Top Speed to Newark!

Thursday 1st August 2019 in Newark-on-Trent
Another welcome bright morning. M, on checking the geraniums in the trough in the front deck, discovered to her astonishment that we had acquired a child's scooter sometime yesterday.
Sadly, the frame was badly bent, so it clearly had been "dumped". (the life-ring is a prerequisite on big rivers).

One interesting aspect of mooring in a big city is watching the centre waking up. The working population starts arriving from about 6:00am onwards, often in batches from the nearby railway station. The adjacent towpath was soon busy with pedestrians (some very smartly dressed), cyclists and joggers.

We set off shortly after breakfast to join up with another narrowboat which was going our way. We passed the impressive "Justice Building" (law courts), viewed through an old canal arm that must once had led to another wharf.

Large boards warn you to check the coloured indicator strips that guage the water level of the river. Today, the river was only just touching the orange section  - so, "proceed with caution".

We joined nb "Lynn G" in the lock, they were also heading downstream to Newark and then on to the Fossdyke and Lincoln. A lovely family - Dave, Lynn ( the boat was his birthday gift to her and is named after her) and granddaughters Isabel and Ruby.

The girls are old hands at narrowboating and did the lock for us. They opened the gates and we moved out on to the river.

Immediately opposite us was the Nottingham Forest football ground and the "Brian Clough Stand" as we set off downstream at a cracking pace.

The locks are typical river locks and very reminiscent of those on the Thames. As ever, the lock keepers were all very helpful.

There are not very many bridges across the river but this viaduct carries the railway across the flood plain on dozens of arches that stretched off into the distance.

This is a lovely river and very large, given that we are still a very long way from the sea. Leaving the locks, we had to be careful as the strong currents from the weirs tended to push MM sideways but otherwise the trip was uneventful.

What a beautiful approach to Newark's "Town Lock" with the ruins of Newark Castle in the background.

We moored up opposite the castle behind Dave and family on "Lynn G".

The setting sun bathed the castle opposite in a golden light - a very scenic mooring!

Tomorrow we will take some time to explore Newark. We are not in any hurry and, because of the river levels, it seems that we might have to wait a day or two before we can go on to the tidal river to get to Torksey lock, where we turn on to the Fossdyke towards Lincoln. The best advice is to listen to the lock keepers.
Today: 24 miles, 6 locks and 6.1 hours.
Trip: 231 miles, 129 locks and 137.1 hours.