We arrive at Salters Lock after a pleasant day in the fens

Upwell to Salters Lock, Middle Levels, 6 miles 0 locks

We pulled the pins this morning at Upwell after collecting local vegetables and fruit from the shop opposite the moorings.. broad beans for tea tonight.. and also available gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries.. in fact an awful lot of local produce.  Thats the nice thing about being on the fens, stuff is grown and sold here..

So onward along what is known as Well Creek, I just love the name.. there is a road to each side, and some importance at going down the ‘drain’ between them, here the approach to Outwell..

This area has fond memories for me and my family, it is here that we competed a lot in show jumping with our ponies.. Mill Lodge hosted the ‘home internationals’ and it was the best of england against wales, scotland and ireland.. our pony was on the team.. but no show jumping any more, Mill Lodge as we knew has now been turned into a trendy housing estate.. sad really.. but the fish and chip shop is still there…

And although it was just after 11am when we passed the smell was unmistakable.. this chip shop smells like no other!  I phoned my family this morning as we passed so they could all have a sniff!!   They remembered this place although they had not reached their teen aged years when the fish and chips were purchased 

Gawd, it was hot today.. but I am not complaining.. the ‘fen wind’ kept us on the cool side of burning to death across an area so unbelievable open..

The camera failed to see the view I did of the pylons stretching as far as the eye could see across the fenland.  I started to count them… I got to 40, and still I could see more, but on the horizan they were too close together to get an accurate count, so flat was the land…

And so to Nordelph, I hope I have spelt that right.. I love the name, and I love the place too.. but here we pass the last of the low bridges as we make our way over the Middle Levels..

The chimney just about makes it this time less its rain hat.. but the pots of flowers get a wee bit squashed, no problem though.. .. The Middle Levels are unique in many ways, here a long forgotten water point…

Well it’s still standing, us boaters could do with some facilities over this stretch, I wondered if the Environment Agancy could connect this up again!! …

I did phone the Lock Keeper here at Salters Lock a few days ago to book our passage through the lock and along the tidal bit of the River Great Ouse to Denver.. and that is 10.30 tomorrow morning..

Tonight was lovely here.. a bit cooler thank goodness.. I walked over to the river.. the tide was out and I caught a glimpse of an oyster catcher on the far bank..

And looking the other way at low tide towards the wash..

Tomorrow the river will be full of water, we will ride on the tide and will be in East Anglia officially!!