Nottingham - The Big Track
w/e 20 November 2016
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
The Big Track is a ten mile walking and cycling path through
Nottingham from Trent Bridge to Beeston Lock. and is promoted
as a car free waterside route. We didn't walk the ten miles,
in fact we didn't walk very far at all but we joined the route
on the towpath of the Beeston Canal where it passes the Castle
Marina Retail Park. As we reached the towpath we could just see
Nottingham Castle high on the skyline over to the right.
We turned to the left passing the sign for the Castle Meadow
Moorings.
|
The path rose over a footbridge crossing the access point into
the Castle Marina and then dropped down under the road bridge
that carries almost constant traffic into and out of the Retail
Park.
|
We continued along the towpath with Castle Marina on our left
as far as the railway bridge which, although it cannot be seen
in this view, is just this side of the electricity tower.
|
Turning at the railway bridge we began to make our way back and
took a closer look at some of the narrow boats on the canal.
It's a hard life being a guard dog on a narrow boat, don't you
know?
|
The marina, now on our right, was filled with numerous boats.
|
Artwork on narrow boats is always worth studying and here are
just four examples of the variety on show. The mermaid was painted
on the Blue Bella in the marina whilst the sunny Raver, wild
dog and Finnegan's Rainbow complete with a pot of gold on top
of the boat were all on boats on the canal.
|
The art work also extends to a building across the canal where
a giant fish has been painted onto a house at the end of Alderney
Street.
|
Crossing under the road bridge and over the footbridge again
we passed the Waters (no apostrophe) Edge Pub and Restaurant
which caters not only for boaters but also the general public
who can access it from the Retail park.
|
By the look of the skull on the tiller of a boat near the Waters
Edge it appears the poor soul didn't make it in time for either
a drink or a bite to eat either.
|
As we neared the end of our short walk we and the other walkers
were joined by a cygnet on the towpath. Maybe the water was too
cold for it but with a recent change in the weather the temperature
was much lower than we have become accustomed to. It didn't seem
to be affecting one of the young men ahead of us though - he
was wearing a T shirt and had bare arms. It takes all sorts!
|
