The Middle Level Navigation,
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 3:15 pmI passed the Little Ouse and the Wissey in good time, and made Denver Sluice about two o'clock. The lock was not set, as the Salters Lode was not ready.
The new flood water prevention goes off to the right at Denver, but it wasn't there at this time, in 1961. The Denver Sluice doors were two way, too - I think the upper door was guillotine at that point of time and the lower gate was two way, like lock gates.
I soon was at the junction of Salters Lode, I dodged the sandbank going downstream and up again, but I couldn't go through the Salters Lode Sluice. The Sea side of the sluice had two balks of timber obstructing the entrance, and mud overall.
This was that plan that I had discussed with the sluice keeper! The sluice keeper had known all along that I couldn't use the lock! And the Plan B was to use the Old Bedford River to go round to Stanground. We had to wait until the water levels were equal, as they were twice a day at the ebb.
The sluice, consisting of two doors facing downsteam and one door facing upsteam, are able to open for half an hour at the ebb, they are closed the rest of the time!
Coming out of the flood gates, well - I couldn't call it a Sluice - I was suprised to find two fen banks disappearing to the distant horizon. I set off and steered on to Upwell Fen, only I couldn't see it!
I overnighted at Welney, I got delayed because of the weed cutting downstream of the town!
I was in Welches Dam Sluice mid morning, the junction of Counter Wash which goes on to the bank at Earith and the Forty Foot. I remembered the instructions and accordingly, I went to the cottage in the field at the outside and borrowed the windlass. Then I returned to the Sluice.
The pound beneath the lock was dry....
The new flood water prevention goes off to the right at Denver, but it wasn't there at this time, in 1961. The Denver Sluice doors were two way, too - I think the upper door was guillotine at that point of time and the lower gate was two way, like lock gates.
I soon was at the junction of Salters Lode, I dodged the sandbank going downstream and up again, but I couldn't go through the Salters Lode Sluice. The Sea side of the sluice had two balks of timber obstructing the entrance, and mud overall.
This was that plan that I had discussed with the sluice keeper! The sluice keeper had known all along that I couldn't use the lock! And the Plan B was to use the Old Bedford River to go round to Stanground. We had to wait until the water levels were equal, as they were twice a day at the ebb.
The sluice, consisting of two doors facing downsteam and one door facing upsteam, are able to open for half an hour at the ebb, they are closed the rest of the time!
Coming out of the flood gates, well - I couldn't call it a Sluice - I was suprised to find two fen banks disappearing to the distant horizon. I set off and steered on to Upwell Fen, only I couldn't see it!
I overnighted at Welney, I got delayed because of the weed cutting downstream of the town!
I was in Welches Dam Sluice mid morning, the junction of Counter Wash which goes on to the bank at Earith and the Forty Foot. I remembered the instructions and accordingly, I went to the cottage in the field at the outside and borrowed the windlass. Then I returned to the Sluice.
The pound beneath the lock was dry....