Leighton Buzzard to London (Little Venice)
Dates: 28 August till 4 September (7 nights)
The peaceful countryside makes this cruise a must for those of you who enjoy the waterways and the history that surrounds them.
We start off cruising through open country, rising by isolated locks to arrive at Marsworth, where we continue our ascent of the Chiltern foothills, up the curling flight of locks, accompanied by wonderful reservoirs – a haven for water birds and all sorts of wildlife, to pass along the deeply wooded Tring cutting, a masterpiece of engineering, but today a truly peaceful place. This marks the summit of the canal, and at the quaintly named Cowroast lock we begin our gentle descent towards London.
We visit the historic town of Berkhamsted, with its ruined castle, where William of Normandy became William the Conqueror in 1066. Cruising through Grove Park, the canal passes under a rather ornate stone bridge, ordered by the Earl of Essex as compensation for the canal cutting through his estate. We descend more locks past Watford and enter the beautiful Colne valley. At Rickmansworth, there is a tiny canal museum and locks lead off to the seldom-visited River Gade.
At Cowley junction, we join the Paddington arm of the canal and head due east through the surprisingly pleasant outskirts to our mooring in the delightful basin known as Little Venice.
Already booked on this cruise? Buy your DVDs, Maps and Guides specific to this from Waterway Routes.
Back to Cruises
