Marsworth

We stopped below Marsworth locks where Ray n Rose left us on Maddy Rose the next day. It was here that we watched huge fish chomping at slices of bread.

Our friends Terry n Myra arranged to come up to stay with us for a few days so we moved up the two locks with another boat, as it happens, the boater travelling alone. “Just amazes me how active he was jumping off his boat as it drifted into the lock.” We met our friends at the White Lion pub having filled our tank with water. After a refreshing drink on board we all decided to have lunch at the pub and very reasonable it was too.

Then we moved the boat up the locks past the huge reservoirs, a popular place with many people here to enjoy the views and wild life on the water. The reservoirs were created by the canal engineers to provide water at the summit of the Grand Union.

A decision was made by us to travel along the Wendover arm so a sharp right turn under the bridge was required. The Wendover Arm Trust had restored it but it was not open when we last came this way.

It is only navigable for about a mile to bridge 3 where we could turn and stay a night.

We walked over the hill to bridge 4 which got us over the dry section and down to Wilstone reservoir. The Canal Trust have plans to restore it all the way to Wilstone.

We returned to the main line the next day and turned into the lock where a boat was waiting for us. It is always easier and good for the system to go down the double locks with two boats. We stopped in the longest pound before the last lock by the Marsworth reservoirs. After lunch on board we all went for a walk round the huge man made ‘ponds’. The Red walk was supposed to be the shortest but we ended up on a long hike. On returning to the boat we found the water levels had gone down so had to put the wheels out to get us off the mud. “The wheels keep the boat away from the edge.” Terry went to make sure the lock gates were properly shut. So many boats had gone down one by one that the water supply was not keeping up. It was no better the next day so we moved down early through the lock and said goodbye to our friends.