Rickmansworth

A very different day, weather-wise. Generally overcast with fairly high cloud although there was a spell in the morning when there was some dampness in the air. It did not amount to much, perhaps just 15 minutes when a waterproof seemed advisable, but as soon as we put them on the drizzle disappeared!

As we were about to think about setting off, Christine noticed that the Wyvern Shipping hire boat that had moored late last night just ahead of us was casting off and she suggested that we join forces through the locks.

It was again a steady run down through a succession of locks, mostly about 10 minutes cruising apart - just enough to not settle to anything else! Not long after staring we spotted this monster in an adjacent lake!

Above Lock 70 a work boat was setting to do some maintenance on a collapsed bank, undermined by a leakage. It was suggested that at some stage in the past the original stonework was replaced by mass concrete but to an inadequate depth. Plus ca change!

Most of the morning was spent passing one large village after another, with the M25 and an M25 spur crossing close together. The main route crossed the valley on stilts, like some giant monster making its advances on us!

Grove Bridge

The famous Grove Bridge - a sop to a local landowner when the original bill for the canal was passing through parliament - marked the start of a wooded section, Grove Park and then Cassiobury Park.

Lock 78

Many of the locks have cottages - often built with upper floor at canal level and the rest of the house below.

Below Iron bridge, or Watford, Lock (77) we said farewell to our accompanying boat - they were not stopping for lunch: they are on a three week cruise, down to Brentford, up the Thames and completing the ring via the Oxford Canal.

Soon after we set off again for the afternoon we began to see London Underground trains (Metropolitan Line) crossing bridges over the canal - a sure sign that we are beginning to enter the London conurbation, although we will dip in and out of built up areas as much of the valley shared by the canal has extensive former clay and gravel workings, now filled as lakes.

Locks 81 and 81A - River Chess to left

At Batchworth, there is a side lock to the River Chess but it does not seem that it is used as there was a lock and chain around the gates! We paused to empty our elsan but another boat, which we had shared the lock with, were wanting water and we were not in urgent need so pressed on. Just around the corner we stopped at the Tesco mooring for a little shopping. Although quite a large store, it did not feel that it was one of the most exciting stock ranges of urban supermarkets. Perhaps it reflects the part of London we are in.

Gradually, the towpath was becoming almost permanently occupied with moored boats, and at times a long string on the opposite side as well. We wondered whether the Government really do know what they are talking about when the suggest than more residential moorings should be made available as a low cost housing alternative. Indeed, many are probably low cost but the state of many of the craft is very low and few seem to be properly paying their way with licences and mooring permits. The longer the lines of moored boats - supposing that one really does slow down as expected when passing them - ruin cruising which is reduced to a snail's pace. If proper off-line moorings, enforced licence conditions and permit fees are what is envisaged then it is unlikely that the result will be especially low cost. Long term accommodation with no immediate access to running water or sanitation is hardly as welcome policy whatever the state of the economy.

A derelict building is home to another unusual creature - makes two today!

Time was running out on us and when we saw a reasonable mooring just below Springwell Lock we called it a day! Not too close to the huge sewage works which follows although a sensitive nose could tell that we were not a million miles away!

8.5 miles - 15 locks