Brigg drinkers enjoying the Sunday afternoon sun in the beer garden alongside the White Hart pub got out of their seats to watch this boat pass by on the Old River Ancholme, just half-a-minute after we photographed it approaching the County Bridge.
The pub customers would have heard the noise of the approaching vessel, perhaps magnified by the bridge's brickwork.
It would be wonderful if someone could establish boat trips along the river, which you'd think would prove quite a draw during spring and summer, when the sun has got his hat on.
A leisurely ride round the Brigg Island, perhaps. Or even as far as historic Horkstow (suspension) Bridge, a listed structure.
.....the simple truth, Nige is that there is no suitable public mooring.
ReplyDeleteThe Environment Agency mooring near the road bridge may look the part, but the water is too shallow and full of large blocks of rubble...so much that it would easily damage a boat's hull and prop. It was tried, but the boat, was it called, Firefly?, grounded when passengers boarded...
Going back to circa 2002.the Silver Jubilee Year, Adrian, the postie from Scunny, who ran river trips gave up....one significant reason being the lack of a suitable mooring.
B4 that time, he used the wooden jetty at the White Hart..then that was condemned; he then used the scaffolding jetty near the bridge..but that was condemned..he next used the fisherman's platforms - a few had deep enough water, but these were too narrow and often couldn't be used owing to anglers taking priority....then he just gave up.
I understand the the boat trips organised by the Glanford Boat Club loaded passengers from the grassy embankment to the north of the road bridge.
Until the authority - ?EA, NLC - creates a proper mooring with deep enough water, clear of sharp blocks of rubble (and Tesco trolleys), no boat-trip person is sensibly going to consider re-creating boat trips..unless of course, they have a hover-craft!