there is Ely Cathedral. When last here in June it had been too late in the day to see the costume exhibition Crowns and Gowns, Cathedrals on Location. There was a determination to catch it now before it closes after August 11^th. First though Boatwif learned an Ely Cathedral fascinating fact: there’s a Victorian pavement labyrinth laid out on the floor at the West Door, below the West Tower. Pace though the labyrinth and the distance is said to be exactly the same as the height of the West Tower above it. (217 feet). The costumes on display in the magnificent Lady Chapel had all been used in historical dramas filmed within English (and one French) cathedrals.These are some of the costumes worn during filming in Ely Cathedral:The Other Boleyn Girl The King’s Speech Macbeth Elizabeth the Golden Age Viewing them was a treat well worth the walking up the hill to the imposing ‘Ship of the Fens.’Not far from the Cathedral is a Russian cannon captured in the Crimean War – see presentation plaque. Now it is draped in a Ukrainian flag. Market day in Ely. Back in Jubilee Park the Ely eel has been relieved of its Platinum Jubilee decorations… 13^th June; 4^th August.Nearby and not spotted previously is an eel mosaic in a flowerbed, created from pottery fragments found on the site.And the post box topper that in June looked like this (June 13^th) is now topped by a summer holiday scene… As Cleddau prepared to leave Ely water samples were being taken. “Can I pose?” asked one of the collectors… Onward from Ely – a 12 mile three hour or so wide river cruise along to Denver, there to wait for the tide to lock out onto the tidal Great Ouse (and then access the Middle Levels). It’s pretty straight, the Ely Ouse, and it's accompanied for much of the way by the rail line to Norwich….Towards Hilgay eyes were peeled – would the so-laid back “pillow” (named Neil the seal elsewhere) be there on the mooring, as he had been 8 weeks ago? No – it seems his space had been taken by a boat…Ahead now was Denver, the lock to the tidal river on the right. Try finding a mooring space at Denver – it’s tricky since a number of the moorings for visitors have been condemned as unsafe by the EA surveyor.“Tie up on the lock landing then,” was the invitation. So yet another night was spent tied up in front of an impressive structure. There was a mid-evening interruption when in darkness a small boat arrived and moored up in front of Cleddau.“Going down to Salter’s Lode tomorrow?” Boatwif enquired from Cleddau’s bow to a shape on the arrival’s stern.“No, going across the Wash,” replied a rather slurred voice.There was a brief conversation in the dark – and an impression grew that the boater ahead had little realisation of what crossing the Wash involved.In daylight the boat was visible, the same one as had arrived in Ely late at night. The Captain engaged in conversation with the boat’s crew member, but minds were set on doing a Wash Crossing.An hour later there was another chat, the Captain outlining the range of pre-planning considerations – forward booking of a King’s Lynn mooring, relevant charts and maps, a Wash pilot’s advice, awareness of the dangers of sandbanks and gulleys, the existence of a bombing range, the effect of tides, wind and weather…A while later there was activity ahead. “We’ve had a bit of a rethink,” said a voice. “Need to look into it a bit…” and off the boat chugged, back towards Ely…Slowly the tide was coming in.I’ll let you in the lock,” said the Denver lock keeper, “and let you know when there’s enough water.”When you’ve seen the silt bank outside the lock you really want to know that it’s covered by the time you head downstream… The water crept up, and when the lock keeper gave the “Go” off Cleddau went, under the guillotine gate, through the weed patch, just a half mile on tidal waters to Salter’s Lode, to make a less than perfect arrival at the lock. “Hm, never done it on a rising tide before,” mused the Captain. “It’s always been a falling tide…”Onwards then, on narrow Well Creek, past a vividly blue house and the residential windmill in Nordelph. Bridges are low, head-duckingly low… These waters are overseen by the Middle Levels Commissioners: on the flood bank towards Outwell repairs were under way. It’s a flat landscape, the sole vertical contrast provided by the army of pylons marching across it. Over the Main Drain. There was space to moor at the “public staithe” at Upwell. The intensely deep silence inside the Upwell Parish Church provided relief from the tractor-heavy traffic running alongside the waterway through the village. Onward the next day, through Marmont Priory Lock. Fine apple harvest here… There are long straight stretches between deep banks. As March was approached (population about 23,000) a strongly coloured demoiselle hitched a lift on the life ring. The weed in the waterway worsened, the boat being paused periodically to go into reverse to knock the gathering weed off the prop. Though the route signs are colourful the lettering always seems too small to be of any use.... So this was March, on a market day. Off then to see the market-days-only museum. It’s housed in an old school and is an amazing collection of, well, Collections. Irons, cine equipment, cameras, agricultural and craft tools. There are individual stories (the Australian pilot who had saved his crew and the town but lost his life, the girls caught in the lightning storm). Certain individual items might stimulate particular memories:Senior Sis, you must remember one of these: Pre-boundary changes Aah, Playmobil… As Saturday nights go it was good-humoured. Above the mooring up on Nene Parade pubgoers talked, laughed and drank late into the evening. What a shame though that a shrill shouting match long after 1am disturbed one crew member’s sleep...Outbound from March: there was a waterside windmill and colourful water lilies. It must be high summer: fortress-like haystacks and smiley sunflowers.Somewhere, at a mooring beside a Whittlesey park, there was time and space for a relaxed summer drink. Onward from Whittlesey, , passing three weed cutter boats, sighting the Whittlesey brick chimneys.Throughout these months of floating past back gardens, many newly installed huts and sheds, outdoor bars and garden offices have been seen. But this one receives the Cleddau mark of approval – it being spacious, outdoors, airy, large enough to provide both shade and shelter and it has a good slate roof...Through Stanground Lock (the operator a third generation lock keeper, “I was born here,” she said) and then onward the last mile to Peterborough.In the city centre it was hot, very hot - children squealed with delight as they ran through the fountains and Boatwif spotted a tribute to Peterborough's bell foundry past... What next after Peterborough? The climb up the River Nene towards Northampton.