Dilham Canal

The sun shone yesterday (Monday), so the Post hauled out its old canoe for a paddle up the Dilham Canal. Built during the canal boom of the early 19th Century, the waterway originally ran from Swafield in the North down to Wayford Bridge, where it joins the River Ant. These days the only navigable stretch is the two miles from Wayford up to Honing Lock and, as yesterday's trip proved even that is pushing it, with reed encroaching to the extent that it would be very hard going to get anything wider than a canoe through the final stretch up to Honing.

Traffic jam at the southern end of the canal

On the plus side, of course, this does mean that if you are in a canoe, you pretty much have the water to yourself. Apart from a few walkers and hire canoes on the wider stretches at the southern end, the Post hardly saw anyone all afternoon, the only company being the swans, ducks and cows on the banks and hundreds of small fish teeming in the water. The only slight disappointment on the trip was encountering a fallen tree which completely blocked the waterway about 50 yards short of Honing Lock, preventing us from getting the canoe into the actual lock pound. Next time we're up that way, we'll take a saw and a sickle to make the going a bit easier.

Unfortunately, with the Post's regular photographer away on another job we had to take our own pictures.Apologies in advance if they fall short of the usual high standard:

You aren't from around here, are you boy?

More reed than water approaching Honing

It's all gone Beatrix Potter

End of the line: a fallen tree blocks access to Honing lock

Where Honing lock top gates used to be (see below)

Unfortunately, our stand-in photographer came over all arty at the sight of running water and failed to get a decent shot of Honing Lock. If you want to see photos of the canal past and present, there is plenty more information at the East Anglian Waterways Association website, as well as details of ongoing restoration work.