Saturday 9th June 2012 Ramble 6: Grove Mill to The Fishery Inn, Boxmoor

Saturday  9^th June  2012

Ramble 6: Grove Mill, North Watford to The Fishery Inn, Boxmoor Common .  The 6½ mile walk was on a cloudy and cool day.

Today we found that many people were out walking, jogging and cycling along the towpath. The weather wasn’t special but it was dry. It was a Saturday and this part of the canal is very close to the built up areas of Watford, Abbot’s and King’s Langley and Hemel Hempstead. We have called this the walk of bridges as there were many interesting ones along this part of the Grand Union Canal.

We rejoined the meandering canal close to Grove Mill; another building converted into flats that today were hidden behind trees (better in winter!).

The first bridge (No. 164) we came to was an elegant white stone bridge which has been much photographed. When, in about 1800, the Earl of Clarendon gave permission for the Grand Junction Canal Company to cut the canal through his park he insisted that this ornamental bridge was built. It was restored in 1987 by British Rail and now the road over the bridge leads to a 5-star hotel with Golf and Spa centre. It has hosted the Golf World Championships (2006) when Tiger Woods won and the England football team have practised there.

A little further on, and still in Grove Park, bridge No.163 was interesting as the towpath here passes from the right to the left of the canal. It is a lovely ‘turnover’ bridge that was built to allow the horse pulling to cross over without being unhitched from the boat. It has been described as looking like the folded sleeves of a sweater! It was hard to photograph.

Next, Hunton Canal Bridge was fascinating as the underside brickwork seemed to be diagonally across the span. Apparently, this skew arch bridge replaced an earlier one and was built in 1932. It allows the bridge to span the canal at an oblique angle.

We stopped near here for refreshments in Hunton Bridge, a lovely ‘island’ village surrounded by M25, A41 and the mainline railway!

Carrying on we soon went under the M25, at which point the traffic noise seemed to be quieter. The viaduct is long, imposing and takes the M25 across the River Gade valley and west coast mainline railway.

A little further on, after passing the odd sight of a dinosaur lurking in the adjoining bushes, we came near to King’s Langley.

Here there was another bridge undergoing reconstruction.

There is obviously more construction work planned at Nash Mills too.

At Dickinson’s Quay (the site of former paper mills), near Apsley on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead, there are flats, restaurants and shops. There is a modern foot bridge that has you walking in circles!

We carried on until The Fishery Inn which is at Boxmoor and built so close to the canal. There are remnants of common land nearby and Hemel Hempstead railway station is not far away.