Day 3 Uxbridge to Moor Park



It was sunny again for my return to Uxbridge. When you consider that I was snowed on last Tuesday, this is quite a result! In my head, I feel that perhaps I was a little unfair to Uxbridge yesterday. It is an old market town and does have some interesting buildings on the High Street and the canal nearby. Perhaps I was just tired yesterday. Sorry. They like their mosaics.



Created by Christine Smith based on designs from local school children



Back to the Grand Union Canal and my first lock amazingly called Uxbridge Lock. I must say that the locks on the Thames Path walk last year all had gorgeous gardens and seemed competitive in their green-fingered-ness. Here on the GUC, it's a lock, you might get a cottage, possibly a bridge, occasionally a tea place, that's it. No garden. This stretch of the canal was definitely developing into the more scenic and civilised variety, thank goodness.

Uxbridge Lock & cottage complete with spare door & window



Denham Lock is the deepest lock on the GUC apparently, I have a picture but there are no flowers in it. However, the tea garden did look really good but I'd only just started out for the day so I resisted Fran's place.



I bet the cake is really good

They did seem to be trying much harder with their canal side gardens though, perhaps to make up for the locks.

To the tune of 'Hanging Gardens'



On this next stretch of the walk I came across two memorials, both for young people. The first is sad because of the age of the child. The second story made me angry because the council originally wanted to remove the simple memorial. When you've seen all the litter and general crap I've seen in parks and countryside over the last three days that makes me mad. Anyway, it's still there after five years so they seem to have seen sense. I should point out here that I have been hyperlinking various things but I don't know how to make it more obvious. I think basically if something looks interesting, hover over it with your mouse to see if a link thing turns up. If anyone familiar with blogger knows the answer please let me know.

 

 

It was actually quite a lovely day's walking today, fewer people and more scenery. And mud. The canal still featured although I did leave it behind occasionally, even so far as to go up and down hills. It wasn't so far out in the wilds for the ducks to not know about being fed though. This swan looked very interested when I stopped to take a picture as did the mallard with her tiny ducklings, until they realised no food was forthcoming!

What no food?

I did see a house where the owners had worked out how to deter burglars and squirrels. And possibly small children, that would be a bonus.

Take a close look at the front lawn

Of course, you don't need a house to be house proud :-)

The bare necessities

After much following of the canal, the path finally went 'inland' and uphill (shock!) through Park Wood, the beginning of which hosts Parkwood Farm kennels and a 'friendly' german shepherd roaming the grounds. It didn't bark so that counts as friendly to me. The woods were very pretty mostly due to the bluebells carpeting the place.

Bluebells

You do come across some funny things when you're walking. For example, a footpath marking the boundary between Hertfordshire and Middlesex. At some point, they thought it should be paved, but they never finished the job. The slabs that had been laid were taken up and all paving stones were left by the pathside to gather moss and lichen. You don't suppose it was one (or two) of those Finance Committee moments where they said "Are you sure [the other administration] is paying exactly half?". It amuses me that they took up the ones that were already laid!

Exhibit A - abandoned slabs

There was lots of scenery and I did discover that Moor Park is very *nice*. Although I couldn't work out why the conservancy area seemed to be full of what looked like fairly new houses. Even the station has had a makeover. I'm almost looking forward to going back in the morning :-)

Grand Union Canal

 

Denham Quarry Lakes

 
 


Nice house but they have a buddha in the front garden