Tied up in Torksey

Here we are safely tied up in Torksey on the Fossdyke after a swift (for us) run down the tidal Trent. It wasn't as nerve jangling run as we had feared - just cold and windy. The flow was fast and pretty smooth, just the odd choppy sections where the wind whipped up the water, and being a Bank Holiday, there was no commercial traffic about. Indeed we hardly saw a boat during our two and a half hour trip.
But I can say I'm a fan of the Trent - a big, wide waterways running through mile after mile of windswept, flat countryside with scarcely a house let alone a church or village to break the monotony.  Just the odd water-skier and passing power station.

We had planned a day in Newark but the town was still largely shut down for the Jubilee holiday and the weather forecast for the next couple of days was wet so we turned back to the boat and headed off.

But it is a delightful place and definitely worth a return viewing. The handsome buildings around the large market square are virtually unspoilt and the mix of architectural styles brings to mind those attractive ancient market centres of northern France or Belgium. Except that there aren't any bars or restaurants here. Save Starbucks. Grrrrh!
Torksey - like Newark - goes back to Roman times when it was an important port. Today it is just a little Trent-side hamlet - but one with an excellent local pub, the White Swan.
I'm writing this while we recuperate from a couple of massive, superbly cooked meals - an excellent steak pie and a fine smoked haddock. All that and listening in to some entertaining local gossip.
And finally, it's raining again. It held off all day (I even had my shorts on) but now there's a steady drizzle that looks set in for the night. And the mist is rolling down too. Welcome to the Fens!