Aylesbury Basin to Berkhamsted

Monday 1st July - Aylesbury Basin

Today we drove to Totton, Southampton to visit Annie, Pete and Alba.  Alba is 6 weeks old today and we had a lovely day playing with her, having lunch and going for a walk.

Alba is growing quickly and is now able to hold her head up for a few moments at a time!










Tuesday 2nd July - Aylesbury Basin to Wilstone

Today Toby went for a haircut and we did some provision shopping and filled up with water.  Once we had collected Toby, we set off on our journey back up the Aylesbury Arm.

Lock 16 of all 16 locks up to the main branch of the canal.

This marina is just beyond lock 15 and you can moor here for 14 days free of charge, don't think I know of anywhere else you can do this!

For the eagle eyed amongst you, you may realise I used this photo last week, but I've put it in again to show the reeds narrowing the channel.  This time it was very weedy, and it slowed our moving right down, and we waited for a boat to clear the reeds as it was constantly getting stuck.









So, we managed to get as far as Wilstone, after 8 locks and decided to moor up for the night, a pleasant enough stop with a strange story.  In 1751 a dastardly act took place according to local legend at Dinah's pond in Watery Lane. Even today many old villagers would not stroll down there at midnight!   An accused Witch was subject to a trial by ducking, the last to take place in the county, having been outlawed for 16 years. The unfortunate woman Ruth Osborne drowned and the inquest was held at the Half Moon. The main perpetrator was tried at Hertford and condemned to hang in chains on Wilstone Green.

5 miles, 8 locks, 4 hrs cruising time.


Wednesday 3rd July - Wilstone to Little Tring (Wendover Arm)

We cruised up through the 8 remaining locks, this was taken as we entered the bottom lock of the staircase locks looking back along the Arm.

At the top of the arm we turned right and continued up 7 more wide locks.  Here I am waiting for a widebeam to exit the lock.

At the top of this lock we turned right on to the Wendover Arm.  The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal provides a scenic and tranquil route from Bulbourne to Wendover - built as a feeder to provide much needed water to the Tring summit on the Grand Union. For a small additional cost the canal was made navigable and opened in 1797.  It provides 1.5 miles of lock free cruising, delightful!

Half way along is an enormous flour mill, Heygates Flours, bringing much noise and bustle to an otherwise idyllic scene.

We turned in Little Tring Winding Hole and moored at the visitor moorings.  Apart from a few fishermen, it was completely deserted.  We decided to stay for an extra day and explore the rest of the Wendover Arm which is currently being restored.







3.25 miles, 15 locks, 4 hrs 48 mins cruising time.


Thursday 4th July - Little Tring Winding Hole

Another glorious day, so we decided to walk early so it wouldn't be too hot for Toby.  This stretch of the Wendover Arm is currently being restored, this was last worked on in June.

This section is already in water, although it looks full of weed at the moment.

                                                      We diverted our walk down to Wilstone Reservoir and walked all the way round it.

Moorhen sitting on its nest and other ducks, geese and swans lazily moving on the water.

Toby found some shade and sat quietly to cool down whilst we watched the antics of the diving ducks.

Sunset over Little Tring Winding Hole, so calm and peaceful.  This mooring must rank as the most delightful we have ever been in, the arm is a hidden treasure and is an absolute delight.









Friday 5th July - Little Tring Winding Hole to Berkhamsted Lock 53

This craft was moored at the end of the winding hole and left at 10pm last night.  It got as far as this on the way to Berkhamsted, it is another oil rig life boat adapted for canal cruising and living.  It is powered by an 15hp outboard motor.





We cruised down through the 7 locks, put some water on and arrived in Berkhamsted by lunch time.  We had a phone call from Lizzie after a visit to the doctor, she has acute tonsillitis and a nasty case of quinsy.  The doctor gave her a letter which would admit her to hospital immediately if the quinsy got worse.  We decided to hire a car and Dave drove to be with her for the weekend until she is out of danger.  Toby and I were boat sitting in Berkhamsted until Dave returns.




Saturday 6th July - Berkhamsted

Toby and I spent the day in and around Berkhamsted.  

Walking along the canal we found a totem pole of all things.  The pole was shipped to Britain from Canada and erected at Alsford's Wharf in 1968. Alsford's warehouses were replaced in 1994 by a private housing development which limit access to the pole, so that it can be viewed only at a distance from the public road. It is one of only a handful of totem poles in the United Kingdom, others being on display at the British Museum and Horniman Museum in London, Windsor Great Park, Bushy Park and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Berkhamsted Castle was first built as a timber motte-and-bailey castle in the late 11th century. One of the most important early Norman castles, it controlled the northern approach to London, 30 miles away. Kept in royal hands, it was occupied by key figures of the Middle Ages, such as Thomas Becket, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and the Black Prince. Much of its stone was plundered during the 16th century.










Sunday 7th July - Berkhamsted

Today, Dave felt Lizzie was well enough to leave on her own and he returned to us in Berkhamsted.  We walked along the canal to The Boat and had Sunday Lunch, very good indeed!

This attractive building is on the south side of the canal between Ravens Lane and Castle Street.  It is known as Castle Wharf (The Port of Berkhamsted) which was the centre of the town's canal trade, navigation and boat building activities. This was an area of vibrant waterway activity. Colourful boats, originally mule drawn, were a constant sight.

Main activities included the transport of coal, grain, building materials and manure. Timber yards, boating wharves, breweries, boat building and chemical works and all the people that served these industries, flourished as a result of the canal.








A lovely building, the lower building was a pub established in 1605 and is now long-closed and in residential use.  It was called The Boote, and you can see why!

St Peter’s Church was originally built at the beginning of the 13th century, possibly on the site of an even earlier church, but was restored in 1820 and again in 1870 which is when most of the external stonework dates from. Today, it is the oldest surviving building in Berkhamsted and, architecturally, the most important.








Tomorrow we resume our cruise.