Winkwell to Marsworth

Thu 23rd May  Winkwell to Berkhamsted

We set off at the agreed time of 9am with Ray on Stronghold. Many of the locks were in our favour, and we used just one gate, so we made quite good time.

Sharing with Stronghold

Elderflowers are out!

Ladybird

After several locks, Ray’s friend Chris joined him, walking towards us from Berkhamsted. So now we could use both gates.

Bottom Side Lock (Yes, that what it’s called!)

Trouble with wind at Rising Sun Lock

We had some help from a CRT employee, because he was trying to let water down to a low pound we had passed. We also met a guy who came past with some sort of rig on a pole, and he was pausing every ten paces to take a photo. When asked what he was doing he simply replied: “I’m a water photographer”. We take photos of water reflections and effects sometimes, but not every ten paces.

Water Photographer

This ornate building in Berkhamsted used to be a boatyard.

We moored between bridge 53 and the Waitrose footbridge, where we discovered there were rings.

Our mooring in Berkhamsted.

We visited Carphone Warehouse in the High Street, but James’ new phone hadn’t arrived.  Later we had a call to say that it had been delivered, so James went back to collect it. Now  comes the learning curve. The sim card is a different size, so James will need a new one from Vodafone. We made a short visit to Waitrose for a few items.

Ray moved on, making the most of having crew.

8 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0855 arr 1135

Fri 24^th May  Berkhamsted to Bulbourne

It was a lovely sunny morning, and the lawn opposite was covered in a carpet of daisies.

Moored in Berkhamsted

Daisies

We cruised to the first lock and had breakfast on the lock bollards, hoping there would be another boat we could share with. One boat came down, so the locks were in our favour.

We needed to make an early start today as we had a business appointment at 1pm at Bulbourne. We moved Gabriel into the lock, and as we did so another boat came into view, and they joined us in the lock. This was Dave and Linda on Perthia, accompanied by George the dog, sporting a pink harness. We made very good time, as our new friends were seasoned boaters.

Sharing the locks with Perthia

Swan and cygnets

Then it all changed when we approached Dudswell Locks. A large widebeam was coming towards us, so we had to steer into the bushes to avoid it. As it passed two other boats left the bank on the left and headed towards the lock. We discovered that they were heading to Pitstone to join a bank holiday cruise of 20 boats going from there to Leighton Buzzard on Saturday. In front of them, going into the lock, were the two fuel boats we had seen yesterday. So we had a lock queue.

Widebeam

Two boats from Pitstone

Two boats came down after what seemed a long time, and we had nowhere to moor. When it was finally our turn, we discovered the reason why it was so slow: Only one gate was working, the other being padlocked shut. The widebeam had had to make an appointment with CRT to allow them to use the lock. So the working boats had had to leave one at a time, as did the two boats from Pitstone.

Dudswell Locks

Heron posing

Cowroast Lock

Cowroast Lock was the last of the day. Perthia headed into the marina for a pumpout, and we continued on the summit pound through the Tring cutting to Bulbourne. The fuel boats were just disappearing through Bulbourne Bridge.

Fuel boats at Bulbourne

We moored before the water point, where it is pleasantly open. We hung out washing to dry, and we both managed to have showers before our appointment.

Pink hawthorn opposite our boat

Mark took us by car to solicitors in Harpenden to sign a document, and then drove us back to the boat. We popped into the Grand Junction Arms pub to look at the menu and discovered that Ray was in there, but just leaving. We made a loose arrangement about sharing locks tomorrow.

Grand Junction Arms

Water Art

We returned in the evening for a very pleasant meal at the pub to celebrate our 44^th wedding anniversary. We took silly photos afterwards.

44 years married

7 locks, 5 miles. Dep 0755, arr 1210 (with 30 minutes wait at the first lock, and 45 minutes at Dudswell)

Sat 25^th May  Bulbourne to Marsworth

Our mooring in Bulbourne

We had a late start this morning. James had hoped to have an early walk to College Lakes Nature Reserve, but looking online, it only opens at 9.30am. That is a shame because the best wildlife moments are usually soon after dawn. This, coupled with the fact that it started raining in the night, led to enthusiasm waning. So, despite being awake at 5.30am, when he could have gone, he returned to bed, and didn’t wake until 0845.

We sent a quick text to Ray to say carry on down the locks if you like, or we’ll see you when we pass.

By the time we had had breakfast and were ready to set off, it was 1015. We went under the bridge and past the old lock-making works, which is being converted into apartments.

The Bulbourne works

The old boss’s house?

Stronghold

Ray was ready to join us, so we shared the locks, now going down past the reservoirs. Thankfully there were two volunteers to help us, so it was a rapid cruise.

Marsworth Top Lock

Synchronised boating

The reservoirs

After six locks, we said farewell to Ray, who was going down through one more lock to moor on the rings near the Red Lion.

Farewell to Ray

We moored up soon afterwards, just alongside the reservoir.  Later James went for a walk noticing that the café was very busy. He spotted a red kite, but there were few species on the water.  

Red Kite

6 locks, 1 mile. Dep 1015, arr 1125

Next: A helpful lift from Stephanie to our church in Aylesbury tomorrow, returning in the afternoon. (No buses here on Sunday). Then starting north towards Leighton Buzzard, and Milton Keynes by the weekend.