Cut and Rune: Norwood Green

Here I am https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/51%C2%B030%2704.5%22N+0%C2%B021%2753.1%22W/@51.50126,-0.36476,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

Distance 3.7 miles

Total 384 Locks 8 Tunnels

Running total mileage 551.5 miles

This has been a real ‘welcome to the Grand Union’ sort of day. Started quite well for the short hop from the overnight moorings by Thames Lock up to the pontoon at Brentford Gauging Lock but things then began to go downhill. All of the Brentford visitor Moorings were full, which was unsurprising since they are allowed to moor for 14 days on them so we had to leave the boat on the lock pontoon whilst we stocked up with some supplies from the nearest Morrison’s. This wasn’t such a big deal since, with high tide at sometime around 4.30pm there was little possibility of anyone coming off the Thames to go through the gauging lock and since Brentford Creek was just mud with a thin covering of water, no-one was likely to come down through the lock heading for the Thames.

Once the shopping was completed we then needed to top up with water and empty the toilet cassette, not helped by the ‘nugget’ who was moored on the water point mooring. We managed to work around that and eventually set off up the canal. Lunch was taken above bridge 207, Gallows Bridge which was quite pleasant however when we set off again we ran into further problems at Osterley Lock. I only noticed the lock at the last moment since it is on a corner and when I then turned into the what I thought were the lock moorings we promptly ground to a halt about 8 feet out from the towpath. This was caused by a build-up of sediment where the river Brent enters the canal. We were pretty firmly grounded as well and without the assistance of a group of progressively drunken lads on another boat we would have had some difficulty getting off again, they solved the problem by letting some water out of the lock which washed us off our stranding. We then passed through the next 6 locks with the group of lads who were getting progressively more drunk, but at least they were very affable, and made up in enthusiasm what they lacked in experience.

We left them at Hanwell Lock (91) but then found that the pound (water between two locks) above Hanwell Lock was half dry. Walked up to Norwood Top Lock and opened the paddles on the gates to allow water to refill the pound, the whole process probably took about an hour (it was a long way below what it should have been!). The cause of the problem was the fact that the bottom gates at Hanwell Lock leak very badly and it was this that emptied the pound. A late finish (for us) of about 7.45pm by which time we were both pretty knackered. To look at the positives however, at least it was sunny pretty much all day (and more forecast for tomorrow). Onwards towards Uxbridge tomorrow.