Day 18 .... 31.05.13 .... Brentford Marina

                       What a beautiful day! Lots of sunshine this morning and oh so lovely and warm.

Brentford Marina from our mooring looks really picturesque.

We had already arranged to collect our post from a friend today so we decided to ride our bikes along the Thames Path to Pimlico where we could catch a tube to Islington where she works. Looking at the map we thought it looked pretty staightforward and so we set off thinking this will only take us an hour! The first bit was very pretty until we reached Putney Bridge when we were redirected off the path and through new parts of Imperial Wharf and Chelsea. We were soon back on track......

Lovely view along the Thames Path looking back towards Imperial\Wharf.

We passed lots of high rise apartment and office blocks but much preferred the old familiar buildings ....

                            such as Battersea\Power Station. In the end it took us a couple of hours to get to our destination. We did keep stopping............................... but only once at a pub and it looked so old and traditional!

Day 17 .... 30.05.13 .... Brentford

A bit of an overcast day again but at least its NOT raining or cold. When we went to top up our water this morning at the waterpoint Chris noticed a handwritten note on the front of our boat saying 'Pendragon is moored behind you'. There was Libby who was an old friend of ours on her way to Limehouse - lovely meeting up with her.

Began our descent towards Brentford and passed some interesting boats on the way .........

This looked like an old paddle steamer.

This blue one is fairly typical of the type of houseboat along this stretch of the Grand Union. It was like a floating mobile home complete with a roof terrace!

Parts of the canal were quite shabby and littered with rubbish but then we would come across a beautiful stretch. This Late Georgian iron bridge looked so elegant and peaceful.

Nearly at Brentford Marina, West London and how the landscape changed. We were greeted by an old railway bridge and disused warehouse but in the distance there were new blocks of flats. Apparently Brentford is undergoing regeneration. Will be moored here for a couple of days before going through Brentford gauging locks and onto the Thames.

 

Day16 .... 29.05.13 .... Bull's Bridge

We only have twelve locks between us and Brentford. This is where we will be swooping out into the Thames to head north for Teddington this weekend. However before this we needed new bolts for our propeller connection and so we had to make a phone call to the nearby boatyard. Matt came to sort us out ............

...... and four hours later we were on our way to Bull's Bridge.

The terrain rapidly changed as we headed further in to London. The boats were getting bigger......

.....so were the blocks of flats!

They were very imposing and pretty awesome to look at as we virtually passed beneath them. In fact tootling along in our boat alongside these made us feel somewhat vulnerable and this is still only the Grand Union Canal.

Even the bridges were darker as you can see from this photo I took of Chris silhouetted against the entrance of a low bridge.

The factories came along thick and fast and so did the smoke from this one! The chimneys loomed far above us again making us feel quite titchy!

We didin't reach today's detination in the end and

at the moment  are moored up for the night at Bull's Bridge which is at the junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Union. We will be following the latter to Brentford tomorrow where we will be moored for a couple of days.

day 15 .... 28.05.15 .... Cowley Peachey

Wet this morning as per the weather forecast.  At least it is not cold so with the right clothes no problem.  Through Denham Deep Lock

and then on to Uxbridge which is a combination of the old, new and futuristic. 

The rain got steadier and so we were happy to find a pub around the corner callled the Swan and Bottle which had a very convenient mooring place outside.  Still raining on the way out but it cleared ...

and we arrived in no rain at Cowley Peachey where Maggie, on her reconnaisance walk about the area

spotted a piece of blue sky bigger than a sailor's  trousers.

Amazing to think that we are only half a mile from the M25 and yet all we can hear at present are the birds and the odd aeroplane.  Tomorrow to Brentford we hope.

Day 14 .... 27.05.13 .... Denham

A Bank Holiday and for a change the weather has been great.  Stayed put for the day and did some spring cleaning on the boat before going to Fran's Garden by the lock for a piece of home-made cake and then on to Denham for their yearly Fayre.

Fran's Garden is a lovely little establishment  which we came upon many years ago  on a wet and windy day.  Her home-made cake ressucitated us and we were very pleased that she is still going 15years on.

Cycled into Denham and it was jam-packed.

One great thing was the brass band which was playng La Mer (Charles Trenet) as we went by. We stood and listened to them for a while ..... you can't beat a brass band for atmosphere !!!

We were actually quite relieved to get out of the crush and cycle back to the boat and some peace and quiet.  Carried on with the outside spring-cleaning and then the crossword and a glass of wine  

O

Day 13 .... 25.05.13 .. Denham

A lovely day for cruising. Cruised down in the sun to Denham Deep Lock. Forgot to say that yesterday we passed under a bridge and both said that we could smell the smoke of an old train.  At the next lock we were told that the first underground train (steam)was making a 150th anniversary journey to commemorate its first  journey.  Unfortunately we were under the bridge when it went over!!!! So no photo. Did not realise that the first underground train was steam !!!

Anyway got to Denham which is a wonderful village famous for the making of the Hammer Horror Films.  Lovely traditional pubs and

 it turns out that they are having their village fete tomorrow so we shall cycle in there again before going into Uxbridge and down to theThames.

This house in the High Street is where the actor John Mills lived

Day 12 .... 25.05.13 .... Batchworth

What a difference a day makes ....... no rain today and feeling warm. Had a good journey down to Batchworth.  The only complaint is that all of the boats go by too fast.  Have we missed out on a new speed limit.???  First pleasant view of the day was of this little fellow who was going at the right speed and cadging a lift !!!!!

Grove Mill by Watford is looking absolutely splendid in the light as we went past. One of our favourite moorings, but we did not stop this time. Heading for Batchworth  

This is the first bridge into the Grove Country Park Estate which is extremely traditional as a changing-over point for the tow-path when the horses changed to the other side of the canal. .

Difficult to believe that we are in the outer suburbs of London !!

Day 11 .... 24.05.13 .... Hunton Bridge

An extremely rainy day but we went from Hemel down underneath the M25 to what would have been a village called Huntons Bridge. Now surrounded by houses and roads but has a beautiful little parish church which I shall take a photo of.  Strange to think that 100 years ago or so this would have been in the middle of the countryside.    Found a mooring in the break between the showers which is where we are stopping for the night.

Took some pics of the underneath of the M25 .... surprising how graceful it looks going over the valley.

Now we have lit the stove !!!!!! cannot believe it but there we go.  Boat warm and clothes drying.

Forecast tomorrow not too bad.

Day 10 ..23.05.13..Fisheries Lock Hemel

A stationary day since Maggie went down to Hampton to see Julia and Imogen.

I stayed on the boat on a rather windy and chilly day doing odds and ends.  Showery day so in and out!!! Train very punctual for Maggie and she remembered to get off it at Hemel Hempstead instead of Milton Keynes.

Picture in the evening a good example of how the day has been. Rain followed by sun. Not that seasonal!! Moving tomorrow.

Day 9 ....22.05.13 .... Fisheries Lock Hemel Hempstead

A surprise last night after we had eaten.  The sound of music live music being played outside the Three Horseshoes took us over to where a local Morris Team were dancing in a very energetic way. 

An entertaining group with a good live band which included  included a melodeon, accordion, fiddle, tambour and an excellent sax player who wandered around the small audience putting in harmonies.  

This morning to  Fisheries Lock in Boxmoor just outside Hemel and near to the station where Maggie is going to catch the train to see Julia and Imogen in Hampton.

We were overtaken by 12 or so boats plus walkers who were walking the 120 miles from Rugby to London raising money for a charity working for injured Rugby players. This chap was aiming to fill up the beer barrel by the time he got to London !!!!   It will weigh a ton!! 

A stationary day tomorrow doing boatie things and learning new material for the playing.  

Day 8 ... 21.05.13 ....Winkwell

This morning we were woken up at 4 a.m. by the loud crashing of falling bicycles on the back of the boat.  On climbing, or rather nearly falling out of bed,  I realised that the boat was on a tilt. On looking out of the window I realised that the water level on the canal had gone down by about 18 inches. The back of the boat was caught on a concrete sill and was jammed, causing us to list at an alarming angle !! Got back to sleep only to be woken again by the bloody swan admiring its reflection in our paintwork and pecking the steel like a woodpecker !!!! Early start at 5.30 to get the boat off the sill and level.
Headed off later on ........

On the way through Chris thought it was his lucky day when he spotted this pub ....... and its sign by the lock-side ........

.........until he read the small print   Free House   ..... Good Beer  .. Come Inside.

Aah Well.    Carried on towards Winkwell which had a lovely pub The Three Horseshoes by the side of a swing bridge which touts itself as being there since 1535 and has two ghosts ... a highwayman and an old lady.

We moored up and enjoyed a lunchtime drink here.  I then rode in to Hemel Railway station to book a ticket to London on Thursday to see Julia and Imogen.

   

Day 7 ...20.05.13 ... Berkhamsted

Cloudy today but no rain and we had a good mooch around Berkhamsted which is a lovely old market town. We had looked at the ruined castle last year where William had been offered the throne of England and so revisited a couple of antique places which had caught our eye. 

One of the amusing happenings over the last day has been a male swan which, unfortunately, can see its reflection in the paintwork on the side of the boat and has spent most of the time we have been here pecking at it.  Mum has four cygnets and is not interested in the reflections at all.  Dad started at about 5 this morning when it got light!! If we were here any longer it would be roast swan for tea!!!

I had not realised the connection with the Duke of Bridgewater who owned a lot of the land around here and is one of the main creators of the Grand Union Canal in the late 1700s.

........and finally the sign for the Port of Berkhamsted !!!!

Sunday 19.05.13 Berkhamsted

Had a gentle day going from Cowroast and starting the long descent to the Thames. Have stopped in Berhamsted for a couple of nights

The cygnets are starting to hatch ....... spot the fourth one

Day 5 .....18.05.13

Left the mooring in Marsworth, filled up with water and all the domestic type things and went up the locks to the Tring Summit, which marks the beginning of the descent down to the Thames.  Stoppped at the Grand Junction pub which has been renovated and is looking very good.  A busy day for themwith a large number of canoeists having a hog roast and tootling around in the water.  Went through the summit and moored at Cow Roast......... on to the bikes for a reconnoitre and back to the boat for a gentle evening  

Day 4 ... 17.05.13 Marsworth

We decided to stay for the day and look around the area which we have always travelled through. Tring is beyond the reservoirs.  Got the bikes out and pedalled off.  First time for me on my bike but it was comfortable and the new gears are easy to change.  Enjoyable ride up to the Wendover Arm and along to the turning into Tring.  Had a wander round, then back to the boat. Tomorrow going up to Cow Roast.