Trent Bridge

Today we find ourselves on the River Trent proper, moored at the steps just to the south of the magnificent Trent Bridge. In fact 'Futurest' and I are right in front of the County Council Offices.

We left the mooring outside Sainsbury’s yesterday morning with the idea of travelling north down the Trent, hoping to make Gunthorpe, about eleven miles away before the day ended. However we needed fuel as I have explained previously, which meant we had to wait simply ages before we were able to get onto the fuelling point. This delayed us no end and by the time we went through Meadow Lock onto the river it was too late to be comfortably certain of arriving at Gunthorpe by nightfall.

As there were plenty of moorings available just above Trent Bridge I made a quick management decision on the spot (not something I’m normally used to, especially these days!) and decided to stay the night there. We have been here ever since.

In spite of the fact that we had been moored for ages outside a large branch of Sainsbury’s and I had thought we were well stocked up with provisions, by the time we arrived here, I decided that we needed some milk before we set off down the Trent so I went ashore to find a shop yesterday afternoon.

However I only got as far as Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, only a few yards from the boat, before I decided to leave the shopping till tomorrow and pop inside to watch a match that was going on.

When I was a lad and watched all the Test Matches on television, never did I realise that one day I would actually see a match live at this venue. Lords or the Oval perhaps, but not Trent Bridge. It was much too far away.

Though the wind remained chilly, it was a beautiful sunny day once more. So in I went and was most surprised to find that it was such a beautiful ground.

Nottinghamshire were playing Yorkshire and the latter were batting in their first innings on this, the first days play. I stayed for about five hours and was thrilled by the standard of play. Only one wicket fell while I was there and yet the bowling and fielding was brilliant. But as I left at five thirty the two batsmen were well up in their scores. One was nearing a century and the other his fifty. It was proving to be a good match I think.

Because I still needed to find the shops I decided to remain at these moorings for a second night but tomorrow we shall be on our way..... Definitely!

The Co Op that I found today wasn’t particularly well stocked but I did manage to buy the milk so we should be okay for a while now.

Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire at Trent Bridge

The new ornate Trent Bridge....

.....and all that’s left of the old medieval version

As I went ashore to find the shop for milk, purely by chance as I was crossing the busy road I came across the remains of what must have been an earlier Trent Bridge that once spanned the river. The remains are situated in the middle of a very busy, two laned arterial roundabout. There is no plaque to explain their history but from the way the bridge is facing leaves me in no doubt that it previously spanned the river.

Looking across the old bridge.

An arch of the new bridge can be seen in the distance