We have been blessed with glorious weather these past few days and while we have only travelled 7 miles or so we have worked our way through 18 locks!!!
Here we are approaching Apsley and the Grand Union is now loosing its London overflow residential boaters feel.
A spot of good timing here.
O.K. we will take the left bridge hole!!!
The very up market Apsley Marina
How the canalscape has altered from the era when John Dickinson's Apsley Paper Mills employed upwards of five thousand folk in buildings which pressed in upon the canal for half a mile.
Here we had a bit of a swan issue, Mrs swan had to be coaxed out of the lock before we could empty the locks.
Mr and Mrs swan are so determined to get down the lock. It transpired that they had got separated from their brood so once we had exited we emptied the lock and opened the gate so they could be reunited.
Our resting place Monday night, opposite the Three Horseshoes pub......well after 11 locks we had earned a drink.....or two!!!
Reflections
Waiting for the crew to do the business.
Canal bank garden art.
Approaching Berkhamstead
Ooooh I am liking this place already.
The south side of the canal between Ravens Lane and Castle Street, known as Castle Wharf, was the centre of the town's canal trade,navigation and boat building activities.
The Grand Junction Canal from the Thames at Brentford to Berkhamsted was completed in 1798 and continued all the way to Birmingham in 1805.
Berkhamsted then linked the estuaries, ports and industrial centres of the country.
A genuine Canadian totem pole, given as a gift to John Alsford when he owned the timber yard that was originally on the site where it stands.
The carving is a fertility symbol and legend has it that women wishing to conceive should visit and make three wishes for the child they dream of!
Its getting closer now.
