Marsworth to Berkhamsted

 Thu 24^th June Marsworth to Cowroast

Moored in Marsworth

James had good intentions concerning a wander round the reservoirs at dawn. However, the eyelids would not co-operate. Just as well, you might say, as we are now spared another load of photos of feathered friends.

As we were starting to prepare the boat for departure, two CRT volunteers came past, and said they would prepare the first lock for us. That was helpful. One was a trainee under supervision, so while they helped Hazel up through the lock, James went ahead setting the next lock each time.  After four locks, we met two boats coming down, and another following behind. The whole flight of six locks took us one hour – good progress.

Marsworth flight 

Young cormorant 

Heron in flight 

Meeting some boats 

Bulbourne Junction

At the top, the Wendover Arm leaves to the right, where we think Eric and Sue went last night. We went straight on, following the summit pound for three miles.  The old lock making facility is being converted into desirable dwellings.

Redeveloping the old lock making site.

The canal then goes through a cutting, and in the past we have seen dead badgers in the canal, as they can’t get out at the side. This time there was a dead deer. There is a solid looking bridge spanning the canal.

Tring summit pound

We moored half a mile before Cowroast, opposite some light industrial units where there are mooring rings.

Moored before Cowroast

We discovered that our plastic chairs had been well used by ducks in the night on the roof, and needed a thorough clean. A job for James. Meanwhile, Hazel took the opportunity to vacuum through the boat inside.

The ducks have been active

Later, a guy on a bike spotted our Christian symbols, and started singing a Hare Krishna song as he cycled past. We find all varieties of faiths on the canals. We often see a Buddha on the top of a boat, and we are tempted to ask why it is there. Are they Buddhists? Perhaps they feel it gives them a sense of peace? Or is it just an ornament easily available from a garden centre?  There may be other reasons. One day we’ll go along a line of boats and do a little survey.

Rain was forecast for late evening, but it never arrived.

We discovered that the business opposite has bright floodlights shining across the canal. We may not moor here again for that reason, although it was quiet when the workers went home.

6 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0930, arr 1130.

Fri 25^th June Cowroast to Berkhamsted

There was some light rain early on, and we waited for it to stop before we set off. As we arrived at the lock, Jules Fuels had just pulled out. We let them go, and helped them through the lock. We emptied a cassette and disposed of rubbish, before following them down the locks.

We found a dead deer in Northchurch Lock, and we flushed it out, and reported it to a CRT man who was nearby.

Jules Fuels and a dead deer 

Swans and weed

At Bushes Lock, two boats came up and they were a long way apart, so we waited for the second one. The first one was from Banbury, and they know the Braybrooks. The boat is either called Spanners, or Bump ‘n Grind. The Willow tree above the lock hindered visibility somewhat. The lock is appropriately named. 

Bushes Lock, with the boat from Banbury 

Shears required 

We were pleased to find a mooring in Berkhamsted, on rings on the Waitrose pound. Hazel went to explore the shops. James went to tighten the stern gland, and discovered diesel dripping from the second filter. We called out Ed Boden, our marine engineer, who is going to come on Monday. Meanwhile, we have turned off the diesel.

We booked a meal at the Thai Cottage, and it turned out to be delightful, with attentive service, and lovely food.

Later there were some lads in the park across the canal, singing football songs very loudly. They stopped suddenly, and we thought they may have been asked to move on.

A painted bridge in Berkhamsted

7 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0920, arr 1250.

Sat 26^th June  Berkhamsted

Some shopping, some exploring.

In the evening, a visit to Wetherspoons, almost next door the the Thai Cottage.

Hazel spotted a rat running along the bank opposite. We had more high-spirited lads in the park after closing time.

No boating today. No pictures either

Sun 27^th June  Berkhamsted

We watched a bit of this morning’s service from Broughton, which was led by Jack and Sandra. Jack showed the interview with us recorded on Tuesday. He also preached. We didn’t have time to watch it all live, as we needed to catch a bus back to Aylesbury for a meal in Jack and Sandra’s garden with our life group. It was good to see people properly after such a long time. Even then, we weren’t hugging, and we sat in groups of six maximum.

Link to the YouTube service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uK9VnTNN58

We took a bus back to Berkhamsted, almost door to door. Thankfully, the bus runs on a Sunday, so this was possible. However, if we had wanted to visit for a 1030 service, we would not have got there in time.

James was concerned about disposing of cassettes, as there are thirteen locks between here and Apsley, where the next sanitary station is, according to the Nicholson Guide. We already have two full cassettes, and we can’t leave until Ed Boden has visited tomorrow. There is also rain forecast, and we don’t like boating in the rain. We don’t want to have to do longer days than we want to, just because we have full cassettes.

We considered taking the cassettes to the public toilets, but that is quite a walk from here. James remembered using a facility half a mile and three locks south from here on our first trip through this area years ago. It is no longer marked on the maps, and last time we passed, it looked as though it was on a private off-side mooring.

He set off on foot to explore, and found the place, in the car park of a pub called the Old Mill, which appears to have closed down. He met a pleasant guy called Nick on the boat that was moored there, and discovered that he had only arrived today, and wasn’t moored there permanently. The elsan facility was overgrown, but it still worked, and was still connected. James was given permission to step across this guy’s boat tomorrow to dispose of the cassettes. Good! Problem solved!

Rain later meant that we weren’t serenaded again by loud male football fans.

No boating or pics today

Next:  Hopefully, a visit from Ed Boden to sort out our diesel in the bilges. Then heading further south, rain permitting, towards Brentford and the Thames.

Milton Keynes to Marsworth

 Sun 20^th June Water Eaton to Leighton Buzzard

After our 9am meeting, when we sang four hymns, and shared communion, some of us walked to the Water Eaton Church Centre, to share in the service at Spurgeon Baptist Church. The service was put together by our team, and they used four songs that we had pre-recorded a few weeks ago from our apartment.

Water Eaton Church Centre

On the big screen

We walked back to the boat, and after a few checks, we set off. We had lots of water on the roof, particularly on the solar panels.  We hadn’t gone far when we found a hire boat stuck at the side. We towed them off.

A very wet roof

Hire boat stuck

Hammond Lock was against us, and just after James had started emptying it, a boat came into sight above the lock. Not good timing.

When we arrived at Soulbury Three Locks, we paused to fill the water tank, which took 30 minutes. Just as we finished, a boat came round the corner behind us, and so we shared the locks with Meerkat.  The first two locks were against us, and therefore needed re-setting, and the top lock was almost empty. 

Soulbury Locks with Meerkat 

Co-ordinated boating 

James noticed that the safety ratchet on the top gate paddle, towpath side, on the top lock, did not sit properly, and could be a safety issue, particularly with the many hire boaters around who may be inexperienced. Email to CRT. 

Unsafe safety ratchet. 

We saw several swallows, which was nice, as we have seen very few this year. We also house martins, terns, young moorhens, ducks and cygnets, and a jay. 

Swan family 

Globe Inn at Linslade 

We were looking out for Tudor and Flo on Out ‘n About, but we didn’t see them. We continued through Leighton Lock, and moored up above the lock. Later, we heard from Tudor that they were half a mile on, moored by Tesco.

Andy and Sue passed us on Springwater, heading south. They went as far as Slapton today.

It was cold, so we lit the fire. Midsummer tomorrow!

 

Heating on

5 locks, 6 miles. Dep 1255, arr 1415 Three Locks. Dep 1445, arr 1635.

Mon 21^st June Leighton Buzzard 

Moored above Leighton Lock

Jules Fuels came up through the lock and sounded their claxon. We let them know that we wanted some diesel, and we took on 104 litres. Hopefully, that will see us through until we leave the Thames at Oxford. 

Jules Fuels

We noticed that on the boat moored on a garden mooring opposite, Capital, the doors were open, and also the doors were open in the house. We hailed, but had no answer. The owners are folk musicians we know from the sessions in Wing.

We walked along the towpath to find Tudor and Flo, but on the way, we found Ayup, and had a chat with Ken and Sue. It was good to reminisce about the Middlewich Folk Festival where we first met them in 2016. Actually, we met Ken in Rugely in 2015, and he had recommended mooring at Middlewich Narrowboats for the festival. They have a 12-month mooring here at Leighton Buzzard.

Moving on, we found Out ‘n About just before the bridge, on the 14-day mooring. After a chat with Tudor and Flo, we headed up to the High Street, where we visited charity shops, Wilko, the ironmongers, and Waitrose. We had lunch in The Pantry, a good place for breakfast. There was a very noisy toddler who kept flinging things on the floor.

We checked out MiFi rates at EE – very expensive.

We walked back along the riverside path back to the boat and we noticed that Capital had gone. Perhaps we will see them further down.

No boating today.

Tue 22^nd June Leighton Buzzard to Ivinghoe

We cruised slowly from Leighton Lock to the moorings by Tesco, getting a wave from Ken on Ayup as we crept past. We visited Homebase, Aldi and Tesco, which took almost all of our 2 hours of mooring time. 

Passing Ayup 

Setting off once more, we said cheerio to Tudor and Flo, moved under the bridge and paused at the facilities for rubbish disposal and cassettes.

Moving on again, there were lots of moored boats on the way out of Leighton Buzzard. As we arrived at Grove Lock, there was a boat about to go in, so we shared the lock. This was a single guy who said he was mooring just above the lock so that he could go back and collect his car, and then fetch his daughters from school, as it was his turn.

Sharing Grove Lock 

Jula (Ray and Pauline’s boat that used to be in Aylesbury)

There was no available space for him, so he came with us through Church Lock as well. He had to be persuaded to get off his boat and open paddles and gates, as he had remained on his boat for the first lock, with James doing everything. There was no space above Church Lock either, so he came with us all the way to Ivinghoe Locks, where we stopped for the day. All the mooring spaces we had passed were not near somewhere for his car. He had not been able to collect his daughters from school.

In Ivinghoe Bottom Lock

He carried on after we had stopped for the day between the two Ivinghoe Locks. We had realised that there were the two Jules Fuels boats going up in front of us, and almost all the locks had been against us.

We had a Zoom session with Jack, who recorded some of our chat for the church service on Sunday.

It was a beautiful evening, so James went to take a few photos of the area

Bridge 122 at Ivinghoe 

The bridge parapet 

The Whipsnade Lion 

St Mary’s Church, Edlesborough 

Ivinghoe Beacon

Wildlife highlights: terns catching fish, red kites flying very close, skylarks rising up from the meadows.

Tern 

Moored at Ivinghoe 

Water art 

Ivinghoe sunset

5 locks, 5 miles. Dep 0915, arr 0935 Tesco. Dep 1125, arr 1445.

Wed 23^rd June Ivinghoe to Marsworth

We left quite early to avoid travelling behind the fuel boats. Most of the locks were still against us. After the Seabrook Locks, we were pleased to accept help from a keen man who swung the swingbridge for us. 

Seabrook Lock Cottage 

Seabrook swing bridge

In the car park by Pitstone Wharf there had been some fly-tipping. What an unsightly mess!

Fly tipping

Some wildlife pics: 

Chiff Chaff 

Heron reflected 

Heron 

Red Kite 

Duck with 16 ducklings

As we were entering Marsworth Bottom Lock no 37, we noticed a boat just leaving the lock above. It turned out to be Sue and Eric on Remus. We caught up with them when they stopped for water further on.

Remus

We passed the end of the Aylesbury Arm. We don’t do that very often these days – we usually go down it.

Marsworth Junction

We had planned to do one more lock, and there was a single guy just about to go in, and he opened one gate. We went in and moved across to let him in behind. It is useful to have a bow thruster that works at last.

Sharing Marsworth Lock

As we were going up in the lock, a friend of ours from Aylesbury, Colin, arrived walking towards us on the towpath.  We found a mooring just there , so we stopped and put out some chairs in the shade under the trees, and made tea.

Tea with Colin 

Moored at Marsworth

Eric and Sue went past, heading for the Wendover Arm. We met a man who was enquiring about Canal Ministries and BCF, so we gave him the leaflets. Later we had a request from him to speak at his church in the autumn.

We visited the Water’s Edge restaurant, in the old lock cottage building which used to house Bluebells Café. We had a light lunch, and were pleased with the food and the service. It is a shame they don’t yet do breakfast. They don’t open until 1200.

Later, James went for a walk round the reservoir to spot wildlife. He saw a female tufted duck with three chicks. Every time she dived, the three chicks dived as well. Then suddenly, she came up making alarm calls and splashing the water with her wings. Only two chicks returned to the surface, so presumably a pike or catfish had had a meal. Life is precarious in the wild.

Tufted duck with three

Tufted duck with two a few moments later

Greylag goose

Greylag gosling

Canada geese

Coots

Carp

Mandarin duck

Swans and ducks in the evening light

Sunset at Marsworth

Litter louts. What is difficult about taking your litter home?

7 locks, 3 miles, 1 swing bridge. Dep 0755, arr 1050.

Next: up six locks to the Grand Union summit over the Chilterns, then starting the 56-lock descent to Brentford and the Thames.