From the Startop's Reservoir car park go left of the Bluebell Tea Room to the Grand Union Canal. Turn left on to the tow path and walk over Bridge 132. At the canal junction go left, signed ‘Aylesbury 6.25 miles’, on to the Aylesbury Arm. Keep on the tow path, passing six locks, until Bridge 2, known locally as Dixon’s Gap Bridge. Beyond the bridge go left to a footpath running half right across a field. Over a footbridge keep left in the next pasture and join a green lane into Wilstone village.
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Pass the war memorial, go left and continue down the main street. Beyond Chapel End Lane and just before the bend go right, through an iron kissing gate and over a stream. Shortly cross a gravel drive, then another footbridge and through a hand gate head diagonally across pasture to a gate. Cross the road, turn right and follow the path alongside the foot of the reservoir embankment. At a car park climb steps to Wilstone Reservoir embankment and go right.
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Crossing the bridge at the end of the embankment, the path moves into the tree belt along the west side of the reservoir. Keep straight on across a stream, and immediately veer right at a fork and cross pasture. This leads to a stile and a footbridge at the head of a reedy inlet. Continue ahead alongside a hedge, then go left to skirt two sides of a large field. Ahead is the embankment of the Wendover Arm Canal. Halfway towards it go left by a footpath post, then right to climb to the canal tow path.
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Here the canal is dry and its bed a muddy ditch but with some restoration under way. Follow the tow path as it winds along the 400ft (122m) contour until it curves sharply right. Here pass through a gate, go left to pass a second gate, then turn right on to a lane.
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Just before some cottages, signposted ‘Tringford Pumping Station’, go along a track. Go left at a signpost (on the right is the pumping station). Cross a stile and bear left on to a path beneath large horse chestnut trees to skirt the left side of Tringford Reservoir. Emerging from the trees and scrub, walk along the reservoir embankment to a road. Turn right and at the start of a lay-by car park, cross the road to go sharp left to a track which curves right and emerges from woodland on to the dam between Marsworth Reservoir on your right and Startop's End Reservoir to your left. At the canal turn left along the tow path. Where the canal bears right go straight on through a gate into Startop's End car park.
Among the many engineering challenges canal builders face they must ensure that enough water is available to replenish their locks many times a day. The Tring Summit of the Grand Junction (later Union) Canal had many locks up from the London direction and more down into the clay vales to the north... as it headed for Birmingham. They attempted to reduce the number of locks by making a cutting some 30 feet (10m) deep over the Tring Summit, a massive undertaking which took five years, but still each vessel took with it about 100,000 gallons of water. Often nearby streams and rivers were diverted into canals but this was an altogether different scale of demand. The solution was to build reservoirs to store water and then pump it to the canal as needed. The first, dug in 1802 after the canal had already opened, is part of the Wilstone Reservoir. Next came Marsworth Reservoir in 1806, Tringford in 1816 and Startop's End in 1817.The reservoirs and the canal were connected with each other by systems of paddles and steam pumps. This route passes a former steam-powered pumping station at Tringford. The Aylesbury and Wendover Arm: wet and dry The walk also follows two branch canals, one with water and one dry. The Aylesbury Arm is 6.25 miles (10.1km) long and joins the Grand Union at Marsworth. It was opened in 1815 and is remarkable for its narrow, 7ft (2.1m) locks. The other branch is the Wendover Arm whose dry bed the route follows. It opened somewhat earlier, in 1797, but never held water, literally or financially. The project had two objectives, one as a trade route and the more significant one to supply water to top up the Grand Junction Canal whose Marsworth Flight of eight locks consumed huge amounts of water. The reservoirs eventually solved the problem and the leaky Wendover Arm’s 6 miles (9.5km) fell into disuse, a stop lock being finally built at Little Tring in 1904. A murderous witch hunt at Wilstone The village is notorious for Hertfordshire’s last witch hunt. A so-called witch, Ruth Osborn, was murdered here in 1751. After the inquest, held in the Half Moon pub, Thomas Colley, a local chimney sweep and the ring leader, was hanged at Hertford. Later his body was hung in chains at nearby Gubblecote. Â
As Hertfordshire is so close to London, many of its towns have become commuter havens. St Albans, less than 19 miles (30km) from the capital, has retained its distinctive character, along with many historic remains.
From the Startop's Reservoir car park go left of the Bluebell Tea Room to the Grand Union Canal. Turn left on to the tow path and walk over Bridge 132. At the canal junction go left, signed ‘Aylesbury 6.25 miles’, on to the Aylesbury Arm. Keep on the tow path, passing six locks, until Bridge 2, known locally as Dixon’s Gap Bridge. Beyond the bridge go left to a footpath running half right across a field. Over a footbridge keep left in the next pasture and join a green lane into Wilstone village.
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Pass the war memorial, go left and continue down the main street. Beyond Chapel End Lane and just before the bend go right, through an iron kissing gate and over a stream. Shortly cross a gravel drive, then another footbridge and through a hand gate head diagonally across pasture to a gate. Cross the road, turn right and follow the path alongside the foot of the reservoir embankment. At a car park climb steps to Wilstone Reservoir embankment and go right.
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Crossing the bridge at the end of the embankment, the path moves into the tree belt along the west side of the reservoir. Keep straight on across a stream, and immediately veer right at a fork and cross pasture. This leads to a stile and a footbridge at the head of a reedy inlet. Continue ahead alongside a hedge, then go left to skirt two sides of a large field. Ahead is the embankment of the Wendover Arm Canal. Halfway towards it go left by a footpath post, then right to climb to the canal tow path.
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3 of 5
Here the canal is dry and its bed a muddy ditch but with some restoration under way. Follow the tow path as it winds along the 400ft (122m) contour until it curves sharply right. Here pass through a gate, go left to pass a second gate, then turn right on to a lane.
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Just before some cottages, signposted ‘Tringford Pumping Station’, go along a track. Go left at a signpost (on the right is the pumping station). Cross a stile and bear left on to a path beneath large horse chestnut trees to skirt the left side of Tringford Reservoir. Emerging from the trees and scrub, walk along the reservoir embankment to a road. Turn right and at the start of a lay-by car park, cross the road to go sharp left to a track which curves right and emerges from woodland on to the dam between Marsworth Reservoir on your right and Startop's End Reservoir to your left. At the canal turn left along the tow path. Where the canal bears right go straight on through a gate into Startop's End car park.
Among the many engineering challenges canal builders face they must ensure that enough water is available to replenish their locks many times a day. The Tring Summit of the Grand Junction (later Union) Canal had many locks up from the London direction and more down into the clay vales to the north... as it headed for Birmingham. They attempted to reduce the number of locks by making a cutting some 30 feet (10m) deep over the Tring Summit, a massive undertaking which took five years, but still each vessel took with it about 100,000 gallons of water. Often nearby streams and rivers were diverted into canals but this was an altogether different scale of demand. The solution was to build reservoirs to store water and then pump it to the canal as needed. The first, dug in 1802 after the canal had already opened, is part of the Wilstone Reservoir. Next came Marsworth Reservoir in 1806, Tringford in 1816 and Startop's End in 1817.The reservoirs and the canal were connected with each other by systems of paddles and steam pumps. This route passes a former steam-powered pumping station at Tringford. The Aylesbury and Wendover Arm: wet and dry The walk also follows two branch canals, one with water and one dry. The Aylesbury Arm is 6.25 miles (10.1km) long and joins the Grand Union at Marsworth. It was opened in 1815 and is remarkable for its narrow, 7ft (2.1m) locks. The other branch is the Wendover Arm whose dry bed the route follows. It opened somewhat earlier, in 1797, but never held water, literally or financially. The project had two objectives, one as a trade route and the more significant one to supply water to top up the Grand Junction Canal whose Marsworth Flight of eight locks consumed huge amounts of water. The reservoirs eventually solved the problem and the leaky Wendover Arm’s 6 miles (9.5km) fell into disuse, a stop lock being finally built at Little Tring in 1904. A murderous witch hunt at Wilstone The village is notorious for Hertfordshire’s last witch hunt. A so-called witch, Ruth Osborn, was murdered here in 1751. After the inquest, held in the Half Moon pub, Thomas Colley, a local chimney sweep and the ring leader, was hanged at Hertford. Later his body was hung in chains at nearby Gubblecote. Â
As Hertfordshire is so close to London, many of its towns have become commuter havens. St Albans, less than 19 miles (30km) from the capital, has retained its distinctive character, along with many historic remains.
