Sunshine!

 Time to move on; we’d booked a passage with C&RT through the beleaguered Marsworth Top Lock for 10:30 yesterday.

 Minus 5.4 starts the day at 7am as I make a cuppa and George takes Molly out for her early morning walk

8:30 and we’re ready to move up to the water point and it’s so good to see the sun coming through to melt the frost.

  The gap in the towpath is a horse ramp, should a horse (possibly pulling a boat) fall into the canal the ramp will aid its safe retrieval.

Approaching the Grand Junction Bridge

… and the Ironworks

… the red Dogwood

(Cornus sanguinea) looks fantastic in the sunshine alongside the snowdrops.

Mythology and symbolism

The origin of the name comes from the smooth straight twigs, which were used to make butchers’ skewers. Skewers used to be called 'dags' or 'dogs', so the name means 'skewer wood’.

We arrived at the top of Marsworth Locks and waited for C&RT to arrive to operate the bottom gate but it took a phone call to remind them and another 40 minutes before we were able to make a start on the six locks. Fortunately for us we had help for the trip down 

 An hour or so later we’re safely moored up by the Tring Reservoirs in brilliant sunshine; my weather station was reading a fantastic 16 degrees on the roof!

I make no apologies for the pictures below!

At 5pm George took Molly for a walk whilst I started to prepare our evening meal and unbeknown to each other we took pictures of the magnificent sunset. George’s pictures taken from the top of the rise over the water and mine are from Still Rockin’ looking up over the rise.  I hope you enjoy them.

A superb day!