Onwards to The Trent

When leaving the village of Shardlow, you come across these floodgates, with a traffic light system, according to flood conditions.  River levels are 'normal' but not normal for this time of year, if you see what I mean.  No red lights today, and gates are open, so we carried on to....

Derwent Mouth Lock.  Indicator board is below the green at this point - safe to proceed..

Onto The Trent, hmm, so this is 'normal' is it?

The Trent emerging from the right (with the new Long Horse Bridge in the background)

The River Derwent coming in from the left.

The River Trent veers off to the left.

The indicator board at the Sawley end of the river doesn't show as much green as the Shardlow end.  The river was a bit too choppy for my liking.

Through Sawley Flood lock, into Sawley marina with Nottingham (Ratcliffe)  power station in the background, where we grappled with the automated self service diesel pump.  Eventually it started dispensing diesel after many attempts (card in, not recognised, card out, card in, wrong pin, card out, card in, time expired due to inactivity of customer, card out etc), all the while, this boat was moored opposite us...

This is the view of the Trent from Sawley locks, with a goods train passing overhead,

River Trent, heading towards Nottingham.

Sawley locks

We decided that this was the point at which we turned round and headed back.  We've both got a few commitments over the forthcoming weekends, and need to be nearer train stations.  Well, that's our excuse anyway, the fact that we don't particularly like rivers, and it's not our idea of having a fun time, has nothing to do with it! So we turned at the top of Sawley locks, and headed back up the Trent.  Mind you, having watched Timothy Spall last night battling with the north sea, we did feel rather spineless!

Under the M1 (no, I'm not in the Stobart fan club, but good photo)

Dave getting colder, bobbing along.

Straight on Dave - head for the green sign back onto the canal bit, and breathe......