Winkwell

The three girls were returning home this morning - we had arranged with Adrian to meet at the Red Lion lock near Kings Langley at 11 o'clock.


Main railway line

We set off in good time on a bright, sunny morning and had three locks to go before our rendezvous. Before long we came close to the main electrified railway line which is a close companion to the canal until around the Watford Gap service station.

M25 Viaduct

A little further and we passed under the long M25 viaduct that strides majestically across the valley.

Kings Langley Lock

Kings Langley lock looks quite rural although the town is only a stone's throw away.

We reached our meeting point and tied up with a few minutes to spare. Mike also discovered that there was a useful place for Adrian to park whilst collecting the girls and their luggage.

Adrian gave Mike a lift back to Croxley so that he could move our car further up our route, close enough to one of the railway stations for Christine to move it again this Saturday.

After lunch we moved into Red Lion Lock - a BW workboat was also just moving into the lock - they were quite frustrated as they were supposed to be repairing the bottom gate linings (the pieces of wood along the edges which help to make a better seal when the lock is full) but every time they started another boat came along! They let us through but said that after that they would start work anyway!

Above the lock was a fuel boat - Christine made contact with him whilst Mike was away as we were almost out of coal for the stove - and we also filled up with diesel. Amusingly, it turned out that the operator was a man that we had seen on Monday when he was painting his fence alongside his permanent mooring. He also used to moor at Packet Boat and knew at least one of the other people there that we had met during our stay.

Nash Mills Redevelopment

Alongside the next pound stood at one time the large Nash paper mill that gives the two locks their name. It was almost all demolished when we passed here last autumn but now work is well under way by Crest Nicholson, constructing a large housing estate.

Navigation Bridge

Below Apsley Bottom Lock is the new Navigation Footbridge, alongside the equally modern Paper Mill pub.

Hemel Hempstead

We continued lock after lock through Hemel Hempstead. Boxmoor is a large open area alongside the canal. Across the other side is a very varied collection of architectural ages and style.

We had our first sighting of ducklings of the year at the Fishery Lock with proud and defensive parents.

Winkwell Swingbridge

The well-known Winkwell Swing Bridge is currently being re-furbished with a replacement temporary footbridge. Not sure what happens to vehicles but the new bridge seems to be almost complete.

Winkwell top lock, our penultimate for today, has very new gates which have not yet been painted.

Winkwell Top Lock

During the afternoon we had a couple of heavy showers one of which decided to fall just as we were mooring for the night - yet again we are some distance from the bank.

5.8 miles - 14 locks