Trent Bridge - the second

Saturday, 28 August 2010 19:25

So onward towards Nottingham

We did not have many miles to do before we would be off the river - temporarily. We passed old and new, pretentious and derelict, riverside buildings on our way up towards Trent Bridge (the first Trent Bridge we encountered had been in Newark).

Nottingham Sea Cadets were all prepared for invasion with this gun on their wharf!

I wonder who lives here - a large Colonial style house and only a large cruiser with a gin terrace would have completed the picture! Nearby the riverside flats looked rather nice and there were a couple on their balcony with a great view of the river.

These moorings for trip boats boasted a Lady, and a Prince and Princess

So much for the "new" - here are the "old". A large warehouse sits on the north bank with a basin beyond, which was the original entrance to the Nottingham Canal.

After Lady Bay Bridge, the entrance to the Grantham Canal is between the Environment Agency building and the Brian Clough Stand of Notts Forest. The Grantham Canal was built to transport coal from Nottingham to Grantham. Opening in 1797, it rose 140 feet through its 33 miles and 18 locks. The round trip for coal took about 10 days and stone and lime and "night soil" were also carried.

Entrance from the Trent

Once again, the coming of the railway put paid to the canals profitability and it was closed in 1936, with the provision that two foot of water should remain for agricultural purposes. The Grantham Canal Partnership is in process of restoring the waterway. There is a virtual tour of the canal on the Grantham Canal Society website - clickety click

The junction with the Nottingham Canal is marked by the ground of Nottingham Forest Football Club (on the opposite bank) with its two waterside stadia.

Trent Bridge is known to cricketers - the cricket ground, not the bridge! The cricket ground is just down the road from the football ground. Boaters can continue under the bridge, towards the unnavigable section of the Trent  beyond Wilford Suspension Bridge. The suspension bridge was built in 1906 and originally designed to carry water supply to Wilford Hill reservoir.

Of course we had to go to the end before ascending to the canal!

Detail on Trent Bridge

There are good moorings (low enough for narrowboats!) outside County Hall and further down beyond the suspension bridge there appear to be private moorings for quite a way on the unnavigable section.

Beyond the suspension bridge

Victoria Embankment on the west side is a pleasant riverside walk with the very ornate Queen Victoria Memorial Arch beside the suspension bridge. The embankment was constructed between 1898 and 1901; it has 10 miles of concrete steps.

We turned around after the suspension bridge to return to the junction with the Nottingham Canal.

For the moment I will leave you here, waiting with me on Epiphany to ascend Meadow Lane Lock.

River Trent Navigation, Holme Lock to Nottingham Trent end of navigation

2.69 miles, 38 minutes,  0 locks