Limehouse to Little Venice via the Olympic Park

Wed 1^st May

Moored in Limehouse

We started the day by moving the boat to the facilities wharf and were pleased to find that they had doubled the size of the floating pontoon so that we could moor up and get off properly instead of having to walk along the gunwales carrying a heavy cassette. We filled the water tank while we had the opportunity.

A second night here in Limehouse would be charged at £27.50. We decided to move on and see what opportunities there were elsewhere. We cruised up the Limehouse Cut, past Bow Locks and Three Mills and went to explore some of the Olympic Park in the sunshine.

Limehouse Basin

Limehouse Cut

Bow Locks

Three Mills

Almost homeless – someone lives here on the Lea

Old Ford Lock and the turn into the Olympic Park

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

These waterways were closed off in 2008 in preparation for the Olympic Games and were only reopened in 2017. Nine years of closure for a short few weeks of Olympics and Paralympics. Thankfully they are now open, with three new or restored locks giving access to some more channels, which we will explore tomorrow. Today, as it was sunny, we decided to explore the areas that were open to us without pre-booking, and City Mill River in particular, which was not in our plan for tomorrow. Here is a map of our route today:

Today’s route

Olympic Stadium

City Mill River to the right, Carpenters Road Lock to the left. We turned right.

Carpenters Road Lock

The Orbit

Looking back at the Olympic Stadium

Low Bridge on City Mill River

We passed City Mill Lock, which we will use tomorrow, and re-emerged onto the River Lea, where we turned right and headed for some possible mooring places we had seen earlier. This was beyond a very noisy section alongside the A12. To begin with we had some noise from a conveyor belt nearby, but that ceased eventually, and it was remarkably peaceful.

Moored on the Lea

We noticed some of the invasive Japanese Knotweed, right by the boat.  Later, a very large boat went past, looking for a mooring, and they stopped a short way further down. It must be hard to find moorings for a large vessel, especially late in the evening.

Japanese Knotweed

The big boat

0 locks, 3 miles. Dep 1020, arr 1205

Thu 2^nd May

Today was the day we had booked to visit the Olympic Park. Our original plan was to have gone out through Bow Locks on an almost high tide, navigate up the Channelsea River, round the island in Abbey Creek, and then go through Three Mills Lock into the Prescott Channel and the Waterworks River, coming out through Carpenters Road Lock. The route map is below:

The Plan A route

However, when James tried to book it online, there was no option for booking Three Mills Lock. Apparently, it has been closed since August, and there is a dispute over the standard of materials that were used, so it may not open for a while.

Instead we had to opt for using City Mills Lock to get into the Waterworks River, with a revised route plan below:

The plan B route

The timing was based on the tides, which were no longer applicable, but it was too complicated to change it. So we had booked City Mills Lock for 1pm. The morning was fine, but showers were possible in the afternoon, so we left our mooring slightly early hoping to get through before rain started.

Moored on the Lea, with gathering clouds

We had to go up to Old Ford Lock to turn around, go back past our mooring, and turn left into City Mill River. We arrived at City Mill Lock at 1235, hoping to be let through early. However, there was no sign of a lock keeper. The lock was in our favour, but the gates were closed, and we couldn’t open them with the usual CRT key, so we couldn’t proceed. The lock keeper phoned to say he would be 15 minutes late.

Waiting for the lock keeper

When he did arrive, he introduced himself as Paul, and let us into the lock, but then he couldn’t open the bottom gates due to an electrical fault. He called an engineer, who arrived after another 20 minutes. He managed to fix the fault and we were able to leave at 1400. Paul asked how long we would be as it would take him 40 minutes to walk to Carpenters Road Lock, which he was going to operate for us. We suggested that he came on board for the ride.  So, it was “bring your own lock keeper”.

We turned immediately right into the Three Mills Wall River, and then left off that into the Prescott Channel which leads to the inoperative Three Mills Lock. Here we turned around, and retraced our steps, past City Mill Lock into the Waterworks River

Stuck in the lock – waiting for an engineer

Leaving City Mill Lock

Into the Prescott Channel

Turning at Three Mills Lock

The Waterworks River took us past new housing and the Olympic Aquadrome, and finally to Carpenters Road, where Paul left the boat to operate the lock for us. The lock had horizontal radial gates. It seems a bit excessive as there was only a small change of level.

New housing on the Waterworks River

Aquadrome

Paul and Hazel

Carpenters Road Lock

Radial Gates

Leaving Carpenters Road Lock

Then we were retracing steps taken yesterday, past the stadium to Old Ford Lock

The iron footbridge and the stadium

Back past the stadium

At Old Ford Lock there were boats moored on the lock bollards, so climbed a ladder to operate the lock, while James reversed off away from the water surge that might have swept him away. There were two volunteers at the lock, and we invited them to come aboard at Cavalcade. We had also said that to Paul.

After emerging from under the bridge on the right, we are waiting for Old Ford Lock

A boat was coming down in the lock and then it was our turn to go up. A short way up we took the turning into the Hertford Union Canal. There were three locks, and they were all against us, and it started to rain as we were locking through. Thankfully there was a mooring with rings for us by Victoria Park, so we took it gratefully and put up the hood.

Hertford Union Locks

Moored at Victoria Park

6 locks, 3 miles. Dep 1150, arr 1620

Fri 3rd May

We woke up this morning to find the roof and gunwales covered with sticky sap from the overhanging tree. Attention was needed before we ended up stern on at Cavalcade, so we washed the starboard side. 

Sap on the roof

We set off to complete the Hertford Union Canal, and saw no other possible moorings we might have used. We turned right onto the Regents Canal and came to the other Old Ford Lock (there are two with the same name). We took the opportunity to empty a cassette and dispose of rubbish, and were delighted to find a clean, orderly range of bins, including recycling and glass. Last time we were here everything was in a disgusting state, so we sent an email to Canal and River Trust.

Neat bins at Old Ford Lock

We had to empty the lock first, and by the time we had done that another boater was ready to join us – Ryan on Woodstock.

Sharing with Woodstock

Ryan and Hazel

Coot nesting in a tyre

Gasometers and Containers

We managed to find a water tap just before Islington Tunnel, not where it was marked in Nicholson, so we filled our water tank.

Islington Tunnel

Camden was unrecognisable from when we had moored there with other Canal Ministries boats in 2008 as part of a London-wide evangelism initiative. There are some new offices or apartments backing the towpath where there once used to be market stalls.

Camden

Gongoozlers at Camden

Heron in Camden Market

We didn’t stop this time as there was no place to moor. The bollards we have used here for years have all been designated “lock use only – no mooring”. Instead we continued on through Regents Park where we passed a punt with unsmiling people on board. A little later we spotted some luxurious palm trees just before the Maida Vale Tunnel which leads to Browning’s Pool in Little Venice.

Punting

Palm trees

Into Browning’s Pool

We needed some gas, so we turned left towards Paddington Basin, where we knew there should be a fuel boat. We turned at the end, and managed to wash the port side of the boat, even though there was nowhere to tie up. We phoned the guy on the fuel boat, nb Ash and he had the 6kg bottle of gas ready for us when we drew alongside. Then we emerged back into the pool and were directed to our mooring by the very helpful Helen.

Paddington Basin

Moored in Little Venice

We quickly discovered old friends among the boaters – Dave on Hallmark, Eric and Sally Naylor on Cherie,  Brian and Margaret on Zavala. Lorraine and Mike arrived soon after on Annie and Walt. We went to the beer tent where we enjoyed pre-ordered fish and chips, and quite a decent cider, and took part in the boater’s quiz. All good fun.

8 locks, 9 miles. Dep 1035, arr 1615.

Next: three days of the Cavalcade Festival.