Shardlow to Beeston

Birds do pick some damned silly places to build a nest.  Apart from being right next to the boat it is also on top of  the rope tying up two boats.

BW are out and about repairing the towpath. They have a mini-dredger in the boat.  I wonder if they will use it on the way back :-)

I hope you never feel like having a paddle just outside Shardlow.  I spotted this beastie after the bridge.

Then out on to the Trent.  Ooh it looks bigger than I remember.  You always have a niggle at the back of the mind about weirs and missing junctions.

Now I know I am getting to the east of England.  The motorway bridge is the one carrying the M1.

Sawley Lock is the first that is manned and the staff are multi-tasking by using two locks at the same time. There is sometimes a queue here even then.  The plastic boats are getting more numerous.

Trent Lock and the junction to the River Soar and the Erewash plus a weir and the route on to Nottingham. But where is it.

Well that is the entrance to the Erewash and ......

...down here is the weir and to the right is the access into the Soar.  You can't miss it.  Each and every point that can be taken by mistake is well signed.

Hurtling along.  The Trent does give some assistance going down stream even though it is hardly noticeable in water movement. 

Always pass Barton Island to the left and in case you forget there is a large sign on the approach.  The island is used - according to the sign - by the Sea Scouts of Beeston.

Coming up to Beeston lock and who do I spot but Spider who I last saw at Fradley junction

Its only a couple or three feet of drop down into the Beeston cut and you operate it yourself. At least you do today.  There are 14 day moorings along the bank.  I did think I was going to have problem finding a space but a couple of hundred yards and I slotted in.


I took a walk to find a shop.  There is a Co-op once you have walked past the station in Beeston.  Bit of a trek but not all that far really.