Berkhamsted

Here I am Rune

Distance 4.4 miles

Total 422 Locks 8 Tunnels

Running total mileage 580.0 miles

We’ve reached our daily target of Berkhamsted travelling again as a pair through the locks with the crew of a boat called ‘Octopus’. They are also a liveaboard crew but only from June to September. Talking to them it seems that they have travelled a good proportion of the system in the years that they have been doing it. 

Annoyingly we found, as we set off this morning from Hemel Hempstead, that had we carried on for another 200metres the previous night the mooring outlook would have been far better. As it was he had a perfect outlook of the B&Q car park and the Travis Perkins timber yard, had we done the additional 200 metres we would have been overlooking parkland and a cricket pitch, well you live and learn.

The only testing part today was, once again a side channel emptying into the canal below Winkwell Bottom Lock which throws you off line as you approach the lock. I saw the difficulty approaching the lock and allowed for it, I also moored on the left hand side of the lock to allow the lady steering ‘Octopus’ to be swept into the right side of the lock by the current. It didn’t actually work out like that though since, as she approached the lock she was steering directly towards where she wanted to be without allowing for the side current, consequently when the current caught her it swept her into the side of the lock entrance with a bit of a clatter! No real damage done though.

The approach to Berkhamsted

Bridge 141

Berkhamsted Totem Pole

Berkhamsted is quite an attractive town from what we’ve seen of it. I quite liked the bridge as we approached the town (photo) stating ‘Port of Berkhamsted’, seemed a bit ambitious to me. Think we may take a bit of time exploring the rest of the town tomorrow, it appears that there are Castle ruins to be explored.