Berkhampstead

Yesterday I had a wander around Berkhampstead, a very nice town indeed, it’s clean and along the canal there are information plaques on the towpath and this one on bridge 141

Francis Egerton was the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater who is said to be the originator of the first true canal in the UK, the Bridgewater Canal.


There are some pleasant looking pubs with quite a few in the town as well.




All the shops you might need and associate with a large town along with some market stalls.


There’s also this rather large almost castle like Church, St. Peter's and a very large school, with this nice entrance.

I had to include a picture of the famouse Totem pole (famous within the canal community anyway)

Suffice it to say as far as I am concerned Berkhampstead gets a thumbs up and if you are passing this way make sure you stop and have a look around.

Today I moved from my mooring which was about ½ a mile before the town to the opposite end of the town, I had already checked out the position of a launderette and that was just a short walk from my new mooring. Luck was with me again today, I set off about 10am and stopped almost immediately to take on water, having done that I set off again and the first lock (55) was  against me but having emptied it and opened a gate just as I was moving into it a couple on a holiday boat came along going my way, so we shared, it makes quite  a difference when there are two of you and the next lock was in our favour so my locking partner opened the gates and then his wife took their boat in and I followed and we worked the paddles and gates together, as we were leaving a boat was waiting to enter so no need to shut them.

As I passed the people waiting to go into the lock they shouted “say them name of your boat” I am often asked about the name “Quinquireme” usually how is it pronounced, well as far as I know, the previous owner told me, it is pronounced ‘Quin-Kareem’ and from a little bit of research the name comes from a class of Helenistic warships which had 5 decks of rowers thus

although nearly all the spellings I have seen seem to be Quinquereme there is a poem called Cargoes which refers to Quinqireme of Nineveh, so perhaps it's that and not a warship at all! (2nd poem on the page)

I digress, so after lock 53 my locking partners carried on and I found myself a suitable mooring. I may stay a few days, I am preparing to paint the roof and I need to remove the Houdini Hatch (roof hatch so named because you can climb out if needed) and de-rust beneath it and reseal it, as well as the four mushroom vents, the hatch and at least one of the vents have slight leaks in very heavy rain so now is the time to sort it.

Tonights mooring.

Todays Totals: 1 Mile : 3 Locks