Aldbury, Cowroast and Berkhamsted

We awoke with rather a shock to discover it was almost nine o'clock and we had slept in! Our choice of overnight mooring was so that we could go to the morning service at Aldbury, about 20 - 25 minutes walk away! Well, we made it with about five minutes to spare, although it was not a prompt start.

Overnight mooring near Tring station - taken at lunchtime

It turned out that the Bishop of Hertford was visiting to lead the harvest festival service and to talk a little about the special work that the diocese was supporting in Cambodia. It was well attended, for a small village, but quite a few people did seem to be even less familiar with what was happening than we did! There was a 'festival choir' of adults and instruments which sang a pleasant introit whilst the Junior Choir sang an anthem with actions in the middle.

St John's Church, Aldbury

The church was obviously dominated by the landed gentry in the past with two memorial tablets recording father and son (baronet) who between them were churchwardens for 90 years - the son taking over when the father died, it seemed.

The service also included the dedication of a mosaic wall tablet which, as far as we could understand, had been a collective effort by people from the village.

As we walked back to the boat we were amused to be asked by some walkers (the path is part of the Ridgeway) which way they should go - all we could do is show them what we could see on the map and on waymarks! Sheep sheltering in the shade of a tree seemed almost Biblical in content!

Royal Hotel, Tring Station

Former Railway Cottages, Tring Station

At Tring station - some distance outside the town - stands the former Royal Hotel or Posting Station. Now mostly private residences (including the extensive mews block behind), it must have once played an important role for travellers, built just a year after the arrival of the steam train!

It was yet another hot and sunny day - perhaps a little less hazy than yesterday - this meant that at most locks there were lots of gongoozlers, many with small children who were delighted to help open or shut the gates (with Dad's help!)

Entrance to Cowroast Marina

Cowroast Lock

We set off before lunch and worked through Cowroast lock, then pulling in just below for a break! Just before we left our mooring there was a Cowroast marina (now owned by BWML we understand) and none were going down the locks, fortunately.

Lock 49

When we set off once more it was a typical hot, Sunday afternoon - typical at least for an urban area out enjoying the green spaces, especially the well-restored towpaths and, in Berkhamsted itself, the park opposite the visitor moorings.

Late summer afternoon below Lock 50

By the time we reached the town centre, with good access to the shops for a paper at least in the morning, we decided on an early-ish stop - giving Mike a bit more time to prepare the roast dinner and for both of us a chance to do some reading. We did manage a satellite tv signal so that we can keep up with Downton Abbey later on.

2.9 miles - 7 locks