Sawley - Trent Lock
w/e 05 June 2016
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
It's June! Meteorologically it's summer! It's also
England and whilst western parts have been basking under clear
skies and warm sunshine, those of us in the central and eastern
parts of the country have been shivering under an overcast sky
and enduring a chilling northerly wind for much of the week.
The good news is that for most of the time, the rain held off.
So trade at the Trent Lock pub and restaurant during half term
week when families would have been welcomed, must have been affected
by the dismal conditions. Whilst we were there several people
with children walked past without crossing the threshold and
seating at the tables outside were left unoccupied.
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A few hardy souls though were making use of the picnic tables
between the pub and the River Trent.
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Even the birds huddling in the dovecote though were sheltering
from the icy blasts.
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The weather hadn't put off some of the boaters as the Myra D'Or
moored on the Trent appeared to have travelled all the way from
Northwich in Cheshire which was probably bathed in sunshine at
this very moment.
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Given the weather the nearby Ratcliffe On Soar Power Station
was probably working harder than would have been expected during
the first week of June.
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From roughly the same position as the previous picture, over
to the left we could see the Lock House Tea Rooms.
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The name Trent Lock refers to the first lock on the Erewash Canal
but the name is now applied to the whole of the surrounding area
as well as the pub we have already seen. In fact according to
a nearby information board, it includes three rivers and two
canals. The "road" sign where the Erewash Canal joins
the Trent shows the Cranfleet Cut to the left and the River Soar
opposite. The third river, the Derwent, joins the Trent a little
further upstream to the right.
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From the footbridge over the mouth of the Erewash Canal, the
entry to the Cranfleet Cut can be seen and it was along the towpath
there that we walked in 2010 when we followed the Cranfleet Trail (opens in a new window)
which also includes more images of Trent Lock.
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Turning on the footbridge to look along the Erewash Canal with
the Lock House Tea Rooms on the right, the gates of the actual
Trent Lock are visible under the road bridge.
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Also overlooking the lock is the other pub at Trent Lock. The
full name of the pub is The Steamboat Inn at Trent Lock but since
our Cranfleet Trail visit in 2010, a couple of letters have disappeared
from the front of the pub and it now reads S EAMB AT. That obviously
won't bother visitors when the weather picks up and by the way,
come the weekend it had turned warmer and the wind had dropped.
Maybe summer is here after all just in time for next week's carnival
and Queen's "Party in the Park" birthday celebrations
in Ilkeston which is being orgasnised by the Ilkeston Churches
and the Erewash Borough Council. Thinking back to last year though,
the carnival was cancelled due to a waterlogged ground so many
fingers will be crossed and prayers said before next weekend.
Hey ho - this is June, this is summer, this is England! Enjoy!
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