Back to Packet Boat

We only had an undemanding day's run back to Packet Boat so we were not in a rush to set off. However, another boat coming up persuaded us that it was time to move and we shared all the locks up the Hanwell flight.

Clitheroe's Lock

Many of the aquatic birds at well into their nest building - this should have been a photo of a swan in a much more impressive next but it did not come out well enough to include, so a coot will have to be a poor substitute!

Coot nesting

The first couple of pounds are slightly longer but after that most of the flight are close together.

Near the top of the flight we passed the old 'Asylum' which, according to one history of the psychiatric hospital on this site, was a very advanced treatment when first built with the initial chief medical officer introducing quite radical and effective ideas.

A bricked up arch is a reminder that at one time there was a large market garden and one of the early innovations was to provide work related therapy which proved highly effective. They had a surplus of produce and used the canal - hence the short arm under the former archway - to transport it to London to the markets, bringing back other supplies on the return trip. The large building behind the wall was one the brewery.

Hanwell Asylum

Despite many changes over the years, with chunks of the site having been sold off for housing development, some medium secure wards remain in place. Certainly the boundary fences are not easily breached!

All of the locks in the flight originally had a cottage and lock keeper and most remain, although now in private ownership.

Lock Cottage on Hanwell Flight

Most of the locks also had side ponds, although present day use does not seem to be encouraged. Generally there are two ponds but at one lock we spotted a set of three - each with a separate paddle mechanism.

Side Pond Paddles

 At Three Bridges, road, rail and canal all intersect at the same place and the resulting structure built when the railway was first built was Brunel's last major project. It is not easy to show all the structures at one - Christine made a particular attempt but two photos are still needed!

Three Bridges

 At the top lock, one of the new-style volunteer lock keepers was in attendance (he does just one day a week) but there was not much traffic today for him to assist. Nevertheless he was friendly as well as helpful.

Hanwell Top Lock

Just after the lock we pulled in to the bank to moor for lunch. very warm sunshine proved almost soporific and it was quite hard to stir ourselves for the final stretch. However, with no more locks to do, only one of us needed to be 'in action' - the other two could sit and read at the front!

We stopped briefly at Bull's Bridge to pick up today's newspaper from the adjacent Tesco store (we had tried at the small shop by the top lock that had a large sign with Newspapers on it - but that turned out to be one item they do not stock at the moment!)

Back at the mooring we are still awaiting news of whether High Line are able to look at our non-working battery management unit.

8.4 miles - 10 locks