Tring Station to Cook's Wharfe, Pitstone
Walked by Sally and Richard, Sunday 28th January 2018
4.5 miles of walking, almost all on the Grand Union Canal
For more photos of this walk, click here.
After what felt like a very long time of not being able or ready to leave Norfolk until after lunch on a Sunday, and in the knowledge that we had a slightly longer drive today, we had hoped to drive to the Tring area, on the South Bucks/Hertfordshire border, before lunch. However, we found ourselves still at home at midday, so gobbled a quick lunch before leaving on the basis that it would otherwise be after 2pm before we ate. By the time we'd left one car in the busy, rather muddy but very conveniently place carpark next to what is variously described as Pitstone Wharfe and Cook's Wharfe (SP927162) and the other in the expensive (£4.40 even on a Sunday) car park at Tring Station (SP952123) it was 2.45pm and sunset was 4.30pm, so we set off at speed! Actually we made it back to the car comfortably in daylight. It was a somewhat overcast afternoon, though the sun came out occasionally (just as well as in the rush I accidentally picked up my single-vision "computer" glasses rather than my non-tinted varifocal ones, so my sunglasses or nothing were the only real options).
We'd chosen to start at Tring Station because it is right on the Ridgeway, indeed we'd used the station after finishing the Icknield Way Path on 15th November 2011 and prior to our first full walk on the Ridgeway on 22nd June 2013. Today we followed the route of the Ridgeway for a very short distance, then descended to the Grand Union Canal. We were initially in an attractive wooded cutting, with plenty of activity: we were passed by cyclists and a jogger and, on the canal, by narrowboats, a double scull (a.k.a two-person rowing boat) and a rather inexpertly steered two-person Canadian canoe. The busy towpath was, inevitably I suppose, rather muddy.
We crossed from the eastern to the western bank of the canal at the first bridge and continued to Bulbourne. Here a converted canalside building contains the Hammer and Tongs "artist/blacksmith" workshop, with attractive sculptures (presumably destined for elsewhere) outside. Soon afterwards we passed Bulbourne Junction, where the Wendover Arm of the canal parts company with the main route, then we reached the Marsworth flight of locks.
Soon we found ourselves on a narrow isthmus of land between the canal and the Marsworth Reservoir. The Marsworth Reservoir is an attractive place, with reeds and wildfowl, and views to the Chilterns...and lots of dogwalkers and families (also explained by the large car park at the far end of the reservoir.
We were now close to the village of Marsworth and fortunately Richard spotted that we needed to cross back to the eastern side of the canal for a short distance, otherwise we'd have found ourselves essentially "up the creek without a paddle" (actually "on the Aylesbury Arm without a way across"). We passed a sign whose message was "Tring Anglers, Strictly no fishing"...? Then we passed the attractive Marsworth Church.
We passed a flight of locks, one of which was being restored. Clearly this means that that there is no way through for boating, which I guess is quite a big deal on the Grand Union Canal. However the canal is only closed for a fortnight (of which this is the middle weekend) and presumably this is the quietest time of year.
As we approached Pitstone, there were attractive views to Ivinghoe Beacon (which marks the start/end of both the Icknield Way Path and the Ridgeway). We soon found ourselves back at Cook's Wharfe. After collecting the other car from Tring Station and a slightly circuitous route for me (I can't even blame a dodgy mobile/iPad map app on this occasion - I was confused by a "road closed" sign that actually didn't apply to the route I was on) we made our way to the Milton Keynes South West Premier Inn where we were staying.