Denford and Thrapston

Sat and Sun (11th and 12th April) – Moored Denford

It sure was cold on Friday night, and although I  had put the plants under the back cover, the frost still managed to get to the strawberry plants, and some of the leaves have turned brown .  I think they will be OK though, there is even a flower already, yum, early strawberry for me maybe! .

I was really craving for some chocolate when I went to bed on Friday, gawd knows why… far too old to be pregnant! .  Anyway that was enough for me to take the walk on Saturday morning back to Ringstead across country and get a nice big bar. .

On Sunday we decided to to have a roast dinner at The Cock Inn, a two minute walk from where we were moored into the village.  Imagine my disappointment when they told me that they could take no more bookings for that day.. oh it smelt so good too, and the pub has a good reputation for food.  But my disappointment couldn’t have gone un-noticed… plus they knew we had been moored in their village all week… they found room for us! .

The roast beef dinner was out of this world, the service was second to none, I can’t remember having such an enjoyable meal to be honest.  If anyone is passing here you just must stop for Sunday lunch.  Be warned though, you MUST phone to book a table, they are full every Sunday.

I left Vic to snooze in the afternoon, while Lucy and me went for a long 6 and half mile hike over the Northamptonshire countryside.  I chose a circular walk taking in a lot of the Nene Way.  The Nene Way doesn’t follow the river all the way along, and tends to dive off ‘visiting’ villages on the way.  Here is Islip.. a very quiet village about a mile from the actual river.

There used to be a shop here and a Post Office, unfortunately both gone now, and the only shop I saw was a hairdressers!  The village pub was quite full although it was mid afternoon… the Nene Way actually goes through its grounds!

My legs were aching when I got back though, and even Lucy laid stretched out in the warm late afternoon sunshine afterwards.  .I have very much enjoyed our weeks stay at Denford, somehow I have felt part of the community there.  Everytime I have walked through the village, people have said hello, and I think to have been recognised as “Oh the boat moored by the lock” in the pub on Sunday made me feel that the community accepted us as part of them for the short while.  I look forward, very much,  to our return in the late Summer