Apsley to Bulbourne

(Posted by Alan)

As already mentioned, Cath and I worked many years ago at the massive John Dickinson paper factory in Apsley. Although in jobs in Information Technology, our office was nothing more than the bricked off corner of one of the large warehouses alongside the canal at the bottom lock of the three in Apsley. For many years it didn't have any windows at "people height", so to observe passing boats you had to sneak outside. I well recall the very last of the narrow boat traffic on the Roses "barrels" run from Brentford to Boxmoor. This actually outlasted the more famous "Jam 'Ole" traffic by several years, and is what I choose to think of as the last regular carrying contract of any significant distance and lock count.

In fact we both met when I had just joined this employer, so despite being a "grotty" place back then, this canal location is where our history together started.

This modern housing however now sits where our "warehouse" once was.







Our overnight mooring was just South of that lock








The plan was then that we moved up a couple of locks to deal with water supplies and emptying rubbish and toilet whilst the shopping continued in parallel. The first was quickly achieved, but Cath took so long in the supermarket that I walked Charlie over to see what was going on. We never cease to be amazed just how admired he is, and needless to say that Cath emerged to find the lady who had already suggested she slipped me some money, and I passed her the lead.

We set off again later than planned, knowing our lock count today needed to be higher than yesterday's 19, but with Cath still in charge of steering because of her twisted ankle.

In fact my pelvis held up quite well, as we ticked off the locks, just about all of which we found against us, with both top gates left open - "You are following a big green wide-beam" people kept telling us.

Steady progress at Boxmoor











We finally found our wide-beam, a big Dutch barge, at the Rising Sun lock in Berkhamsted. They had tied it to the bollards below the lock that should be reserved for lock working, as they settled down for an al-fresco lunch with some fine wine. Such behaviour is unreasonable normally, but on a busy Saturday particularly so, as we and the boats leaving the lock in the other direction all struggled past.

I would have nominated said boat as having "most inconsiderate crew of the week", but then encountered an even vaster shiny-blue brand new (very) wide-beam moored in the winding-hole at Berkhamsted station. This area is the only place a long boat can turn for many miles, and even if they couldn't work that simple fact out, the very clear "no mooring" signs should have been obeyed. Fortunately people who behave so unreasonably are remarkably rare!

Having passed the boat that had been going ahead of us, we naively thought we would get some locks in our favour, but as we ascended the "Gas Two" in Berkhamsted David spotted a boat pull away ahead of us in the distance. However by Dudswell we had also caught them, and shared the final three locks up to Tring summit.

Sharing Cow Roast lock.












Until we recently moved our home mooring this would have been journey's end, but now we are a few more miles, and quite a few downhill locks, further on. Whilst the locks would have to wait until tomorrow, we decided to push on and complete Tring summit that night. However not until we had stopped and had a long chat with our friend Jim whose two marvellous (tastefully) converted Joshers moor there.

Moving on after stopping at "Owl" and "Hampton".









Once we arrived at Bulbourne we were having the inevitable debate about which would be a good mooring. The heavens opened, but some how we still foolishly decided to move up past a few more boats. Asking for all we got, by the time we were fully tied up we were all soaked to the skin.

Cath asked about food at the pub, but trade had been good enough that none was available, so we settled down to the rest of a quiet evening aboard.

Apsley to Bulbourne
Miles: 11.0 , Locks: 22
Total Miles: 116.3 , Total Locks: 124