The Lincoln Boat Club is a long-established boat club based at the Brayford Pool, an open area of water in the centre of the City of Lincoln U.K. It is a non-profit making club for owners of boats, of all sizes and ages, in the area. Members boats vary from NarrowBoats to Sea-going cruisers together with river and canal cruisers of various
sizes.
We have club moorings in front of the new
Lincoln University next to Lincoln
Marina, and our own Clubhouse on the opposite side of the Brayford Pool next to the Sea Cadets.
The
LBC exists mainly for the mutual benefit of the members, but we also try
to do our bit for the local charities in the area, taking various groups for
trips who would otherwise not have access to the water. The Clubhouse is on the
side of the Brayford Pool, allowing access from the road or the water, we have a
small bar and meet regularly on a Friday night at 8pm till 11pm.
VISITING
BOATERS are welcome to drop in on a Friday night, and we can sometimes offer
a temporary mooring to visitors for a night or two if one of the members is not
using theirs, but please contact us in advance.
To Contact us please E-mail: djvickers@compuserve.com
Click for photos of Members Boats
Click for a look at the Club's History
Click for the Club's
Calendar of Events and Cruises
Click for the Club's
2006 Xmas Charter
Click for photos of the Lincoln Water Festival 2000
The BRAYFORD POOL where we are based is in the centre of Lincoln,
where the river Witham joins the Fosse Dyke navigation, and in the past was a
major inland port for the barges that came up river from Boston, or down the
Fosse from the river Trent.
Whilst the old commercial barges no longer ply
the area, it is still a busy centre for many water users, including the local
Sea-cadets, Pleasure trip operators, canoeists, as well as pleasure boaters like
ourselves.
Since the advent of the University opening in 1996, on their site
adjacent to the Brayford, we have seen an increase in local river facilities and
in the use of the river and navigation. There are also many new developments
around the Brayford basin.
LINCOLN is a historic city, with many reminders of the past, with a grand Norman Cathedral dominating the landscape from the top of the hill, many small Medieval streets, and the remains of Roman occupation still on view. The Romans called it 'Lindum Colonia' and built the Fosse Dyke as a canal between the rivers Trent and Witham about year 120 AD. The Witham runs right through the centre of Lincoln, going through the 'Glory Hole' which is where the High Street crosses the river, with a medieval house built on the bridge (now a very nice coffee shop).
NAVIGATION NOTES for the Fosse Dyke and Witham
The following are
brief notes on the Witham and Fosse navigation, further details can be obtained
from Nicholsons guide 3:North or other similar publications. The details below
are in some instances more up to date than the guide. (see end of text).
The
Fosse Dyke is entered from the tidal Trent at Torksey Lock, where BW has
moorings etc. and runs for 5 miles to Saxilby where there are BW moorings in the
village with two adjacent pubs and a chip shop and three other pubs
nearby.
It continues for another 5 miles to Lincoln, with two excellent pub
restaurants with moorings in between. The Woodcocks has a good restaurant with
an outdoor kids playground, and the Pyewipe
Inn, has a choice of
good bar meals or a more formal (and more expensive) restaurant, both with good
food.
A new large marina (Burton Waters) is next to the Woodcocks Pub, along with a recent propery development. Approaching Lincoln, BW have an office with facilities, and permanent
moorings, then as the Brayford Pool is reached, there is the newly modernised
Lincoln Marina with pub, sports centre, diesel, chandlery, slipway etc, opposite
our club house, and the Harbourmaster's office with waterpoint and visitor
moorings towards the eastern end of the Pool.
The river Witham takes over as
you go east from the Brayford Pool, with low bridges through the
town down to Stamp End lock. This has a lockkeeper, but can be operated by
boaters with a BW key.
The river takes its course for the next 10 miles to
Bardney lock where again boaters can self operate the gates, and into Bardney
village where there are BW moorings with a short walk into the village centre
for petrol, pubs etc.
From Bardney, it is another 10 miles to Dogdyke where
there is a marina and pub, and 1 mile further is the entrance to the Kyme Eau (Slea navigation) which is a 8 mile long small navigation heading south.
The
next 7 miles is rather plain to Langrick bridge, where there is a handy
bridgeside garage for fuel. 2 miles on is Antons Gowt, with the entrance lock
for the Navigable drains, and free 48 hour moorings and a nearby pub.
The
last 2 miles takes you into Boston, where there are excellent secure BW moorings
(free for 1st night) before the Grand Sluice lock onto the tidal Witham. The
lock opening times are very restricted due to the tides, and 24 hours notice to
the lockkeeper is recomended if you are travelling through to the Wash. Once
through the lock, it takes an hour or so to get past Boston Dock and down the
Haven to the start of the sea channel.
Update to Nicholsons guide
details etc.
a) The lift bridge at the west end of Brayford Pool was removed
at the end of Aug 96 to make way for a new flyover.
b) The locks at Stamp End
and Bardney can be operated by boaters and do not need advance notice to the
lockkeeper except for courtesy.
c) The Witham water level does not vary much
except during extreme rainfall
d) Phone numbers:- Torksey Lock: 01427 718202,
Stamp End Lock: 01522 525749, Bardney Lock 01526 398429, Boston Lock: 01205
364864, Brayford Trust Harbourmaster 01522 521452, Lincoln Marina 01522 526896,
BW Lincoln Office 01522 520148
The following links are to some other pages related to boats.
George's: Canal Boating U.K.&
Europe
Other useful sites:-
For LBC djvickers@compuserve.com - - - -
- Dave Vickers
Home Page
Last updated Dec 2006