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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2880 |
10th July 2017 Mt. Biking: Pitstone to Aylesbury Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods with light shower. Max Speed: Distance Covered: Sunday 9th July – Travel – cloudy but hot. Great, quiet night up in the moors above Pickering, woke to lovely views of purple heather with just the sound of the babbling stream and the odd cyclists passing. After breakfast, we left and had a quick stop at the Lidl in Pickering, to get water as we are completely out and don’t seem to be able to find a tap!! At 17p for a litre and a half bottle we got a pack of 8 and that should see us home :) After checking our Inland waterways map I set the sat-nav for Mexborough on the Dearne and Dove canal and made it there in just over an hour including by-passing York. Sadly, the canal was right in middle of Rotherham and Sheffield. Really industrial and run down with nowhere to park. We were a bit worried about leaving the van in some of the available parking! We drove into ‘Magna’ a science park in what was an old steel works and there was a big Asian wedding going on with the beautiful bride having her picture taken in front of a big black Bentley, the groom didn’t look half as good! So, we didn’t get our bike ride along a canal today. We decided to head South. Mag had noticed that the Grand Union Canal runs near the M1 which was our route to Rob’s anyway. So, at the first services on the motorway, when we stopped for a sandwich, I found a place near Leighton Buzzard where we can hopefully bike into Aylesbury tomorrow. We just had to find somewhere to park. Mag drove the M1 which was a bit heavy with traffic bunched up by several sections of roadworks with 50 mph limits. As usual there were several Pratt’s who switch from lane to lane hoping a gain a few metres and failing most of the time to our amusement! Off the motorway at Milton Keynes, we soon find the canal and after crossing it a few times we find a nice little carpark right by the canal at Pitstone near Ivinghoe. There was another small camper from Norfolk there but after a chat they set off for home, so we tuck in at the end. There is a nice old bridge leading to a small marina with lots of narrowboats so after lasagne we had a walk up the canal. Mag chats to a couple of canal boaters who say that the section to Aylesbury is very nice so should be good tomorrow on the bikes even though the tow path looks narrow and bumpy! It is much hotter down South well over 20 degrees making it a little uncomfortable! Monday 10th July – Bike **** Pitstone to Aylesbury – three canals – sunny periods with light shower. Good night in our little canal side carpark on the Grand Union canal. It only got a little noisy with cars and trains as people started to head to work. After breakfast, Mag packed a picnic while I sorted the bikes and we left at 9.37 in sunny periods but thankfully nowhere near as hot as yesterday! There were loads of narrow boats moored along this section but as with a lot of canals sadly a lot of the boats had seen better days and were piled high with junk, it seems several men live alone on the boats and just collect unsightly rubbish on rusty, dirty boats:( We soon came to the Aylesbury Arm at Marsworth Junction, a six-and-a-half-mile section to the town. After passing a collection of smart waterside houses the canal narrowed and the locks were much smaller. There were several lovely brick built bridges over the canal. Top workmanship and a couple were being repaired, we couldn’t believe you can find a bricklayer today who can build such beautiful arches! There were a few boats going through the locks, some fisherman, the odd walker and mountain biker but generally they were an unfriendly bunch who found it hard to say good morning, not like up North when you spend ages chatting! We were lucky to see Red Kites again, such big birds, we wish we had more in Suffolk! Aylesbury sounds like a well healed old town a bit like Godalming down south but we were sadly disappointed :( As we neared the town the bridges had graffiti, an ugly new estate was being built and some horrid canal side apartments with no sign of anything nice around the corner. At Aylesbury Basin, there was a huge Waitrose with a nice looking new Uni. We biked towards the town bumping into Ronnie Barker, well a life size bronze statue at the first theatre he played in, so we stopped for a pic:) The centre was a traffic free zone which was pretty forgettable, we found a church but that was about it, back at the town square we found a seat for a cuppa from our flask and a biscuit. This happened to be right outside the County Court and a Barrister appeared with some Nar do wells he had probably got off as there were handshakes all round! Then the prison van turned up to drop the next lot off at court and we seemed to be surrounded by loads of unsavoury types so we quickly headed back to the safety of the canal! Mag nipped into Waitrose quickly and we fly back to Marsworth Junction as it had started to drizzle! Getting hungry we wanted somewhere nice for a picnic so turned right heading towards London past Tring Reservoirs - made to replenish the canal as every time a boat passes through a lock it uses 50,000 gallons of water! It seemed busy with people fishing or in boats or walking who found it difficult to even make eye contact so we were pleased to come to the Wendover Arm which was narrow and very quiet:) It is only navigable for a mile and a half and we find a bench near a bridge for our yummy beef sandwiches and a read. After a relaxing hour, we bike to the end and turn at the basin. At the bridge, we see a footpath taking us across country to the Tring Reservoirs, past a bird hide and men fly-fishing, seeing a kingfisher whizz past! Back at the Grand Union it doesn’t take long to get back to the van. Mag stops but I continue up to the swing bridge and back through the village. We then have great fun feeding a swan and her six young a variety of bread and frozen peas but they loved grass so I pulled loads off the bank and they loved it although the mother did hiss and bite my shoes several times! Then time for a well-deserved cuppa and cake as we had been out six and a half hours covering over 22 miles! Left over lasagne with spicy luncheon meat to buck it up made an interesting combination for tea! With the local resident boat owner turning up with beer and cider, plus youngsters in cars let’s hope it’s not party night! Photo Gallery here Tuesday 11th July – Travel in the rain :( Our second night by the canal is good but today’s forecast is bad and it proves right as the rain starts as we leave. We head to Windsor but driving in this country is crap, no road signs, or if there is they are covered in branches, road works and heavy traffic:( Arrive in Windsor and as usual no free or without height restriction parking, we will have to find somewhere way outside one day and bike in but not today as just passed through torrential downpour. We end up in a carpark at Runnymede right by the Thames at £1.50 an hour, one hour is plenty although I think we are the only ones to pay! Have a sandwich and cuppa, watching the naff paddle boats with four customers, and are amused by a large flock of Egyptian Geese with their dodgy pink legs. After our hour we head off toward Sayers Croft our destination for tomorrow, sadly ending up in Slough best avoided! We need somewhere to stay tonight and know there is a big carpark at Newlands Corner with a top view but it is tipping it down so doze in the van. With no signs of any restrictions we move to the end of the carpark and hope to stay the night! You can’t believe the number of crazy dog walkers, mountain bikers, football teams training are out in the torrential rain! Then twenty cars arrive. These Wally’s are apparently the Lowland Rescue team on some sort of hide and seek exercise, which mainly involves standing under umbrellas in their posh red coats while the leaders head off, perhaps the rest have to count to a thousand, say ready or not here we come and try to find them? Could have picked a better evening as its still tipping it down let’s hope they leave before it gets dark! A couple more campers have arrived so fingers crossed we will be OK here? Wednesday 12th July – Travel and visiting the family We woke to a bit of a miserable day but not as rainy as last night! We had breakfast and packed up to head for Cranleigh via the very scary roads through Shire to Ewhurst! Very narrow, dark with overhanging trees and steep banks on both sides. The traffic coming the other way never seem to hesitate and it is a real road jousting game!! We have been through Cranleigh lots of times but never spent time in the actual main street. We mooched around the charity shops looking for books and I got an Animal t shirt for 99p!! Bought some supplies from Sainsburys then headed for Sayers croft and parked up in the car park next to the new rock boulder climbing activity pieces which have just been delivered. Walked round to Rob and Hannah’s and Rob was on his lunch hour having a cuddle with Arlo. Had a good chat then he went back to work and when Arlo had had a good feed we took him off in his buggy for a grand tour of Ewhurst. Mag produced Bacon and Eggs for tea from our Sainsburys shop and we went for a walk in the grounds afterwards stopping to look at the new boulders which have been manoeuvred into position. It was great to see all the kids playing rounders, in the swimming pool and generally having a great time in the forest without a mobile phone in sight!!! Mag also spotted a fox – we haven’t seen one for ages!! Back to the van around 10 and straight to bed. Thursday 13th July Hannah brought Arlo over to us when she had fed him and then we entertained him so she could have a bit more sleep. Mid morning, after Arlo had had another feed we took Rob’s car and went into Cranleigh for a walk and to get a chicken for tea. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the visit with family and eating the roast chicken out in the garden. Went for a longer walk this evening through the forest and back through the village. This time we saw a fox and a deer. We were absolutely shattered and went back to the van at 9 and had an early night. Friday 14th July We spent the morning the same as yesterday, entertaining Arlo so Hannah could sleep and catch up with various bits and pieces. We took him up to the village shop and then back across the playing field. Rob came home for lunch and we had a good chat then he went back and we left to drive home. The M25 was a nightmare as there had been an accident which had closed the whole road on the other side but our side was held up for a lot of miles!! Got home around 5 and cleared the van and did the usual stuff we do when we get home and had Paella for tea. |
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