Pete's Walks - Marsworth canal walk, again
I did this walk on Thursday, 8th October 2009. It was a repeat of an 8-mile walk I did back in April, starting at the large car park in Marsworth, going about half a mile east along the Grand Union Canal, turning south-west along the Wendover Arm of the canal as far as Aston Clinton, then going north along part of the Aylesbury Ring, before returning eastwards to Marsworth along part of the Aylesbury Arm of the canal. After a long dry spell, we had just had three wet days so a walk mainly on canal towpaths seemed a good idea.
It was a beautiful autumn day, without a cloud in the sky. It was only 6C as I drove to Marsworth, so I had my coat on for the first 45 minutes of the walk, but after that it warmed up quite nicely and was a fantastic day for a walk.
The Grand Union Canal, running next to Marsworth Reservoir
Marsworth Reservoir
Near the start of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal
Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, shortly after Tring Wharf
Wilstone Reservoir and the Vale of Aylesbury, from the Wendover Arm
As I reached the end of the dry section in the middle of the Wendover Arm of the canal, I came across a work party endeavouring to restore that part of the canal. One of them chatted to be for a couple of minutes about the work - the next short section had been restored some time ago as a trial, and it was already full of frogs and toads, he said. He explained that they put in a layer of matting (which I'd just seen along the new section) into which they put seeds and in the restored section I could see how well this worked, as there were reeds and grasses growing all along it.
Work being carried out on the currently dry section of the Wendover Arm
The Wendover Arm at Bucklandwharf
Approaching the bridge near Aston Clinton where I turned off the Wendover Arm
I turned off the Wendover Arm near Aston Clinton, and made my way past that village (where I saw three Red Kites circling overhead) to the almost adjoining village of Buckland. Just beyond that village, I saw another Red Kite briefly perch in one of the rare Black Poplars that are to be found in this part of the Vale of Aylesbury. A little further on I saw a Buzzard, some way off on the far side of the A41 dual carriageway.
Buckland church, from the road out of Aston Clinton
The path just after Buckland - the tree on the right is a Black Poplar
Path beside the A41 dual carriageway, near Buckland
The final section of the walk, heading east along the Aylesbury Arm, was quite delightful, with the colourful trees reflected in the dark water of the canal, under an almost perfect blue sky. I saw another Red Kite and a Kingfisher - the latter was flying along above the canal, but as it neared me it temporarily diverted to the far side of the hedge on the opposite bank, before returning to the canal a short distance behind me.
The start of the section heading back east along the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Chiltern hills in the distance
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal
I'd forgotten how short this walk was! When I did it in April it took me four hours, but then I had numerous wildlife and wildlife sightings and took an enormous number of photographs. Today I did the walk 45 minutes quicker as I stopped far less often for photos. I had a rather early lunch along the Aylesbury Arm about a mile and a half before I finished, but I could easily have saved my sarnies until I got home as it was still only 1.10pm when I got back to the car park. I'll remember in future that this is really only a morning's walk (but a very enjoyable one!).