IN WHICH I
  • ... Write
  • ... Explain

Lake Field: Winter to Spring

25/3/2016

8 Comments

 
I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Just a few steps from my front door, there's a delightful view over fields and a little valley to a white farmhouse opposite. A footpath leads diagonally through the scene, inviting me to walk up to the ridge beyond. It's hard to believe the footpath gate lies only metres away from what is, essentially, the high street.

The view is particularly special because it's protected. Lake Field, the slope in the foreground, is owned by the National Trust. As the sign says, "The National Trust was able to acquire Lake Field in 1938 and so preserve the view to the north through the generosity of Mrs C.E. Chartsworth, Mrs M.E. Quarterly, Mrs D. Tuck and Miss D.E. Noakes." In the spirit of their generosity, I thought I'd document the view over the course of a year and share it here so you can enjoy it, too.

January

Picture
A typical, overcast, drizzly winter day. Out of scene, last year's crabapples cling to the trees.
Picture
Late morning light, low in the south, makes the white house stand out.
Picture
Taken the day after the previous picture, this was the most snow we had this winter. Mmm, chimney smoke!

February

Picture
A hint of pink evening glow relieves the evening of total drabness.
Picture
A lovely, clear, sunny February day. Note the bales of hay in the fields opposite.
Picture
A thick layer of frost, a light mist hanging around the hedges, and golden morning sunshine over everything.
Picture
Almost all the hay bales have disappeared.

March

Picture
I'm not sure I got the framing quite right on this one! A thick fog that lasted all morning and into the afternoon.
Picture
Proper blue skies. The primroses and crocuses are out (not in scene) and I foraged my first lot of this year's sorrel in Lake Field.
Picture
The farm on the far right has started converting buildings to holiday lets. Lake Field has been mown. The hedges and willows are showing hints of green.

Are there any views, trees, gardens or other places near where you live that you use to mark the seasons?

(P.S. Here are the follow up posts: Spring to Summer, Summer to Autumn and Autumn to Winter.)

8 Comments

Three days on the Grand Union Canal

14/3/2016

0 Comments

 
The Grand Union Canal, as the name suggests, is not a single canal, but rather a (grand) union of several canals. There’s the trunk stretching from London to Birmingham and then there are branches, or arms, heading off into surrounding areas. Some of those arms are full of water and navigable the entire way. Others are dry or filled in - completely out of commission. Some are little more than reed-choked drainage ditches, half forgotten except by the creatures that find a safe haven in these slivers of weed and water.
Picture
Fishing on the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
​A number of years ago, we embarked on one of our very long-term projects: to walk the length of the Grand Union Canal, including all its arms. We started strong, covering most of the sections within London as well as the Wendover and Aylesbury arms. Then we moved down to East Sussex and the canal was too far away for day walks . . . but not too far away for a three day break during the half term holiday! So we booked a couple of Airbnb places and set off. From Slough.

Day 1: Slough to Cowley Lock

Two red kites wheeled close over the road as we drove in - our first taste of the wildlife to come. We parked the car and headed to the canal, surprising a small mammal of some kind (possibly a water rat), which scurried through the reeds and plopped into the water.
Picture
Slough has all the necessities.
Picture
First glimpse of the canal through the rushes.
The Slough Arm was opened in 1882, mainly to carry bricks from the surrounding quarries and brickworks to London. It was closed to commercial traffic in 1960 and there were plans afoot to fill it in. Locals opposed this idea and got on the campaign trail. The canal was re-opened in 1975 and is still in use today. We didn’t see any boats moving about, but there were a few people fishing from the banks and a couple of boats with smoke wafting from the chimneys.
Picture
Ducks of different sizes.
Picture
I actually managed to get a photo of a robin. Miraculous.
We stopped for lunch a mile or so into the walk, just before we felt the first few drops of rain. It was light and scrappy at first, but got heavier as the afternoon went on. We passed a couple of other walkers and joggers, disturbed a deer, tut tutted at the section of canalside that was covered in rubbish, spotted a few birds and the first green hawthorn leaves of spring.  It was drizzling with a bit more gusto by now, but we didn’t want our thermos of tea to go to waste, so we agreed to ​stop under the next bit of shelter for a cuppa. The next bit of shelter was a large bridge carrying the M25 around London. What a romantic place for afternoon tea.​
Picture
We found a few interesting under-bridge artworks. This was not under the M25. The M25 was much more boring.
Refreshed, we strode on, following aqueducts over the Colne Brook and Fray’s River (where we saw a kingfisher). Soon enough, we came to Packet Boat Marina and the junction with the Grand Union Canal proper. Immediately, the canal became more lively - a few boats moving around on the water, cyclists and pedestrian commuters sharing the path with us.
Picture
The Slough Arm with red balloon.
Picture
Junction of the Slough Arm and the Grand Union Canal "main line".
We admired all the boats on permanent residential mooring, but it started raining in earnest so we headed on. The phone was dead, leaving us without instructions of how to get to our Airbnb. Luckily we found a map by the canal, dredged a few bits of info from our memories and eventually found our way ‘home’: a cosy cabin beside the canal, belonging to one of the permanent moorings. Our host invited her two bedraggled guests into the boat kitchen for a cup of tea, where we met a cute dog (Rufus) and cat (Twix). In the end, we couldn’t be bothered going out for dinner, so we went to bed early, drifting off to the sound of rain on the cabin roof and deers and foxes barking in the night.

Day 2: Cowley Lock to Croxley Green

Picture
One of several canalboat cats we saw on the way. This one was totally uninterested in getting pats from us.
A cool, still morning dawned, robins and blackbirds singing in the garden. Twix the cat came to say hello and jumped on the bed for pats. After croissants and jam and freshly squeezed juice for breakfast, we set off at a good pace.
Picture
Heron action.
Picture
What? It was deliberate.
The canal was misty, the smooth water broken only by a little group of colourful mandarin ducks. We watched a heron stalk elegantly along a log, then lose its footing and flail around a bit before looking at us haughtily as if to say, “I meant to do that.”
Picture
Striking old art deco / moderne style building beside the canal.
The stretch through Uxbridge was fairly urban, but passing under the A40 felt like stepping into the countryside. Suddenly, the trees and winter hedges were alive with birds: robins, wrens, chaffinches and tits - long tailed, blue and great. Beyond the trees, we glimpsed a large pink building, which later research showed was a new Hindu temple.
Picture
Bricks and reflections of water make beautiful patterns under the A40.
We took the opportunity to leave the towpath for a while to walk through the woods by the Denham Quarry Lakes. More birds zipped through the trees around us (we spotted both types of woodpecker during the morning), while others swam on the lakes (ducks, swans, geese, cormorants, coots, moorhens). It was really lovely to see so many different birds. I also spotted some wood ear fungus, which was quite exciting. I didn’t eat it.
Picture
Wood ear fungus.
Picture
Another fungus - can any of you ID it?
Two grey wagtails greeted us as we rejoined the canal (a misnomer - they’re mostly recognisable due to their yellow fronts). A little further on, we took a detour up the Troy Arm (or Troy Cut). This is a short, private branch that was used to service Troy Mill. It looks pretty unnavigable now (at least to anything bigger than a kayak), but the surrounding scenery is beautiful: big quarry lakes, blue sky and presumably later in the year lots of greenery. We stopped at a canalside pub for lunch and even got a window seat.
Picture
Cupcakes from the cupcake stall.
Picture
Coal Tax Post, according to this blog.
We might have been full after our meals, but that didn’t stop us a mile or so further on from purchasing cupcakes from two kids who’d set up a canalside cake table. One kid was clearly the business minded partner, with the sales spiel and the cash handling skills. The other one was up a tree.
Picture
Rabbit vs Crocodile. What Happens Next Will Shock You.
It was a gorgeous day, with sunshine so bright that I started to wonder if I was getting sunburnt. We frequently saw bands of goldfinches along the canal, with their distinctive red faces. We also saw a goldcrest and (we think) a yellowhammer. It’s funny that we noticed more birds when we were walking in what is essentially the outskirts of London than we do when we’re at home. I guess it’s partly to do with simply being out and about more when we’re on holiday, but I also wonder if it’s to do with the variety of habitats along the canal - part rural, part wood, part urban, part parkland, part lake. This walk also made me think I should try to get better at identifying ducks. We saw several types, but even after a googling session I can still only identify a few: mallard, tufted, mandarin and pochard.
Picture
More under-bridge art. Frogmore.
Picture
Rope mermaids are in this season.
Past Rickmansworth, we left the towpath again, this time to find our Airbnb. We didn’t have to go far - it was only a minute from the water. This time we were greeted by two lovely hosts, homemade blueberry muffins and an energetic little dog. Dan went to the shops to get rolls, cheese and tomatoes for dinner (so much food that day). We ate, had baths and then fell asleep without even getting properly into bed. Such lightweights!

Day 3: Croxley Green to Berkhamsted

Continuing our theme of delicious food, breakfast included fresh blueberries and homemade bread for toast. Yum! We said goodbye to our hosts (well, the one who was awake!) and headed out. There was a thick layer of spiky frost on everything: leaves, grass, ropes coiled on boats. The world was quite white.
Picture
Frost on the leaves.
Picture
Frost on the ropes.
We followed a flock of morning commuters, all of whom traipsed over the lock gates rather than going the extra hundred yards to the bridge. Wispy bits of steam rose and danced over the water and, further along, thin sheets of ice covered the canal.
Picture
Mist rising off the early morning canal near Watford.
Watford went by without making much of a difference to canal life, although as usual we could tell when we’d left town: passers by started smiling and saying good morning. From Cassiobury Park, the canal and surrounds took on a slightly more manicured appearance. 
Picture
A beautiful, frosty scene over the Grand Union Canal just outside Watford.
We passed a number of increasingly pretty bridges until we reached the white bridge, an ornate piece of work that was part of the canal’s payment to the Earl of Essex in order for him to allow the canal to pass through his estate. It’s easy to forget that while today a canal might be seen as a pretty, picturesque addition to the landscape, back in the day it was like having a highway put through the countryside.
Picture
A pretty, but pretty everyday bridge.
Picture
A pretty big bribe (payment) of a bridge.
We had morning tea in the almost-warm morning sun, sitting on a lock in the middle of a wide green valley between the M25 slip road and the M25. If you count the M25 as the edge of London (which in some ways it is), we were about to head back out of the capital. Near the motorway we spotted a little grebe, ducking and diving all over the canal.
Picture
Fluffy butt.
Despite the warm sun, there was still enough frost on the puddles to try and skate. This mainly involved me clutching Dan’s arm and making him pull me along for a couple of steps as I slipped all over the place. We made good time to Hemel Hempstead. Too good, since we arrived at Woody’s Vegetarian Cafe before they started serving lunch. Oh well, second breakfast was good enough for us!
Picture
Stick figures who have everything under control. Hemel Hempstead.
Picture
The Grand Union Canal Monster.
Past the marina, the canal became quaint again - old pubs, locks, a swing bridge - and what with the very muddy path it was easy to forget we were in the middle of a large town. A few clouds started to appear, and a few more. There was rain forecast for the afternoon, so we didn’t amble. Back into the countryside we went, admiring the clear River Bulbourne running parallel. The river is more a small stream now that the canal takes its water. It was full of watercress, and a little further on a sign informed us that there used to be a thriving watercress industry here. We also saw a tiny wood mouse.
Picture
Grand Junction Canal sign in Berkhamsted.
Picture
Goodbye, Grand Union Canal.
We talked about canals and rivers as we walked, planning future adventures. The path disappeared behind us and soon we were in Berkhamsted. The people of Berkhamsted clearly appreciate their canal and have money to spend. The canalside became very well-kept, with pretty historic signs (still retaining the older name of Grand Junction Canal) and several information points. One such board informed us that Berkhamsted “has the dubious honour of being the home of sheep dip!” And with that, the walk was over. We said goodbye to the canal - until next time! - and hopped on a train. It had taken us about 6 hours to walk from the outskirts of Watford to Berkhamsted that day; it took the train 12 minutes to cover that distance in reverse.

Year of sleeping variously: canalside cabin edition

Our second month of sleeping variously. Last time it was Premier Inn!
Picture
Just looking at this bed makes me want to curl up and let the rain put me to sleep.
  • Bed (4/5) - Loved the super-fluffy duvet.
  • Room (4/5) - Cosy.
  • View (2/5) - From the cabin we could only see the wintery garden, though obviously from the boat there was a nice view of the water.
  • Facilities (4/5) - Nice, big, hot bath: always popular on long walks.
  • Location (4/5) - Can’t complain about a spot right on the canal! It was pretty quiet, too, for what is essentially the outskirts of London.
  • People (4/5) - Clearly in this case we have to count the delightfully friendly cat and dog as people.
  • Food (3/5) - Tea on arrival and freshly squeezed juice for breakfast? Yes please!
  • Value (4/5) - A step up from last month at Premier Inn, ha.
  • Uniqueness (4/5) - Not only was it a cool location with breakfast on a boat, but it was nice to see how our host had modified and decorated the cabin and boat to suit her set-up.​
  • That indefinable something (3/5) - Rain pattering on the roof, birdsong in the morning and a cat to pat.

​Canalside Cabin verdict: 72%

If you'd like to start using Airbnb, use this link to sign up and you'll get £14 off your first booking. We'll get credit, too - win/win!

0 Comments

    In which I

    In which I do things and write about them

    RSS Feed

    In which I tag

    All
    #30DaysWild
    Art And Architecture
    Audio And Music
    Australia
    Battle Observer
    Birmingham
    Books And Stories
    Bristol
    Buckinghamshire
    Cambridgeshire
    Cooking
    Cycling
    Devon
    East Sussex
    Eating And Drinking
    Film And Video
    Foraging
    Gardening
    Gippsland GunaiKurnai Country
    Grand Union Canal
    Hastings Independent
    Hertfordshire
    Heysen Trail Prep
    Housekeeping
    Imagining
    Interviewing
    Kent
    Lake Field
    London
    Manchester
    Marketing
    Melbourne Wurundjeri Country
    Microadventure
    National Trust
    Netherlands
    Norfolk
    Northumberland
    Paddling
    Q&A
    Reporting
    Review
    Share The Love
    Sheffield
    Snowy River
    Somerset
    South Gippsland Bunurong Country
    Suffolk
    Swimming
    Tea
    Victorian High Country Jaitmathang Country
    Victorian High Country Taungurung Country
    Wadawurrung Country
    Wales
    Walking
    West Sussex
    Wiltshire
    Year Of Sleeping Variously
    Yorkshire

    In which I archive

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.