Gravel workings are just too much on the Ouse
Moored Paxton, River Great Ouse
Well we finished the loading of the wood this morning having chopped it all up yesterday evening…
Most on the roof and some split ready for the fire under the front cratch cover once I had cleared the tables, chairs and summer parasols…
It was such a lovely mooring that we decided to stay just one more day.. after all this is my most favourite mooring out of all the waterways in England..
So we spent the morning getting NP into winter cruising mode and enjoyed a slap up roast for lunch followed by delicious apple and blackberry crumble…
Vic just had to have a snooze while I took Lucy and Meg for a final walk for this year around this area. So much sand and gravel has been taken out of the land here…
With the promise of leaving nature reserves once the workings are finished….
A little corner of one of the lakes, but right alongside a reminder that not all is done here yet..
Piles of sand just left while the machines grind on getting the more important gravel out of the ground.. I wonder how long it will be until this is yet another ‘nature reserve’
The trouble is the vast amounts of arable land that has been taken. I mean just look at just this ‘lake’ not yet given over to the public and nature…
Surely there must come a time when gravel extraction must end before our whole land is just one big nature reserve. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with nature reserves, I love them…
And so do my two collies, but cruising not only the Ouse Valley but the Nene Valley too, it is quite frightening just how many huge holes are left to fill with water rather than arable land for food growing…
Ho hum… Next jobbie is to work out what we are going to do for our winter cruise this year.. 
Sue
Updated 10th June!
