Next stop, Tring, via the Wendover Arm. We are still on the summit level, so no locks, but before we got to the junction we passed the old, picturesque BW workshops at Bulbourne. Until as recently as 2004 BW craftsmen used to make the wooden lock gates here, now it is a private workshop, producing ornamental metal work.
We turned into the Wendover Arm, and passed the Heygates Flour Mill, up until the middle of the last century the huge windmill still stood, but no more. The canal gradually got narrower and narrower, until it seemed we were in our own beautiful little stream, but the water under us was clear and clean and just deep enough. The stop lock only had one gate and it was open, from there onwards the canal sides was concreted edged and dated 2002/3.We continued under a new, traditional brick bridge, however under the brick is a concrete reinforced structure, but it does look the part and around the bend to the large turning point and the end of the navigation. Between here and the bridge are the most delightfully rural moorings, which we enjoyed for two nights.
The Wendover Arm Trust, has worked really hard with it’s volunteer workforce to re-open this short length, and work is nearly complete for hopefully opening the next section in 2010, with the plan to reopen all the way to Wendover in the not to distant future, but they then will have some major road bridges to raise, but I am sure they will get there eventually.
Whilst we were moored we did walk the one and a half miles into Tring town centre, which is small, pleasant but not exceptional, except, that we did nod to the unmistakable boxer, Frank Bruno, who must live hereabout as he was acknowledged by several people.
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