Back to Fotheringay

Bright and fine at 5am but overcast and very blustery by 8.
Newspapers from Elton Post Office then we decide to head back, to Fotheringay in the first instance.
Undecided in this temperamental weather my thoughts start drifting towards taking a few days in Scotland later in the week. While I'm fine reading interspersed with the odd stroll and a pint at the end of the day, John's boundless energy needs more active outlets and we consider heading back to Oundle sooner rather than later. The fact that the fridge is broken and our milk has gone off helps to urge us home ....
Nevertheless we love the mooring (but try to moor away from the bridge, where cars tend to parp as they approach the blind hump back).

We like the church and the castle mound, and we agree that The Falcon is our latest favourite pub,so we plan to stay for the evening barbecue (Sunday's speciality).
When the weather permits we investigate the Church of St Mary and All Saints, which is impressive, though much reduced in size since its finest days. It features a well designed history of the Dukes of York, for whom the castle was home (Richard the Third was born here).

The evening barbecue at the Falcon was a great success and very good value.

Hurrah for the Falcon!

From Oundle through Ashton to Fotheringay

I really needed to get away for a break so, knowing that "boating is the fastest way to slow down" and despite some ominous weather warnings, we headed off, through rain showers, to Oundle to start a trip down stream.
Up river they say there is weed, while downstream there are several good pubs and eating places plus tranquil water - so we head off in overcast conditions, mooring up for lunch at Ashton Lock whence a 15 minute walk takes us to the surprisingly quaint and quiet estate village of Ashton with its attractive pub The Chequered Skipper. The village was rebuilt by the Rothschild family; the Chequered Skipper is an attractive butterfly now extinct in England, though Elton was one of the last places in England where it could be found. A picture of the butterfly is on wikipedia .
We had a very good lunch at The Skipper and recommend it.
Back to the boat, through Cotterstock and Perio locks to Fotheringay where we moor directly below the church.

This is a spot well worth the £4 mooring fee. and that's not something you'll often hear from me!
Exploration leads to the Castle mound and a small memorial to Mary Queen of Scots as this is where she was executed.

This view is looking downstream, taken from the mound, which is all that remains of the castle, except for a stump of masonry (here at the bottom right) where Mary's execution is commemorated.

"In memory of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, beheaded in the Great Hall of Fotheringay Castle, 8th February 1586/7"

It is difficult to visualise the castle as it was but there are several pictures which attempt it, plus a model in the church.

More about Fotheringay Castle on wikipedia.
We eat at the award winning (and deservedly so) Falcon at Fotheringay. It has good bar snacks as well as a fine restaurant and a tap room, excellent service from charming young waitresses and bar staff and with wi-fi too it's just a fine place to whittle our lives away after a hard day's boating.

Oundle at Last

Leaving Elton we pass through a lock at Warmington, and arrive at Fotheringhay. The beautiful church is smaller than it once was and the infamous castle where Mary Queen of Scots was murdered / executed is a mere mound with a single stump of stone - though with a tartan ribbon tied to it to remember her.

For me this is the classic view - Fotheringhay Church with Patience below. There is an overnight charge of £4 for mooring. Experienced local boaters are wary of strong currents in the central bridge arch and if looking for an undisturbed night's sleep, moor further downstream to avoid the noise of cars that hoot warnings as they approach the hump back bridge.
Eat at The Falcon a gastro restaurant with a good reputation - but check your reservation as Trip Advisor records several booking errors.
Now onward to Oundle, past lovely gardens with patios and garden houses though few practical moorings for visitors. What is it that landowners and local councils don't make the most of potential moorings to attract visitors? More initiative is needed, like GOBA with its 48 hour moorings.
Then it's locks at Perio, Cotterstock, Ashton and Lower Barnwell ...

John operates a guillotine lock with a fly wheel, one of several on The Nene.

... until finally, at 3pm, Patience enters Oundle Marina, her new home, with a warm welcome from Jacquie.
There's a (probably undeserved) sense of achievement at having finally arrived; a feeling of having succeeded despite the wind, rain and SSAs that made a 4 day journey into a 7 week trial. That's Patience. The last three days have been glorious. What a difference the sun makes!