Getting Closer To London...

Getting Closer To London...

The weather is declined a little since leaving the Soubury 3 locks but we made good time down through Leighton Buzzard towards the countryside and on to our next stop just outside Ivinghoe.  Soon after came Marsworth , the bjunction itself was once a pretty little industrial part of the waterway with traditional working yards, now it's subject to large scale development (see Les and Jaqs'  (link) post for loads more info on the area - much better written than I could have done) with only one of the british waterways buildings remaining the rest of this pretty junction is an expanse of rubble. Passing through the junction is a little bit tight with boats breasted up on the towpath side and wide beams moored on the off side. We were quite surprised that the Aylesbury arm had no sign on its entrance saying that it was closed to boating traffic due to the collapsed lock - link - I presume that the further lock gated are locked but the closer ones were open making it look like an inviting wet dock, hmmm maybe getting the paints out on the way back

We paired up with narrowboat inky out on his summer cruise having moored in mercia marina this winter and several previous ones. The passage was tough going in places with insufficient water levels. One particular pound saw me scraping the bottom most of the way and the edge of the towpath side was high and dry, so much so that I couldn't get close enough for Deb to get on after the lock. Luckily she cadged a lift on inky just as it was leaving the lock. The countryside soon opened and we passed by many places that we have read about on other blogs but we just haven't got time to stop on this occasion.  The few days it has taken to come down from Milton Keynes will probably take a couple of weeks to go back through and we are looking forward to having a good look around Marsworth Tring Cowroast and Berkhamsted where we moored last night.

Today will be tackling the locks falling away from Berkhamstead. It's an area we feel we know quite well having read several people blogs one of which is Jacquie and Stein's aboard 'like ducks to water'. They've done the London part and are making a hasty retreat back towards the countryside. Having moored only a few hundred yards on front of us Jacq recognized our boat from our blog pics and they knocked on the door and came in for a chin wag sadly we have got to push on on the opposite direction to them today otherwise we would have meet up again and made an evening of it. I'm sure our paths will cross again soon Guys (PS the picture I took of Deb Jacq and Stein was a bit blurred so you've escaped this time)

We are in a bit of an internet hole so unfortunately the pics are in one lump at the end. 

Strange pets round these parts

Deb on inky

Nice boathouse that actually had a boat in it

Quite a few older boats moored in Berkhamstead

Boat in a boathouse

Jacquie and Stein - like ducks to water

Lovely conservatory, not sure about the art work

Attached to a rather nice house too

Back out in the country

No shortage of water

Many different boat styles

Deb holding up the traffic

Sunshine after showery day