River Great Ouse:St Ives

We continued on our way to Hermitage Lock where the River becomes tidal again.   The lockkeeper must have been keeping a lookout because the approach light went green in good time.   It was Keith on duty and he furnished us with some literature and a very good EA Map.   The rise in the lock was much greater than I had expected which suggests that we were at the height of a spring tide.   Passing the entrance of the New Bedford River we found the pontoon EA Mooring for a water stop.    Then proceeded on again to Brownhills Staunch which was keeper operated today as the landing stages are under construction - only we hadn't been told and I dropped Pat and Alfie off before shooting into the lock where they were trapped.   The keeper was surprised that we had not been told.   On then to St Ives Lock which was just disgorging a cruiser as we approached.   Pat went up to work the lock but found the instrucdtion panel at the lower guillotine gate confusing as it referred to "filling" the lock but the actual instructions were for emptying it.   Once we got that over we found the EA moorings by the Dolphin Hotel Hotel and stopped there for a quick visit into town.    Well worth a longer visit and certainly very picturesque by the waterside with the unusual chapel in the middle of the narrow multiarched bridge.   Finally we moved on to Nobles Field for the rest of the day.   Lots of space for the dog to run around on.