Berkhamsted

After a couple of days on the Tring summit I moved on to Berkhamsted as needed to top up the larder.  The canal drops quite sharply as it descends the chilterns towards London. The short trip to Berkhamsted is only 6 miles but includes 7 wide locks and took me around 4 hours. The weather was warm when the sun was out but quite nippy as the clouds passed over.

One of the many beautiful ex lock keepers cottages

I reached Berkhamsted in the early afternoon and found a lovely stretch of visitors mooring in pleasant green parkland only 5 minutes walk from the high street and Waitrose.

Berkhamsted visitors moorings 

The town retains many of its older buildings such as this pair of cottages in the high street.

 On Thursday the forecast was for a cool overcast day so I decided to take another trip to London to look at the route through the city. Basically I can either use the tidal river Thames or the Regents canal. Although the prospect of taking my own boat past the Houses of Parliament and under tower bridge appeals it is a very busy waterway with strong currents to catch out the unwary.  After viewing the Thames from the entrance to Limehouse lock and seeing a river-bus passing at speed I decided that the tideway is not for me.

I spent the afternoon walking along 6 miles of the Regents canal towpath from Limehouse to Camden  to look at the mooring opportunities. While there are several visitors mooring areas they are very busy with many double moored so I doubt I'll be able to find a mooring. This is not a problem as there are good moorings at Paddington basin at one end and Limehouse at the other and I can easily travel the route between in a day.

Tomorrow I'll move off once again. Progress will be slow as the 4 mile stretch from here to Hemel Hempstead contains 11 locks.  My knees are complaining already.