Pete's Walks- Marsworth, Tring Station, Halton (page 5 of 5)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
Almost a mile after Harelane Bridge I reached Wellonhead Bridge, and soon there were the houses of part of Buckland on the other side of the canal. I had to cross a road at Buckland Wharf, and on the other side the towpath switched to the left of the canal. I was soon back into open countryside, and there was soon a lot of Ox-eye daises growing on the embankment next to the canal. I also saw some Wild Clary along here - I was actually looking for it, as I'd seen it here once before. After passing under the bridge taking the A41 over the canal, I also spotted two or three Pyramidal Orchids and a Burnet Companion moth. There were embankments either side of the canal as it passed close to Drayton Beauchamp church, and then I went under another bridge. For the next half-mile or so, I generally had a hedge on my left, with views that way towards Wilstone reservoir.
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, approaching Wellonhead Bridge
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, at Buckland
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, at Buckland Wharf
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, between Buckland Wharf and the A41
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, approaching the A41
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, near Drayton Beauchamp
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, going northeast from Drayton Beauchamp
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, going northeast from Drayton Beauchamp - under the footbridge you can see the barrier where the restored section of the canal ends
Immediately after a wooden footbridge over the canal, the restored section of the canal came to an end. I then had just over half a mile of following the empty section of the canal (where I saw several Swifts and House Martins), until I reached a lane. I normally turn right here, to rejoin the canal towpath after a quarter of a mile or so, but on this walk I turned left along the lane. I soon reached a lane junction where I turned right, and just after this lane turned left I turned right onto a footpath.
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal - this is the short unrestored section
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal - this is the short unrestored section
The lane after I turned left from the canal
The lane after I turned right, near Tringford Farm
The path ran through a strip of grass between a field and a garden. Through a gate I then reached another path where I turned left only for the path to immediately turn right and run along the northwestern side of Tringford Reservoir. At the end of the path I crossed a minor road, and turned left along a path that followed the southwestern side of Marsworth reservoir (I spotted a Grey Wagtail here, the first I'd seen for a few years). The path turned right at the corner of the reservoir, and as I followed that edge of the reservoir I saw several Sand Martins and Swallows. At the next corner of the reservoir I went down a flight of steps to return to the car park where I'd started.
The short path to Tringford reservoir
The path continuing along the northwestern side of Tringford reservoir
The path along the southwestern side of Startop's End reservoir
The path along the northwestern side of Startop's End reservoir
There haven't been many Summer days I've walked that have been as uniformly grey and overcast - a walker I met on Aston Hill described it as 'Quite Autumnal'. But, as he said when I came across him and his wife again later near Buckland Wharf, 'At least it hasn't rained!'. Despite the conditions, I did enjoy the walk, and was pleased with the different birds and other wildlife I spotted along the way. It's not the most exiting of routes, with so much of it along towpaths which are by their very nature somewhat flat, but there were a couple of hills between Tring Station and Halton. There were only a few really good views, and obviously they were far from their best in these grey conditions, but most of the canal and reservoir sections were pleasantly attractive.