New Year's Eve Walk

In the morning we did not do too much - Mike walked to the nearest shop for a paper and then settled down to updating this blog.

After lunch we were ready for a walk - the weather was not great: windy, chilly and somewhat damp. We wrapped up well and set off northwards along the canal towpath.

This stretch has a number of houseboats of varying quality. Soon we passed a 'rec' - playground in modern parlance but the older name still persists on some fingerposts - and then arrived at Cowley Lock.

Cowley Lock

 

Bridge over River Colne

 

River Colne

At the next bridge we left the canal and walked along the road for a short while - crossing the River Colne - before taking a bridleway that passed a farm and several houses before crossing over the M25. The cars were not having an easy time with poor daylight and lots of spray.

The path continued the other side and brought us out onto a private road along which the footpath continues. The people who live here obviously have concerns about their security - one house had two security fences - and the approach, when we arrived at it, clearly did not welcome visitors!

Shortly afterwards we reached Iver, coming out onto the road through the village opposite the church, which, alas, was locked. It is only opened in term time.

Iver Church

Continuing in the same direction the road brought us to the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal and we re-joined the towpath. Shortly afterwards we went underneath the M25 and then a short aqueduct crosses the River Colne.

Slough Arm

River Colne Aqueduct

At a former railway bridge we left the towpath for a woodland footpath that took us back to the main line of the canal alongside Tesco. It was sad to see just how much rubbish is abandoned alongside the footpath - an important alternative to the otherwise unremitting urban landscape. At one point, a load of old car tyres had been thrown carelessly away. Ugh!

We picked up ingredients for a stir fry for tonight at Tesco as well as some milk and ice cream. The boat was only a short walk from the supermarket but just as we emerged from the car park onto the tow path a heavy rain storm arrived and we were quite soaked by the time we made it back to the dry of the boat! Up til then it had be quite satisfactory for a well-wrapped walk!