Autumn Cruise: Day -1

I wanted to get a decent walk in this morning before the Queen’s funeral got under way, so I headed along to the aqueduct and down the steps, but this time took the horse tunnel under the canal.

I followed the path alongside the Ouse.  The All Trails route I was following wasn’t quite long enough, so I added a loop which took me under the A5 and back again, under two contrasting bridges.  The second one carries the road over the river, and indeed over much of the valley.

When I got back to Wolverton Mill, which is now flats, I took the bridge over the Ouse.  The park here is huge, and really well used by dog walkers and runners; it’s a fantastic resource, and because so many of the paths are paved, it’s good in all weathers.

Once over the river there are some nice views of the aqueduct in the distance.  I followed a path across the fields, and came out by Cosgrove Lock.  It’s ages since I’ve had a look down the Buckingham Arm, so I walked part of that too.  The first bridge has had its upper half rebuilt, presumably to allow machinery across it, and the section of canal beyond is now in water, albeit a foot or so below the real level.

Back at the boat I watched the state funeral and some of the procession through Westminster.  The day had cheered up weather wise, and I fancied a change of view so I set off at about 1.15.  Along at Galleon Wharf, the huge brown slugs that Pip on Oleanna mentioned the other day are still very much there.  Not entirely sure what they are.

I met a few boats on the move (it’s been very quiet on the water and the towpath this morning) and through Wolverton there was a burnt out cruiser floating almost across the canal, its bow rope having come adrift.  Fortunately a towpath walker was making an effort to re-tie it.

There were lots of moored boats, particularly near the Grafton Street Aqueduct, and both sides of Bridge 74.  But there were only two moored where I was aiming for before Bridge 75 (well, three depending on how you count the breasted up pair Ascot and Beverley).  I decided I’d go and turn around first, so plodded along to Great Linford.  There are some new houses going up before Bridge 76; I can’t remember what stage they were at the last time we came this way.

There was a boat moored in slightly the wrong place by the winding hole before the bridge, so I opted to go through and use the one just beyond.  It’s huge, so I was round very easily and heading back. Fortunately I also managed to do it before a widebeam I’d seen setting off had managed to get that far.  Just before I got back to Bridge 75 it began to drizzle, but it didn’t come to much.  I was soon moored up, in time to see most of the procession along the Long Walk at Windsor, and the committal service at St George’s chapel.

6 miles, 0 locks.  (7 miles, 1 lock)