Basingstoke Calling - Spring 2025 - Week 4

 Monday 24th March - Bulbourne Bridge 133 to Lock 53 Berkhamsted

A slow start this morning, the first thing we wanted to do was pootle down to the water point and fill up with water.  A boat had just hooked up his water hose so we sat and waited, had a coffee and after an hour or so filled our tank and moved on.  We then followed a wide beam boat all the way to the first lock.  Once he was through we were joined by nbLady Stardust, another narrowboat so we were able to share the locks.

When we were in the lock I spotted this cormorant sitting at the top of the tree, I had seen it swimming and diving in the canal a few minutes before I took this.

We are approaching Berkhamsted and I loved this highly decorated bridge welcoming us to The Port of Berkhamsted.  Berkhamsted was once a busy inland port and the centre of boat building activity,

The two boats lining up to enter a lock, working two boats through a wide lock halves the amount of work for the crew and saves on the amount of water used to fill and empty a lock.

6 miles, 8 locks, 6hrs 12mins

Tuesday 25th March - Berkhamsted to Boxmoor

This genuine Canadian totem pole is located next to the Grand Union canal in Berkhamsted. Commissioned by William John Alsford from the Canadian First Nations artist, Henry Hunt, as a thank you to Vancouver Island locals for saving his brother, it was erected in 1968 and stands at a whopping 9m tall. Made of western red cedar it is one of just a few totem poles in the UK.

I love the look of this building, all sorts of interesting little items dotted around the balcony, the area beside the canal and in the rooms on both sides of the main building.

 

Another ornate bridge as we left Berkhamsted.

We then managed to pick up another narrowboat to share the locks with and we went all the way down to Hemel Hempstead. He was a solo boater heading towards a mooring in Hackney.

We moored up before Hemel Hempstead near Boxmoor. Jules Fuels passed us and we bought diesel from him.  A stunning pair of boats carrying all the different types of fuel you could possibly want.

3.25 miles, 10 locks, 4hrs 18mins

Wednesday 26th March - Boxmoor to Hunton Bridge

A very gentle start to the day followed by a gentle meander down the first 6 locks.  

Then we spotted in the distance at the next lock the same solo boater from yesterday, so we teamed up again and went down the next three locks together.

Dave discovered that he is an A&E doctor working at Queen Elizabeth’s in Woolwich on a sabbatical for 4 months extended to 8 months because he got stuck on the Thames last year in all the storms.  Due back to work on Monday - wish him all the best!

We moored up for the night at Hunton Bridge and went for a wander into the town and stopped to have some lunch before returning to the boat.

A pair of Roe Deer on the side of the canal opposite where we are moored and below the trainline.  The male is on the right, the female on the left, stunning!

4.5 miles, 9 locks, 3hrs 30mins

Thursday 27th March - Hunton Bridge to Cassiobury Park

A later start this morning, we are only going a short way.  We discovered yesterday the Teddington Lock on the River Thames is closed for repair until 9th April.  That means we have some extra time on this canal.  We have decided to spend a few days in London and have booked a mooring in Paddington Basin from 2nd April.

Our first sighting of a Mandarin Duck.  Originally bought as pets in private gardens, they soon escaped and began living in the wild.  They originate from Eastern Asia and are flourishing here in the UK.

This is Bridge 164 and the local landowner requested that it was ornamented, it provides access to the Grove, now a five-star hotel, home to a luxurious spa, four restaurants and a championship golf course.

Although the current mill dates back to the 19th century, a mill is believed to have been in operation at the time of the Domesday Book, one of four water mills in the manor of Cassio.The manor of Grove had a mill in 1294-5; in 1631-2 there were two mills here under one roof.  It is now converted to accommodation.

We came down through the last lock of the day and moored up in Cassiobury park.  Very quiet and peaceful.  We went for a walk around Cassiobury Park and found a miniature railway, opening in time for the Easter Holidays.  We also found a cafe which wouldn’t allow Toby inside so we bought cake to take away, yum!

I love the new leaves as they open up, this is a horse chestnut with the leaves just breaking out of the buds.  They are still folded downwards and the white flowers are just beginning to form above the leaves.  A sure sign spring is on its way.

This was the last lock we came through and it took half an hour to fill enough for us to open the gates so I could enter the lock.  This boat is going up the lock and the lady owner couldn't open the gates on her own, so Dave went and helped her.  The slowest lock we have encountered so far!

2.25 miles, 6 locks, 2hrs 48mins

Friday 28th March - Cassiobury Park to Rickmansworth

A bright sparkly day and we set off for Rickmansworth via the water tap, which was extremely slow!  So gave up and moved on, knowing there was another tap on the way down into Rickmansworth.

We passed this converted lifeboat, we have seen orange ones before but this is the first blue one.  It is an oil rig lifeboat.

Signs we are close to London, the bridge in the distance is carrying the Metropolitan Line overground to its terminus in Watford.  How exciting!

We have just come through the lock into Rickmansworth and the service point is directly below the lock.  A boat is already putting on water but there are 2 taps so we tuck in behind and fill our water tank.  There used to be rubbish disposal but the bin men didn't like reversing down the road to empty the bins and they have been moved a long way back near the hotel!

All the way down, past Tesco’s, there was a continuous line of boats and we didn't think we were going to be able to moor.  We went down through Stockers Lock and found a delightful mooring opposite Stockers Farm where there are some handsome weatherboarded barns and stables.

Once we had moored up we walked back along the towpath and into Rickmansworth to do some shopping.

3.75 miles, 5 locks, 2hrs 26mins

Saturday 29th March - Stockers Lock

As we have a few spare days before heading into London we have decided to stay on this morning for a couple of days.  We went for a little walk around Stocker’s Lake where there are a lot of water sports taking place.  This is part of Rickmansworth Aquadrome, a leisure area developed from flooded gravel workings.

Another tree developing its fresh green coat.

This is the Nomad Kayak Club with its canoe polo pitch.  The squads have played in every division of the national league with many successes. Over the years the players have been seen competing across the UK and Europe.

Sunday 30th March - Stockers Lock

 

A beautiful warm sunny day and a lovely quiet Sunday in the sunshine.

Such a lovely day that I decided to bbq the pork chops we bought from the butcher in town.  Pork chops, courgettes and onions served with buttered cabbage, delicious!

Dave on the towpath, enjoying the sunshine and agonising over whether to move the boat to Denham tomorrow or just stay where we are.  Such a difficult decision!

Dinner is served, Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there.  Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Basingstoke Calling - Spring 2025 - Week 3

 Monday 17th March - Stoke Bruerne to Cosgrove

A dull start to the day with cloud so low that it caused very light drizzle.  However, it is St Patrick’s Day and the Boat Inn is flying the Irish flag.  First of 7 locks today, Ella is approaching as Dave fills the lock.  The locks here have duplicate locks built in order to save time following the advent of the railways but the amount of time saved was insignificant and they became disused after about 30 years.

The locks also had side pounds to conserve water on the flight of locks.  These are no longer used and there has been a pump installed to return the water back to the top of the locks.  Last year we used the Watford Locks which still uses the side ponds to great effect.

By the time we had got to the end of the 7 locks the pounds between the locks were getting lower and lower and at this stage it was essential to keep the boat in the centre of the canal.  As I was turning to enter the lock the boat began to tip as it came up against the side of the canal, not a pleasant feeling, but we did manage to get safely into the lock.

Then it was a pleasant run down into Cosgrove where we moored for the night just in front of the Ornamental Bridge.  The bridge is a Grade II listed monument and is one of only two stone ornamental bridges on the Grand Union Canal. 

We went for a walk down to the Iron Trunk Aqueduct carrying the canal across the River Great Ouse.  In order to cross the river there were 2 sets of four locks going down and back up the other side, with the need to get across the river safely as well.  In order to save water and time a wooden aqueduct was originally built which soon fell into the water and was replaced by the Iron Trunk Aqueduct.

It is similar to the Pontcysyllte in Wales because there is no safety rail on the opposite side to the towpath but is much shorter in length.

On our way back into Cosgrove we found this tunnel under the canal. The tunnel was built for horses to walk through to the Blacksmith’s yard and stables behind the Barley Mow.  Running from the Church, between the churchyards to the west side of the Horse Tunnel is a railed pathway called the Coffin Walk. It is believed locally that this was constructed to carry the dead from canal boats to their burials.

6.25 miles, 7 locks, 3hrs 42mins

Tuesday 18th March - Cosgrove to Milton Keynes

A lovely sunny start this morning, so we left our mooring and headed down to the services to deal with water and rubbish.  We then moved down to the first lock of the day.  

This is the volunteer working party, working on the restoration of the Buckingham Canal.  Leaving the Grand Union Canal at Cosgrove, a short stretch of the Old Stratford Arm is used for moorings.  The aim is to restore the Old Stratford Arm and its extension, the Buckingham Arm, through to the town of Buckingham.

We moored in Wolverton, Milton Keynes so that Dave could find the Tesco Superstore and top up on essentials.  This sculpture is called ‘Reaching Forward’ and is one of over 230 public works of art in the city. 

The Train Mural beside the Grand Union Canal at Wolverton was originally painted in 1986 by Bill Billings, Artist-in-Residence of Milton Keynes Development Corporation, under an Urban Aid Scheme run by the Branch.  Members have looked after the mural since it was painted.  A major refurbishment was carried out in 2011.

We found a pleasant mooring in the Willen district and went for a walk to find the Peace Pagoda.  It is the first of its kind in the Western hemisphere, and was built by the monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myohoji, a spiritual movement that promotes pacifism (non-violence). Local people also took part in the building, helping to create a sense of community in the early days of Milton Keynes.  Peace Pagodas are traditional buildings of the Buddhist faith, created to symbolise and promote peace and unity of all people and many were built following the dropping of atomic bombs for the first time.  

We also found the Medicine Wheel, The Circle of Hearts Medicine Wheel was built by people from Milton Keynes to welcome the new millennium and to bring spiritual peace and harmony to the wounded earth. It embraces, and is beyond, all sects and religions and harnesses the earth’s powerful energies to help the development of spiritual growth.

From there we walked to the Tree Cathedral, a unique cathedral in Milton Keynes, not made of bricks and mortar but of bark and leaves. The Tree Cathedral at Newlands is based on the outline of Norwich Cathedral and was designed in 1986 by landscape architect Neil Higson.  The Midsummer energy line extends from Midsummer Boulevard, through Campbell Park Belvedere, the Tree Cathedral and the Circle of Hearts Medicine Wheel to the island in Willen North Lake.

7.25 miles, 1 lock, 3hrs 48mins

Wednesday 19th March - Milton Keynes to Bottom of Soulbury Locks

We left Milton Keynes on a bright sunny morning and began making our way towards Soulbury Locks.

Around Bridge 82 is the proposed Bedford to Milton Keynes waterway, 20 miles of broad canal.  This proposed new waterway will run from the Grand Union Canal at Campbell Park, in Milton Keynes, cross the M1 between junctions 13 and 14, run near Brogborough Hill, through Marston Vale and connect with the river Great Ouse at Kempston, a suburb of Bedford.

We got to Fenny Stratford and found the lock with a swing bridge in the middle.  Fenny Stratford lock (also known as Fenny Lock 22) is unusual because its primary purpose was to overcome a leakage problem in the canal north of the lock and to maintain consistent water levels.  That is why it is only 1ft 1inch drop.  The swing bridge was put in to allow the farmer access to his land.

Once through the lock we moored up for waste disposal and water and I took Toby for a walk over the bridge and into the woods.  I met an old man sat outside his cottage and he said to listen out for the chiffchaff and sure enough it was very clear.  We stood under the tree in the woods where the bird was singing but it was impossible to get a photo.

We continued on until reaching Soulbury Locks and moored below them for the evening.

8.5 miles, 2 locks, 1 swingbridge, 3hrs 54mins

Thursday 20th March - Soulbury Locks to below Leighton Lock

The next morning was bright and sunny so we set off for the locks and were delighted to see a whole team of volunteer lock keepers on duty.  It really is wonderful to have help through these locks as they are hard work for one person.

A lovely cruise towards Leighton Buzzard and we found a lovely mooring below Leighton Lock and about a mile out of the town.  

I was pleased to see our first ducklings of the year, very tiny following mum around and generally making a lot of noise!

We walked into Leighton Buzzard and had a wander around the town.  We found the Market Cross, it was listed by the former Department of Environment as Grade II*, of special interest and particular importance. The present cross dates from the 15th century. Given that a market has been held in Leighton Buzzard since at least 1086, and possibly back into the Anglo-Saxon period, it seems possible that the present cross replaces an older structure.

This is Leighton Buzzard’s market hall which has had a variety of uses, one of which was a fire station.  I was intrigued by the wooden clock tower, it looks at odds with the red brick building.

It was so warm when we got back to the boat that we sat outside on the towpath for our lunch, the first time this year!

3.25 miles, 3 locks, 1hr 42mins

Friday 21st March - Leighton Buzzard to Below Bridge 116

A cloudier day, but still forecasted to be dry.  We set off from our mooring and headed up through Leighton Buzzard.  We were amazed by the size of this pollarded tree in the garden of a bungalow.  It must be quite an old tree.

There is also a very large hire base here, Wyvern Shipping Co. Ltd.  Their season starts from the Easter holidays, all the boats look as though they have had some TLC over the winter months.

A real sign of spring, the goat willows are just breaking out in their catkins.  Also known as the pussy willow, the male catkins of the goat willow look like a cat’s paws. It supports lots of wildlife, including the elusive and regal purple emperor butterfly.

We are approaching Church Lock and you can clearly see two bridge holes, a large one which we are going to use and a narrow one to the right.  In the early years of the canal, water shortages were experienced and to help this out a series of narrow locks were duplicated alongside the wide locks.  This allowed narrow beam boats to use less water and helped the canal cope better with its growing traffic.  

The chapel at this lock was once the smallest chapel in Buckinghamshire.  It is now a private residence.  Medieval and post medieval church of St Michael at Church Lock.

We found a delightful mooring below Slapton Lock and went for a walk as far as the lock.  We were surprised to see water cascading over the lock beams, this is the first time we have seen it this year.

4 miles, 3 locks, 3hrs

Saturday 22nd March - Slapton to Marsworth

The lock cottages on this canal are quite distinctive, many painted white, double fronted and with gabled roofs.

As I was approaching this lock I came in too soon to drop Dave off for the lock and managed to ground the boat against the side of the canal.  It took much pushing and shoving with the barge pole to get the boat out of the mud so that I could pull into the lock landing properly!  Whoops!

Looking across at Ivinghoe Beacon, 757ft above sea level.  Ivinghoe Beacon is the hill where The Ridgeway begins/ends in the Chilterns. Far-reaching views make the hilltop a popular viewpoint and there are also remains of a hillfort and a trig point.

There appear to be many of these disused pump houses along this stretch of the Grand Union. Historically, water supply was a constant problem on canals. The earliest reservoirs date from the 1760s and over time they were supplemented by pumping stations that raised water from wells or rivers, or re-circulated it by back-pumping at locks.  At the height of their extent, in 1906, the Birmingham Canal Navigations were served by 17 pumping stations and six reservoirs. 

We moored up in the village of Marsworth and Toby and I found The New Moon Morris Dancers outside the Red Lion.  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Morris Dancers and these were richly decorated in bright colours.

This is Marsworth Wharf, originally an underused post-war concrete batching plant and waterways depot. There are now 13 stunning new environmentally friendly houses, together with the sympathetic conversion of the Tringford Pumping Station.

This is All Saints Church in Marsworth.  There are records of a church in Marsworth since the 12th century, and it was extended into its present form in the 14th and 15th centuries.  By the 19th Century the church was in a poor state of repair but was rescued by the Vicar the Rev F W Ragg (1880-1905) with the help of villagers.

4.5 miles, 9 locks, 4hrs

Sunday 23rd March - Marsworth to Bulbourne via Wendover Arm

We woke this morning to mist over the canal and grey skies.  However we decided to get going and make our way along to the Wendover Arm and explore it for a second time thinking that they may have made headway with the restoration.

We liked this cottage with a traditional thatched roof and a dear little chicken coop in the garden with a variety of different chickens.

We passed the new houses and the entrance to the Aylesbury Arm We explored this arm last time we were here and decided that we wouldn’t do it again.

We had 7 locks to climb today and after the first one there was a great view of the surrounding reservoirs with plenty of open space for moorings.  We shall definitely use these next time we come this way.

The lock keepers cottage just above the middle lock, in very nice condition.

We have learnt a new way to work these wide locks.  When going up, you open the gate paddle on the opposite side to the boat then open the ground paddle on the same side as the boat.  This keeps the boat pinned against the lock wall and you can then open the remaining paddles as and when you are ready.  This contrary to our beliefs, but works and makes for a smoother rise in the lock.

At the top of the locks is the entrance to the Wendover Arm, which we decided to explore again, just as an extra.  We turned into the arm and thought it seemed very shallow, but kept going as it has a reputation for shallow and it could have been not many boats had used it yet this season.

Progress was extremely slow, but Dave kept us updated and we were within 500m of the end when we came across the canal closed and dewatered!  We couldn't get to the winding hole to turn round and there was nowhere to stop and moor. 

So…the Wendover Arm is 2km and we had gone 1.5km and we had to return backwards the same 1.5km.  And yes it was very shallow, weedy silted!

The journey took us 3 hours in total with one visit down the weed hatch to get rid of weeds.  By the time we got back to the junction I was so exhausted that we decided to moor at the earliest opportunity and stop for the day.  Lesson to be learnt - always check stoppages on Canal and River Trust before embarking on a change of plan. We didn't, but it is there - A 0.5km section of the Wendover Arm has been closed to alleviate continual water losses on the network and to support a dewatered investigation of canal.

3.5 miles, 7 locks, 4hrs 42mins