We spent a couple of days in Castle Marina. You may be able to spot The Duke in this picture.
The marina is right in the centre of Nottingham so is handy for shopping and the McBreakfast on Saturday morning before we set off towards Beeston. On Friday we enjoyed watching the 2018 film “I, Tonya” on BBC iPlayer. Based on the unbelievable, but true events, I, Tonya is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater, Tonya Harding, and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history.
Vera explored the tow path in Nottingham during our stay there.
There were some interesting boats moored up along the canal.
There was a swans nest and lots of green fluffy Canada Goose ducklings around the marina. The Canada Goose is a large goose, with a distinctive black head and neck and large white throat patch. An introduced species from North America, it has successfully spread to cover most of the UK. It forms noisy flocks and is often regarded as a nuisance in areas where large numbers occur liberally pooing on amenity grassland and parks, and on the towpaths and the river Trent Embankment.
Vera seemed to agree with the sentiment of this C&RT sign.
On Saturday 15th May 2021 Annie and Ian joined us at the marina at 10:00 and after Hilary had steered out of Castle Marina, Ian took the helm. At Beeston the owner of narrowboat Henson kindly let us use his long-term mooring for a lunch stop while he was fixing his gearbox on the other side of the canal with easier access to his van.
Several enthusiastic football matches were taking place on the neighbouring playing fields at Beeston.
After Beeston Lock we were out onto the River Trent, which was vast after the canal, Hilary battled the tidal current and got us through Cranfleet and Sawley locks, manned by Canal & River Trust volunteers. We saw several cormorants (not our photo but from MDC Discover Nature). When they were not flying they seemed to swim under the water with their necks out like periscopes.
We went through the Cranfleet Cut and through Derwent Mouth lock onto the calm of the Trent & Mersey Canal where we moored up for the night at 16:30 hrs. before bridge 1 on this canal.
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