Down the arm.

It was quite chilly first thing this morning although I had loaded the stove with fuel before going to bed last night (May and the stove is still in use!) so in the boat was nice and warm but it did mean I wasn’t moving off early. I left it until 10 and then set off on what I hoped would be a nice cruise with nice conditions later, and it was.

Just one lock to do today, Cowroast (46) which takes you up (or down) 6’ to the first  thee mile long summit of the Grand Union if you’ve joined it from  the Thames at Brentford, if you keep going it’s downhill now until you pass through Milton Keynes and reach Cosgrove lock (21) and then you start to rise again until you get to the Braunston summit after the Buckby flight top lock (11) at Norton junction, but I am not going to start downhill again just yet.

As the lock wasn’t far ahead I walked a couple of bags of rubbish to the disposal point and then set the lock to save me stopping again after casting off.

There was a large round of wood floating behind the top gate which would have prevented me opening it fully, so I tried to lift it out but it was too heavy, and as no-one was about to ask for assistance all I could do was float it out of the way before heading off past Cowroast Marina and the permit holder moorings opposite.

The Marina entrance is on the right.

Already the sun was shining and the temperature was rising, you are treated to a pleasant view to begin with.

But then you enter Tring Cutting, it’s usually cold and fairly dark with just the occasional glimpse of the sun through a gap in the trees but the birdsong is nice and it is very quiet, it’s not my favourite section and I am always glad to get through and back into daylight proper.

This mum and brood were keeping very close together and had found a sunny spot.

Not long after exiting the cutting you arrive at Bulbourne with The Grand Junction Arms alongside the canal at bridge 133. Although I have stopped here a few times now I have not ventured inside the pub (yet).

My journey today was to take me onto some new cruising water, I was going down the Wendover Arm, when I came through here in 2015 I was told it was very shallow, so one morning I decided to walk a bit of it to see for myself and I ended up walking the whole length (1½ miles) and because of that I didn’t cruise it, but that was going to be rectified today.

That’s the Arm entrance on the left, quite a tight turn, as they mostly are.

Here’s a closer look.

And now I’m in..... I have to confess I did overshoot slightly, but a quick bit of reversing resolved the issue and got me in without touching anything J I blame the time spent on the camera and not watching where I am going!

So as the sign says 1½ miles, lock free and a winding hole at the end with 48 hour mooring.

The first half is quite narrow and tree lined but still very pleasant, I was on tickover for the trip down as it is shallow but that allowed me to see two very large Carp swimming along the shallow clear edge, I could not get pictures though.

A sharp left turn at bridge 2 with an underwater ledge on the offside (signage warns prior) brings you to the large Heygates flour mill, which was formerly Bushells boatyard. A bit of a brute of a building to find on such a tranquil stretch of water but it has a certain appeal as well and at least it is not derelict.

Flour waiting to be loaded and taken to a supermarket near you.

The arm then opens out into beautiful countryside before arriving at the pumping station which puts some water back into this canal to help feed the Grand Union.

Pumping Station

Just after the pumping station is what remains of an old stop lock, partial gates at one end can been seen along with the chamber.

Looking back at the lock chamber

On through bridge 3 to arrive at the terminus where three boats were moored which surprised me, it is very under used from what I gather, so I winded (turned) and went back to moor just before the bridge.

Terminus/Winding hole.

Works to restore the remaining section of the arm from the present terminus to Wendover are ongoing and details of the Trust's work can be found HERE 

Current mooring:

Totals today: 4½ miles : 1 lock

Another boat has just arrived and moored behind me, and there was me expecting to be on my own for a couple of quiet days J and while posting this I heard the sound of a light aircraft and found a glider being towed up above me, must be an airstrip nearby, so much for the silence of the countryside J