After an adrenaline-ridden cruise along the River Trent, it was a welcome change to enter the sedate and secluded Fossdyke Navigation. Or is it “Foss Dyke”? The jury’s out.
Bridge Fever
Despite mooring next to the railway bridge and opposite the main road into Saxilby, our spot by the willow trees and picnic area was idyllic, perfect for dog walks.
Roman pottery has been found in Saxilby, and Vikings settled there in the 9th century. But Saxilby’s real claim to fame is the number of bridges that cross its canal. There have been bridges across the Fossdyke since around 1648, evolving to accommodate boats, carts, trains, and cars.
The first bridge appeared on a 1648 map, but by 1797, it was in such poor condition that Parliament authorised its rebuilding. The village levied a threepence toll for each vessel passing, which helped raise funds.
In 1823, a new hand-cranked swing bridge replaced the old drawbridge on the Lincoln-Worksop turnpike road. It was the job of the bridge keeper, who lived nearby, to rotate the deck horizontally to let boats pass. In 1849, the railway arrived, and the bridge keeper’s responsibilities grew to include managing the level-crossing gates. Was he paid more for this?
In response to a serious typhoid epidemic in 1904, a pipe bridge was constructed to carry clean, fresh water from Nottinghamshire to the Westgate Tower in Lincoln, which it still does today.
In 1937, a fixed road bridge replaced the old swing bridge, and in 1987 British Rail built the village a new footbridge recycled from the East Coast Main Line.
Today, with a fish and chip shop and decent co-op for provisioning, the village serves as a comfortable layover for canal boaters. And it’s conveniently one stop away by train to Lincoln.
If you are ever in the area, Saxilby’s definitely worth a look.
While we were there, Jamie’s dad pointed him towards the Saxilby letters, which flowed back and forth between his grandparents. It was a touching reminder of how connected we remain through the generations.
To find out more about Jamie’s grandparents’ WWII experiences, watch the video…
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