Pete's Walks - Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
I did this 13 mile walk (6.5 miles each way) on Wednesday, 22nd July, 2009. The Aylesbury Arm branches off from the Grand Union Canal at Marsworth, near the Tring reservoirs and les than a mile from the start of the Wendover Arm, and heads west for about six and a quarter miles to the county town of Buckinghamshire. It was opened in 1815, and was originally intended to be part of a longer route connecting the Grand Union Canal to the river Thames at Abingdon, but that never happened. There are 16 locks as the canal drops 90 feet over its length, most of the locks being near the Marsworth end. The canal was used for transporting grain, coal, timber and building materials right up until the 1960's.
I set off from the car park at Marsworth about 9.45am. With the quarter mile along the main part of the Grand Union Canal from the car park to where the Aylesbury Arm starts, the walk was about six and a half miles each way. It was reasonably bright when I started, but soon became greyer - I actually had two very brief showers, but most of the time it was dry with grey skies and occasional brighter spells.
The canal junction at Marsworth, where the Aylesbury Arm begins - it goes goes left (west) here
Lock and bridge - a similar bridge, just outside Aylesbury, was currently undergoing repairs
Quite early on in the walk I came across some Purple Loosestrife, and a single Marsh Woundwort. Probably the commonest flower I saw was Great Willowherb, which grew along most sections of the canal. The only other flower of note was Yellow Water-lily, which was growing in the canal in and just outside Aylesbury.
I haven't really much to say about the walk. It was perfectly pleasant, but somewhat featureless. The canal doesn't pass through any villages, so the only landmarks were the occasional locks and bridges.
I didn't notice the Heron on the towpath until it flew off! The bird in the air is probably a Little Tern, a few of them patrolled up and down the canal.
I only saw a couple of Herons, and a Green Woodpecker flew up off the towpath at one point. A few Little Terns flew up and down the canal, presumably looking for fish.
Looking left towards Wendover Woods
There was a lengthy stretch like this, where the canal was hidden from view by the rushes and other vegetation on my left
On the edge of Aylesbury
Derelict building beside the canal in Aylesbury
The end of the canal in Aylesbury
It took me just over two hours to reach the end of the canal. I hardly took any photos on the way back so, allowing ten minutes for my lunch stop on a convenient bench by a bridge, I did the whole walk in almost exactly four hours and was back at my car just before 2pm. It had been a very straightforward walk (it's difficult to get lost when you are following a canal!) and quite pleasant, if obviously flat and a little unchallenging.
Of the two branches of the Grand Union Canal that start near Marsworth, I have to say that I preferred my walk along the Wendover Arm. Only the first couple of miles are navigable and then a short section in the middle is dry, so there was a bit more variety to the scenery. There was also much more in the way of wildlife to be seen.