Nene Way - Peterborough to Wansford station

4 September 2010

With Lucy and Ellie going to a dog show in Peterborough, Stephen and George came along too for a walk from Peterborough upstream along the Nene Way.

The East Coast Main Line railway bridges cross the Nene near my start point

...followed by the line from March

The fishermen were out in force today, having a practice match, which clearly involved very long rods blocking the public footpath every twenty metres. The very low ones could easily be stepped over, but the higher ones were a nuisance, because I had George on the lead in case he took a fancy to their lunch or bait. Most of the fishermen were accommodating about moving their rods, but waiting twenty seconds at each pitch soon became very tedious.

A weird concrete piece of art, presumably intended to represent a boat, but without any interpretation or credit

As we approached Orton lock and sluices, a dreaded "footpath closed ahead" sign, fortunately for once with a decent map and sensible alternative route.

A short way up the "closed ahead" route to see Orton lock where we had a spot of lunch watching the boats go through. The narrowboat is about to descend.

George on the bridge above the lock

A canoe course below the sluices

A cruiser makes its way upstream ready to go up the lock

Making our way around the fairly well signed diversionary route.

Back on the Nene Way, another sculpture, this time of a shepherd in wood

Milton Ferry Bridge is lovely, and dates from 1716

A narrowboat heads downstream as we approach the Nene Valley Railway

Crossing the Nene Valley Railway

We then leave the main course of the Nene and follow a backwater, Back Dike. In the background are the water and windmill at Castor Mills

Approaching the Nene Valley Railway again

An oxbow lake on the original course of the Nene, since straightened though whether through natural or human processes I don't know

Looking to Water Newton with its mill, church and guillotine lock gate

Parachutists descending en masse

Our route then comes alongside the Nene Valley Railway which we'll follow for the rest of the way to Wansford station

As we approach the river again, the Nene Way turns right under the railway bridge

But our way lies over the bridge to the station where Lucy and Ellie have just arrived from the show to pick us up.

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Total 15.2 km in 3 hours 57 mins.