Ringstead and Playful Lambs!

Moored Denford Farm Bridge, River Nene

We are going to need some coal soon just to tide us over ‘till the warmer weather is here to stay. So the moorings downstream at Thrapston will be ideal for our Tesco order to arrive as well as some coal from the local coal merchant.  A quick look on the internet this morning, and I found and then phone a local company happy and intrigued to be delivering bags of coal to a boat on the Nene!  So both are arranged for Monday afternoon.  We will stay here now until then, it is really nice and quite…. a bit noisy it was by that bridge at Thrapston, and the moorings are nothing to write home about.

So bread and fresh milk will be required for us.  I didn’t fancy catch a bus, so I looked at some local maps, once again found on the internet, and saw a nice walk across country, back to the village we had passed a couple of days ago, Ringstead.

Here, the centre of the village near the church, a small supermarket on the left which sells fresh bread too, and on the other side the Post Office.  Unfortunately, the lady who runs that, decided not to open this afternoon for whatever reason, so I couldn’t renew my rod licence which I wanted to do.  Not that I can fish at the moment… ‘tis a closed season on the whole of the River Nene until June, although fishing is allowed on all of the lakes that accompany the River!  Very Unfair!!   There are a couple of pubs in the village too, but I can’t remember if there was anywhere to moor on the River close to the village, I shall have to check on the way back.

Anyway, it was only a 35 minute walk from Denford, and well worth it too.  Wonderful views of the Nene valley from the top of the incline.  …. here we are returning, with Denford in front of us, along with some very black clouds! 

It was a good job I quickened my step on the way back.  I had only been onboard about 5 minutes when the skies opened!

It’s getting cold tonight, and I took all the plants off the roof this evening before taking Lucy for a late walk in a different direction.  The wind had dropped somewhat, and the sun shone as we walked across fields where the skylarks were flying low chirping and chattering at their annoyance of my intrusion.  On the way back through a large field full of sheep, I wondered if the lambs wanted to play!  I could just about see NP from where I was standing, so this qualifies to be ‘my backyard today’ pic…. delightful isn’t it?