"No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning" (Cyril Connolly)
Brentford (Section 1)
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Cute Coot Chicks (Section 2)
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Apsley Marina (Section 3)
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The Grand Union Canal Walk
This walk along the Grand Union Canal starts in West London at the Thames Lock and finishes at the Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. The total length is roughly 150 miles. I hope to be able to complete the walk in sections, travelling to the start and from the end of each section by public transport.
The Grand Union Canal was originally called the Grand Junction Canal. Eventually, to make the waterway more efficient, the Warwick and Regent Canals were merged with the Grand Junction to become the Grand Union Canal. Goods were transported to and from London on canal barges but with the construction of the railways canal traffic declined.
Today the canal may no longer be commercially important but it is being rejuvenated by a community of narrow boat owners and is a haven for wildlife. The towpath is appreciated by walkers and cyclists alike. Swans, ducks, coots, moorhens and herons are a common sight and I hope to see a kingfisher one day.
This walk along the Grand Union Canal starts in West London at the Thames Lock and finishes at the Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. The total length is roughly 150 miles. I hope to be able to complete the walk in sections, travelling to the start and from the end of each section by public transport.
The Grand Union Canal was originally called the Grand Junction Canal. Eventually, to make the waterway more efficient, the Warwick and Regent Canals were merged with the Grand Junction to become the Grand Union Canal. Goods were transported to and from London on canal barges but with the construction of the railways canal traffic declined.
Today the canal may no longer be commercially important but it is being rejuvenated by a community of narrow boat owners and is a haven for wildlife. The towpath is appreciated by walkers and cyclists alike. Swans, ducks, coots, moorhens and herons are a common sight and I hope to see a kingfisher one day.
Section 1: Brentford to West Drayton
Section 2: West Drayton to Croxley Green
Section 3: Croxley Green to Berkhamsted
Section 4: Berkhamsted to Leighton Buzzard
Section 2: West Drayton to Croxley Green
Section 3: Croxley Green to Berkhamsted
Section 4: Berkhamsted to Leighton Buzzard
Maps/Guidebooks
- Walking the Grand Union Canal - from London to Birmingham by Revd John N Merrill
- Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 161 (London South), 160 (Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell), 172 (Chiltern Hills East), 182 (St Albans & Hatfield), 181 Chiltern Hills North
View towards Ivinghoe Beacon (Section 4)
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