Victoria Inn, Allerton Bywater

Another hot day, we trundled towards Castleford; the area we'd agreed to meet Ali and Tom the following day.

We scouted out a boatyard for diesel, calling the landline and mobile but got no response and couldn't see anyone around.

We had better luck with water, pulling up amongst a lot of other boats to grab some lunch, rest and fill up the tank. We considered staying at the Castleford moorings but it was a bit busy and bleak, with concrete paths and chainlink fencing so we chugged on to the Victoria Inn in Allerton Bywater; a pub that maintains bankside moorings. It had been recommended to us and didn't disappoint. It was quite a squeeze to fit in, as other boats had come and gone, leaving gaps not quite big enough for a boat our size, but we managed it.

It was quiet, with a nice green to walk the dogs and mature trees bordering fenland on the other bank. We had a thrill seeing a Barn Owl with a small mammal in its claws flying over the canal. It flitted back and forth about four times, though we didn't manage to catch it on camera.Read more