We are so fortunate, whenever we venture out onto the river the sky is always blue and soon after leaving Shardlow the sun was glinting on the wide expanse of the River Trent and its new footbridge.
We briefly stopped just after Sawley Marina, with the massive Ratcliffe on Soar power station as its backdrop. Taking care off essential services we headed to the junction of the Erewash Canal, the River Soar and The Cranfleet Cut section of the Trent. We rejoined the river at the end of the cut and what a beautiful four mile stretch it is from there up until the Beeston Lock. Here we are back on a canal and three miles later we tied up on the extensive visitor moorings, just passed Castle Marina, in the centre of Nottingham. We trotted off to do a little exploring of the city; disappointingly no outlaws or Sheriff’s men came our way.
As we left the mooring the next morning we passed an impressive Magistrates Court, still no sheriff, and many renovated canal building, before turning sharp right under a railway bridge. Half a mile later we re-entering the River Trent, right opposite the Trent Bridge cricket ground and Nottingham Forest football stadium. Unfortunately the good weather deserted us and it was wet and windy as we cruised the eleven miles to Gunthorpe, but the river and riverside homes were still magnificent.
Both the large locks were manned and with the lights set at green we stomped straight in and sooner than expected we passed under the stately road bridge at Gunthorpe and moored at the secure BW visitor pontoon, right alongside Tom Browns restaurant which aptly is set in an old school house. A little while later, friends Ann and Brian who live at nearby East Bridgeford and are regular cruising chums, came to collect us for a couple of days of luxury living in their home. Duggie loves it here as they have a beautiful garden that he does his best to wreck; fortunately both Ann and Brian love Duggie and would forgive him almost anything.
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