Fancy a paddle? No!

November has been a wetter than average month and a band of heavy rain moving slowly north-east overnight on 17/18th brought sufficient of a deluge to have an immediate impact on the river levels. It's the first time I've seen the weir in Roberts Park submerged for months. It got to the stage where it was 2/3rds dry over the summer. Looking the other way into Roberts Park, the river has refilled its course and covered over 'the beach' that had emerged. 

Beyond the park, the river current was strong - easier for the ducks but only as long as they want to travel the way it takes them! I always like this view. You'd never know it was in such a suburban area. 

The upper weir at Hirst Wood was fierce. You couldn't see any of the many rocks that litter this area. The original weir has got badly broken down over the years and the stones and rubble have been spread into a wide, rough cascade. 

I was intending to enjoy my usual walk along the river and back along the canal but then found my way impeded. There is a stream that runs down from Milner Field, beside the wood. It passes under a rough, low bridge - except that when I got there, it was passing both under and over the bridge! The photo isn't too clear but the water covers all of the foreground and was swirling about rather fast. I considered attempting to walk on the little parapet on the right but, even had I done so, there was a chasm a couple of feet wide at the far side, too big for me to leap and too deep and swirling for me to paddle through (in boots but not wellies). So I had to turn back; better safe than sorry. At least I was at the near end of the river bank path so I didn't have far to walk back. It's rather annoying though, because at some stage earlier in the year someone (not sure who - landowner? river management people?) spent ages digging out the channel of the stream above the little bridge and widening it, presumably to mitigate a perceived problem. End result is that the stream's flow, in mild flood, has been directed further over and obviously now chooses to bypass the bridge. Water will always take the most direct route! I must just remember for the future that if the river level is up to the top step by the rowing club, then I won't be able to negotiate the path further on.