The River Witham

Following on from the Fossdyke Navigation, the River Witham flows from Stamp End lock to the sea gates at Boston which link the river to the tidal River Witham, the wash and the sea beyond.

At first there is little noticeable change between the Fossdyke and the river with long straights and the occasional bends but soon the river widens and deepens and the flow becomes more noticeable as more and more drainage ditches and dykes flow into the navigation. The river slips past many villages along the way, often turning their backs on the once important river.

The only lock between Stamp End and Boston is the lock at Bardney which has a fall of approximately 8ft during normal summer river conditions. The lock is accompanied by a pretty lock cottage, which is now a private residence and also a swing bridge to give access to the farmers fields. The bridge is usually left open though so poses no navigational problems. Once through this lock the navigation continues on its peaceful journey through open countryside with occasional road crossings and farm buildings on the banks.

The Kyme Eau navigation, which will eventually be navigable all the way through to Sleaford, joins the River Witham at Chapel Hill. Here there are visitor moorings available at the caravan park and facilities are made available to visiting boat crews. The Kyme Eau is however currently only navigable to shallow drafted boats with low air draft.

About 2 miles from Boston is the lock and visitor moorings at Antons Gowt. The lock gives access to the Navigable Drains, a drainage system that during the summer months is open to navigation by boat. As the main priority is drainage the navigations are purely on an as found basis with no guarantee of navigation given. Navigation of the drains is only advised for shallow drafted boats with low air draft, however low bridges will give problems on some sections.

After the long sweeping bend at Antons Gowt the river settles into its final run into Boston with another long straight. The Stump comes into view to herald your arrival in Boston. The slight disappointment here is the state of the visitor moorings, which have seen better days and are often too short for Naughty-Cal, who is only 25ft long!! Make sure you have plenty of spare fenders to avoid damage to your craft. Still they are located very close to the town centre, yet offer a peaceful evening aboard should this be your requirement.

Visitor moorings on the River Witham:
Washingborough: 24 hour visitor mooring
Fiskerton Fen: 24 hour visitor mooring
Bardney Lock: 72 hour visitor mooring
Bardney Village: 72 hour visitor mooring
Dunsten Fen: 24 hour visitor mooring (moorings also at Southrey opposite)
Kirkstead Bridge: 24 hour visitor mooring
Tattershall Bridge: 24 hour visitor mooring
Chapel Hill: £5 per night (includes use of facilities on caravan site)
Dogdyke: 24 hour visitor mooring
Antons Gowt: 24 hour visitor mooring
Boston: 24 hour visitor mooring (longer mooring available on request)

British Waterways Facilities:
Bardney Lock: Toilets, showers, water point, refuse disposal, electric points
Boston: Toilets, showers, water point, refuse disposal, electric points

There are far too many pubs and villages along the River Witham to name them all, so i wont even attempt to, but a couple of our favourites are The White Horse, Dunsten Fen (currently closed down), and The Little Peacock, Boston. Boston as you would expect has a huge range of shops, supermarkets, pubs and other facilities. The Maud Foster Mill Tea Rooms is also well worth a visit.

So there you have it. The low down on our local waterways and Naughty-Cal's local places to visit.