Jill's birthday treat.

Jill's birthday, difficult to believe the first birthday I shared with her was her thirteenth.
Today I gave her a real birthday treat, knowing her love of tidal water.
We set off down Well Creek through Outwell,

then over Mullicourt Aqueduct crossing the Sixteen Foot Drain

and passing the other end of Popham's Eau.

A bit of a contrast with the stretch we navigated on our way to Three Holes, this end is unnavigable.

A line of pylons stretched away to the horizon and then we arrived at

Salters Lode Lock and the tidal Great Ouse. We had an hour or so to wait for the tide to be right for crossing to Denver Sluice so we set off to familiarise ourselves with the environs.

There's a bit of a sand bank just outside the lock, made a mental note to give it a wide berth.

That's Denver Sluice centre rear, it's not that far, ignore the mudbanks, after all the tide was on the flood. Eventually the lockie decided the water level was OK and we were called forward.

Here we are, safely tucked in the lock and then, after the levels equalised,

the guillotine gate rose and we headed out onto the wide waters,

carefully avoiding the now submerged sand bank. It was then a swift right turn, give her some welly and head up stream to Denver and its

integral lock.
We were soon through and passing

the Jenyns Arms. As it is Jill's birthday we pulled over for a swift one but on consideration decided to stay and celebrate here.

Watch this space..........