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TRANQUIL ROSE Cruising Schedule & Route Guide 2017

Welcome to our 2017 Cruising Schedule

A warm welcome to old friends and new, as we look forward to our seventh year of operating TR (as Tranquil Rose is referred to by her friends), and the time has flown by. But TR has a longer tradition than those seven years, being purpose built as a hotelboat back in 1973, when she was based at Stoke-on-Trent. Over the years she has been lovingly looked after by her previous owners, and we hope we are carrying on with this tradition. Anyone who has owned a boat will know that they require ongoing works, and over the recent winter our works programme has included refurbishment of the shower, replacing the floor coverings throughout the saloon and cabins, and a major overhaul of our trusty 3 cylinder Lister engine, so we will start the 2017 in fine fettle. But of course, all this work is skin deep; the real TR is, and always has been, a homely, friendly and relaxing place to spend time with likeminded people. During our 2017 season we will be visiting the majority of the waterways in Southern ; the Thames, Lee and Stort, the Wey Navigation, and the Grand Union, Kennet & Avon and Regents , and for the first time in 10 years or more, we plan to visit the . Our trip along the will be a bit of an adventure for us all. This little used canal has a number of interesting challenges, including very low bridges (we may need to dismantle the cratch at the front of TR to get under them) and shallow pounds with the accompanying chance of running aground (nothing new there I hear you say!). But if you do not mind taking a step into the unknown, join us as we explore this “Site of Special and Scientific Interest” at the end of May and early June. There are plenty of cruises to choose from in this year’s schedule, but they all have one thing in common, a relaxing and friendly environment to enjoy our waterways. When explaining that he had never been in a boat before, Mole in ’s “” asked `Is it so nice as all that?’ The reply encompasses hotel boating completely: `Nice? It’s the ONLY thing,’ said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend; there is NOTHING -- absolute nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’ he went on dreamily: `messing – about – in -- boats; messing ----’ Admittedly the next paragraph talks about Rat, the boat, and a meeting with the riverbank, but perhaps we will gloss over that section! James and Sheelagh - Owners of Tranquil Rose TRANQUIL ROSE - 2017 HOLIDAY CRUISES

Cruise N’ts Start of Cruise End of Cruise no. Date Place Date Place 1 4 17th April - Walking Holiday 21st April - Walking Holiday 2 4 21st April Braunston - Walking Holiday 25th April Cosgrove - Walking Holiday 3 4 25th April Cosgrove - Walking Holiday 29th April Marsworth - Walking Holiday 4 7 30th April Marsworth 6th May Kings Cross 5 4 7th May Kings Cross 11th May Roydon 6 7 12th May Roydon 19th May 7 4 22nd May Rickmansworth 26th May 8 4 26th May Weybridge 30th May Private Charter 9 7 31st May Weybridge 7th June Weybridge via Basingstoke Canal 10 7 8th June Weybridge 15th June Hurley 11 7 16th June Hurley 23rd June Newbury 12 7 1st July Newbury 8th July Bath 13 7 9th July Bath 16th July Bradford on Avon via 14 7 17th July Bradford on Avon 24th July Bristol via Foxhangers 15 7 25th July Bristol 1st Aug 16 7 2nd Aug Devizes 9th Aug Reading 17 7 10th Aug Reading 17th Aug Henley via 18 7 18th Aug Henley 25th Aug Kingston 19 6 26th Aug Kingston 1st Sept Winkwell 20 6 2nd Sept Winkwell 8th Sept Stoke Bruerne 21 7 10th Sept Stoke Bruerne 17th Sept Rickmansworth 22 5 17th Sept Rickmansworth 22nd Sept 23 5 24th Sept Guildford 29th Sept 24 7 30th Sept Teddington - Walking Holiday 7th Oct Reading - Walking Holiday 25 7 7th Oct Reading - Walking Holiday 14th Oct Teddington - Walking Holiday

Short descriptions of all these routes are given on the following pages Crusing Holidays - price per guest

4 nights 5 nights 6 nights 7 nights Single Cabin £520 £620 £720 £785 Premium Single Cabin £765 £875 £995 £1090 Double/Twin Cabin £545 £650 £750 £810

Walking Holidays - price per guest

3 nights 5 nights 6 nights 7 nights Single Cabin £430 £660 Premium Single Cabin £615 £935 Double/Twin Cabin £455 £680 Walking Holidays 17th to 29th April and 30th September to 14th October In 2017 we have two walking “seasons”; one during the last two of weeks of April, and the second during the first couple of weeks in October. As usual, the concept is simple; we will provide your accommodation and meals throughout your stay, (mooring at different locations each afternoon), and you will be free to walk as much or little as you would like, safe in the knowledge that you are never too far away from somewhere to rest and put your feet up. If you stick to the the mileage will be as indicated, but there are plenty of detours you can take to extend the distance if you are a hardier walker, just ask the crew who will be pleased to offer suggested changes to your route. Your day will start with a continental or cooked breakfast, whilst we prepare a pack lunch for your departure around 10am (after confirming our afternoon mooring location of course!) We have maps and guides to help you plan your day, but if you change your mind, just ring and we will arrange to meet you mid walk at a convenient location. Following your day’s exertions, a hot shower, freshly prepared three course evening meal, and large saloon with a warming stove and a fully licenced bar, will help you recharge your batteries for the following day.

Spring Walking Holidays 17th to 29th April Cruise No.1 Warwick to Braunston - Grand walk 17th April to 21st April - 4 nights, 6 to 8 miles per day The first of our walking holidays starts at the wonderful town of Warwick, with its magnificent castle, well worth a day visit before you join us if you have the time. Our route initially takes us across the Avon and through . If you would like to follow a different route, you could follow a section of the () beside the River Avon, and rejoin the Grand Union as we leave Leamington Spa. We are now in the countryside as we pass under two historic roads - the drovers’ Welsh Road and the Romans’ , on our way to the Stockton flight of eight locks. Continuing on to Napton Junction we join the for almost five miles, still surrounded by lovely countryside. Finally, we will arrive at the Braunston Turn, within half a mile our moorings at Braunston. The village of Braunston is at the top of the hill above the canal, but it’s worth the climb to see its variety of period buildings.

Cruise No.2 Braunston to Cosgrove - walk 21st April to 25th April – 4 nights, 8 miles per day Our second walking cruise starts from the bottom of the Braunston flight of six locks and an early morning transit through the 1867 metre Braunston Tunnel; either join us on board or start your trip by walking over the hill. At Norton Junction we turn south and descend the Buckby Flight, a series of seven locks over 1 ½ miles. At the second lock there is a great little canal craft shop located in one of the many canal side cottages; well worth a twenty-minute browse. Continuing south, we pass the village of Weedon with the canal on a high raised embankment. There is a great deal of interest in the village if you can make time to explore it. Continuing past the villages of Nether Heyford and Bugbrooke we reach our second tunnel at Blisworth. After travelling through the tunnel (again an 8am start), we will pass through Stoke Bruerne with its Canal Museum, down a flight of seven locks and on to our final mooring at Cosgrove. Cruise No.3 Cosgrove to Marsworth - Grand Union Canal walk 25th April to 29th April – 4 nights, 8 to 10 miles per day The last of our three Spring Walking Holidays starts in the small village of Cosgrove, a few miles to the north west of . As someone who had never visited Milton Keynes before I started my career with hotelboats, I have been pleasantly surprised how green and picturesque this section around Milton Keynes is. By the end of the first day we will begin to leave Milton Keynes, but there is the opportunity to take a break in your walking and visit Park, home to the WW2 code breakers. You can stay as long as you wish (you really need to be there for ½ day minimum to get the most from the experience), but when you are ready to return simply give us a ring and we can organise a taxi to pick you up and deliver you to Tranquil Rose. The GU now travels south through lovely rural countryside, briefly passing through Leighton Buzzard, and then out into the countryside again until we reach the pretty village of Marsworth and the end of our trip.

Cruising Holidays 30th April to 29th September Cruise No.4 Marsworth to Kings Cross Grand Union & Regents Canals 30th April to 6th May – 7 nights, 50 miles, 55 locks The first of our summer cruising holidays starts from the pretty village of Marsworth, just north of Tring. After an initial climb of 7 locks we reach the Tring Summit Level of the GU and begin our decent into at the wonderfully named Cowroast lock. The first half of this cruise is a lock wheelers paradise, and the numbers soon add up as we descend through with its high street buildings from many periods, that may have been saved by a recent bypass bringing a little sanity to the town. Within a few miles we travel through Hemel Hempstead and south under the M25 through to Rickmansworth. Below Rickmansworth we pass Black Jacks and Denham Deep locks, and finally at Bulls we turn off the main line onto the . Here we begin our journey into the heart of London via Little Venice. We are now nearing our final destination, but there is still time to pass Regents Park Zoo and Camden Lock before arriving at the the excellent London Canal Museum in Battlebridge Basin, Kings Cross.

Cruise No.5 Kings Cross to Roydon Marina Regents Canal & 7th to 11th May – 4 nights, 26 miles, 24 locks This cruise starts from the heart of London outside the London Canal Museum in Battlebridge Basin. If you are interested in the history of canals, this is the place for you! Our journey begins with the 877 metre Islington Tunnel before travelling through , past Victoria Park to stop for the night in Basin. This basin was once Britain’s gateway to the canal system from the . For the next couple of days, we will be travelling through the Lee Valley Regional Park, which was established by Act of Parliament in 1966 in response to an increasing scarcity of land available for recreation, sport and leisure for the people of London, and . The many to the east of the navigation also supply around 15% of London’s water. Our journey out of London takes us along the Limehouse to the River Lee at and continues past with hopefully a stop at the Queen Elizabeth 11 Olympic Park (the site of the 2012 Olympics), and on to Lock, the location for the filming of “the Big Breakfast” in 1992. The navigation continues through Enfield, Waltham and before reaching the entrance to the and a short journey to our finish in Roydon Marina. Cruise No.6 Roydon Marina to Rickmansworth Lee Navigation, Regents & Grand Union canals 12th to 19th May – 7 nights, 54 miles, 36 locks This cruise takes us on some pretty stretches of the Lee navigation, through the heart of London and out to the west where we join the Grand Union to our final destination at Rickmansworth. Starting at Roydon Marina on the River Stort, we soon join the River Lee and cruise past Broxbourne, and the many pretty reservoirs supplying 15% of London’s water. We will stop for the night at beside the River Thames before joining the Regent’s canal to cross London, through Islington, Kings Cross, Camden and Regent’s Park to an overnight mooring in Little Venice. On the way we hope to stop at the London Canal Museum and Camden Market, and pass “blow up bridge” with its interesting but unfortunate history. We travel west and meet the Grand Union at Bulls Bridge before turning north towards our destination, passing Cowley Peachey, Denham Deep lock, Black Jacks to finally finish at Rickmansworth.

Cruise No.7 Rickmansworth to Weybridge Grand Union & River Thames 22nd to 26th May – 4 nights, 32 miles, 22 locks Rickmansworth is a small town with a long canal history. If you have time before joining us, there is plenty to look at in the area. Once we leave Rickmansworth on Tranquil Rose, we begin by travelling down the valley of the River Colne. The locks down this stretch have stories to tell; Black Jack’s, Widewater and Denham Lock which is the deepest on the Grand Union canal. Continuing south we pass the junction with the Paddington Arm at Bulls Bridge, and travel down the eight locks of the flight towards and the River Thames. (If you need any exercise, please feel free to join in with the lock wheeling, the crew are not too proud to accept your help!). At Brentford, having confirmed the local high times, we head upstream to the limit of the tidal Thames at Teddington. From Teddington we have a short journey past Hampton Court to our destination at Weybridge. Keep a look out for Laura Croft, Shrek, a sinister man in black (not sure who he is), an alligator, fox and 8’ topiary head in the gardens we pass on the way!

Cruise No. 8. Private charter on the Wey Navigation 26th May to 30th May - 4 nights, 46 miles, 32 locks

Cruise No. 9. A round trip from Weybridge and back via the Basingstoke Canal Wey Navigation & Basingstoke Canal 31st May to 7th June - 7 nights, 40 miles, 66 locks As mentioned on the first page of this schedule, this is our trip into the unknown – well, unknown for us! If you would like a bit of adventure, and enjoy lovely countryside and plenty of locks, this is for you. Starting and finishing at Weybridge, we have a short length of the Wey Navigation to negotiate before we join the Basingstoke at Woodham. We immediately begin our climb past a secluded world that has existed here for many years, towards Woking where the last commercial consignment of timber was loaded in 1949. After a short flight of 4 locks followed by 3 locks at Brookwood, we will prepare ourselves for the 14 locks of the Deepcut or Frimley flight. At the top of the 28 mtr climb, we enter the 914 mtr Deepcut cutting, lined with large mature trees and pleasantly shaded and remote. Continuing south past the Canal Authority Offices we will reach Ash Wharf Bridge, which may well be the extent of our journey along the Basingstoke Canal. If we have made it that far, it will be time to turn and run back downhill to the relative “safety” of the Wey Navigation and our finish at Weybridge. If all else fails, we will have a great week on the Wey Navigation instead!

Cruise No.10 Weybridge to Hurley River Thames 8th to 15th June - 7 nights, 46 miles, 18 locks This cruise could be our “Royal Tour” as we pass many places with royal connections. With a bit of luck, we will be able to stop in many of these locations to allow you to soak up the atmosphere. Initially we will travel downstream to where we will stop for a while to allow our guests to walk around the gardens and take in this magnificent 16th Century royal palace. Turning upstream we pass , home to the Magna Carter memorial and then vast royal parks announce our arrival at Windsor with its fine castle. On leaving our mooring in Windsor, we continue upstream past and the famous Boulter’s Lock before entering the lovely wooded stretch of Reach. We arrive at , where if time is available you can visit the Art Gallery if you wish. Continuing along this attractive river, we pass through Marlow with its fine suspension bridge, and many splendid (and expensive!) riverside properties. Our final destination of Hurley is just around the corner and is a pretty little village to explore on your last afternoon with us.

Cruise No.11 Hurley to Newbury River Thames and Kennet & Avon Canal 16th June to 23rd June - 7 nights, 55 miles, 34 locks This fine cruise offers a combination of the ever-popular River Thames with the peace and tranquillity of the Kennet & Avon canal. From Hurley we make the short journey to Henley where we will stop to allow our guests to explore this lovely town with its River Thames & Museum. Continuing upstream we pass , and after travelling through Reading, and we will reach Goring where we will overnight before returning downstream to the junction with the Kennet & Avon at Reading. After passing through the centre of Reading via a traffic light controlled section of the waterway, the navigation through lovely water meadows, passing through quaint old turf sided locks and many swing bridges. Highlights of this section of canal include Aldermaston with its large lift bridge and unusual scalloped sided lock. Occasional locks and water meadows then take us through open countryside to the bustling of Newbury. This is truly a cruise of pleasant contrasts, on two very different waterways.

Cruise No.12 Newbury to Bath Kennet & Avon Canal 1st to 8th July - 7 nights, 54 miles, 71 locks This cruise takes us from the valley of the to the lovely Avon valley. Our gradual climb starts past the picturesque village of and then to sleepy Hungerford, known for its many antique shops. We continue to ascend, passing Crofton pump house as a flight of locks take us to the summit of the canal. A short tunnel at Savernake and a gentle flight of locks takes us “downhill” to the quaint little village of Wootton Rivers. The canal now winds its way across open countryside to Devizes, with its canal centre and theatre. On leaving Devizes, we tackle the incredible Caen Hill flight of 29 locks, one of the seven wonders of the waterways. Back on the level again, we pass through Seend and before arriving at Bradford on Avon. This town really exudes a charming atmosphere of a past age. We are now in the picturesque valley of the River Avon, which we cross twice on great stone aqueducts, still bearing masons’ marks in the golden . We pass Claverton with its water wheel pump and Bathampton, before getting our first panoramic views across the fine Roman city of Bath.

Cruise No.13 Bath to Bradford-on-Avon via Bristol Kennet & Avon Canal and River Avon 9th to 16th July – 7 nights, 43 miles, 29 locks The highlights of this cruise are almost too many to mention, but with historic locations like Bath, Bradford on Avon and Bristol you may be spoilt for choice. We leave Bath by descending a pretty flight of locks (including Bath Deep lock, not surprisingly the deepest on the K&A) to join and cruise downstream on the River Avon. The river meanders through a wooded valley past Saltford and Keynsham before we arrive in Bristol and its floating harbour. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the many delights of this famous city, including Brunel’s iron steamship - the . After an overnight stay we head back upstream to Bath, and re-join the Kennet & Avon canal, continuing to cruise the Avon valley at a higher level. As we leave Bath through the charming Sydney Gardens look out for glimpses of the crescents of grand houses, all constructed from local sandstone. The scenery is marvellous as the canal clings to the side of the valley, crossing it on great stone aqueducts at Dundas and later, Avoncliff. These are worthy of a closer look, as they still show many original masons’ marks in the stone. Finally, we reach our mooring in Bradford on Avon, with its huge old tithe barn and wonderful local shops.

Cruise No.14 Bradford-on-Avon to Bristol via Foxhangers Kennet & Avon Canal and River Avon 17th to 24th July – 7 nights, 44 miles, 29 Locks, 2 aqueducts This cruise initially takes an easterly course, passing through Semington and Seend to the bottom of the Caen Hill Flight at Foxhangers. Here we turn and retrace our steps back through Bradford on Avon and along the lovely valley of the River Avon. We cross the river twice on great stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas, and pass Claverton with its water wheel pump, as we approach Bathampton followed by our first glimpse of Bath with panoramic views across this fine Roman city. We travel through Bath by descending an interesting flight of locks to join and cruise gently downstream on the River Avon. The river meanders through the wooded Avon valley past Saltford and Keynsham before arriving in Bristol. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the many delights of this famous city, including Brunel’s iron steamship the SS Great Britain, with perhaps a visit to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Cruise No.15 Bristol to Devizes River Avon and Kennet & Avon Canal 25th July to 1st August – 7 nights, 38 miles, 51 locks, 2 aqueducts If you have not visited Bristol before, take this opportunity to arrive early and enjoy the many delights of this famous city, including Brunel’s iron steamship, the SS Great Britain. After our initial cruise through Bristol’s floating harbour we sample the remote pleasures of the River Avon, most of it set in an impressively wooded valley, before passing Keynsham and Saltford to arrive in Bath. An interesting and winding set of locks takes us onto the Kennet & Avon Canal, and we continue to cruise along the side of the Avon valley at a higher level. We leave Bath catching glimpses of the magnificent crescents of grand houses, all constructed from local Bath Stone. The scenery is amaising as the canal clings to the side of the valley, crossing it on great stone aqueducts at Dundas and then Avoncliff. We soon approach our mooring in Bradford on Avon, with a little time to visit its huge old tithe barn and wonderful local shops. We will journey on through isolated locks and rolling countryside past Semington and Seend, and then prepare for the incredible Caen Hill flight up to Devizes. It’s all hands to the pumps (or windlasses) as we tackle the 29 locks to the summit and moor for the end of our adventure in Devizes.

Cruise No.16 Devizes to Reading Kennet & Avon Canal 2nd to 9th August – 7 nights, 52 miles, 57 locks This cruise offers a fine contrast between the pretty Kennet & Avon canal and the winding River Kennet at the easterly end of our trip into Reading. We leave Devizes and cruise 13 lock free miles, meandering our way to Wootton Rivers before the final three locks to the summit of the K&A at the 459 mtr . Descending the Crofton flight past the massive pumping house, we continue “downhill” through Great and Little Bedwyn to the little town of Hungerford, famous for its antique shops. Beyond Hungerford we are immediately in open countryside as the canal takes us past Kintbury, through parkland to the market town of Newbury. From here we are back travelling through open countryside again, past and then Monkey lock, one of the last turf sided locks on the K&A and listed as an Ancient Monument by . Continuing eastwards, we pass Aldermaston, through wooded fields and a winding River Kennet towards our final descent in Reading.

Cruise No.17 Reading to Oxford and return to Henley River Thames 10th to 17th August - 7 nights, 64 miles, 24 locks This gentle cruise features the middle Thames and is always popular with guests. On leaving our mooring in Reading we head west through Mapledurham and Pangbourne towards Goring. Lovely riverside properties come thick and fast as we continue through Wallingford, and skirt Dorchester to reach Abingdon. Oxford is a short hop from Abingdon, and we hope to stop for half a day so that you can get a glimpse of this university town. Retracing our steps, we head back downstream, stopping at Abingdon to visit this busy 18th century market town with its Market Place museum, early 19th century goal, St Helens church and the Long Alley Almshouses built in 1446. We continue downstream through open countryside back towards busy Reading and the junction with the Kennett & Avon canal which takes boaters through to Bath and Bristol – but that’s for another boating holiday. Our last few miles take us to Sonning, past and finally into Henley where we will moor on the last afternoon, allowing time to visit this great town with its informative .

Cruise No.18 Henley to Kingston River Thames 18th to 25th August - 7 nights, 43 miles, 16 locks This cruise includes some of the finer parts of the River Thames, and we should have time to stop and explore some of the royal connections with the river. We start our journey heading down river from Henley, through green open parkland to Lock, which is beautifully situated alongside a fine weather-boarded mill. The river meanders past thickly wooded islands and through Hurley and Marlow, where the river is crossed by an elegant suspension bridge. Beech woods followed by picturesque countryside brings us to Cookham, and the home of the Stanley Spencer art museum which we hope to have time to visit. After Cookham we travel through Cliveden Reach, a long deep wooded valley (and home to the famous Profumo Affair) before arriving at Boulter’s Lock, popular in Edwardian boating circles. After marvelling at Brunel’s railway bridge at Maidenhead, we arrive at Windsor with its castle and Home Park, both of which are best seen from the river. Passing Runnymede, with more royal connections as the location for the signing of the Magna Carter, the river continues to wind its way past Staines, and Weybridge to lock. On the last morning we will pause at Hampton Court for you to sample the palace or gardens before finally arriving at our destination in Kingston.

Cruise No.19 Kingston to Winkwell River Thames and Grand Union Canal 26th August to 1st September – 6 nights, 51 miles, 47 locks Our exact schedule on this cruise will depend on the tide times at Teddington, but we will start by travelling upstream past Hampton Court to Weybridge. This will give a flavour of the lower Thames before we turn back downstream, enter the tidal Thames at Teddington and finally leave the river at Brentford to begin our northerly route up the Grand Union Canal. From Brentford we ascend the Hanwell flight with its interesting water saving side pounds, and through to Bulls Bridge, once the main layby for working boats awaiting orders from Brentford or Limehouse to be taken to the . From here we continue climbing the Colne Valley through Denham Deep, Black Jacks and finally Iron Bridge lock in the beautiful Cassiobury Park, 190 acres of green parkland close to Watford. A mad day and a half will take us through 17 more locks (all uphill I’m afraid) and through Hemel Hempstead to Winkwell on the outskirts of Hemel, and conveniently only a five-minute taxi ride from the mainline station.

Cruise No.20 Winkwell to Stoke Bruerne Grand Union Canal 2nd to 8th September – 6 nights, 41 miles, 47 locks Another cruise on the southern Grand Union that has locks, towns and open spaces in abundance. Fifteen locks will take us through Berkhamsted (a surprisingly interesting town from my Southeast London viewpoint) to the Tring summit between Cowroast and the top of the Marsworth flight of locks. Keep your eyes peeled as there are often Kingfishers to be seen on this stretch. As we descend the Marsworth flight we skirt the Marsworth , built as storage for water to be pumped via the Arm back to the Grand Union at the Tring summit. Continuing downhill, we pass though beautiful open countryside, yet more locks, and finally approach Milton Keynes. If you have always wondered about visiting Bletchley Park, home to the WW2 codebreakers, this would be a great opportunity to do so. Spend half to one day at this brilliant exhibition, or remain on board as we circle Milton Keynes past the old villages of Simpson and Great Linford. Beyond the old railway town of we reach Cosgrove, which is a delightful place, with a secret horse tunnel under the canal and its ornate Solomon’s bridge. Finally, we will ascend a flight of locks to reach the canal village and museum of Stoke Bruerne. Cruise No. 21 Stoke Bruerne to Rickmansworth Grand Union Canal 10th to 17th September – 7 nights, 53 miles, 69 locks, 1 aqueduct For those of you who enjoy your canal history this trip is a must, as it features the Grand Union Canal, the last viable canal of the short canal age. To start your holiday, there is also an excellent museum at Stoke Bruerne, and you may want to arrive early and spend a couple of hours wondering around the exhibits. Leaving Stoke Bruerne we descend a short flight of locks before travelling through peaceful stretches of canal past Cosgrove with its horse tunnel under the canal and amazing iron trunk aqueduct, Milton Keynes (which is perhaps surprisingly rural), and then on to Soulbury and Leighton Buzzard. From here we commence a gradual climb up the northern slopes of the . We reach the Marsworth flight by climbing a winding flight of locks, with huge reservoirs feeding the Grand Union canal, until we reach the summit at Bulbourne. The heavily wooded Tring cutting takes us to the curiously-named Cowroast lock, and here we commence our long descent towards the capital. We pass through the many locks at Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead, and continue through the Colne valley to the delightful Cassiobury Park and finally our destination at Rickmansworth.

Cruise No.22 Rickmansworth to Guildford Grand Union Canal, River Thames and Wey Navigation 17th to 22nd September – 5 nights, 47 miles, 35 locks This varied cruise includes the lower part of the Grand Union canal, a little taster of the River Thames, and finishes on the pretty Wey Navigation, owned and managed by the National Trust. From our start following the course of the River Colne we head “downhill” through open countryside towards London. The first signs of urbanisation are in Uxbridge, but bypassing London we eventually descend through a flight of locks at Hanwell to join the River Thames at Brentford. From Brentford to Teddington we travel along the upper extent of the tidal Thames, passing , Richmond and on the way. From there it’s a short hop to Weybridge via the royal palace at Hampton Court. Leaving the Thames, we turn onto the charming Wey Navigation. Weybridge, with its grand houses and large gardens gives way to the imposing Coxes Mill, the sleepy hamlet of , and the lovely countryside and manicured golf courses close to the RHS gardens at Wisley. As we follow the twists and turns of the river, we ascend several pretty locks including an unusual turf sided lock at Walsham Gates, the deserted priory at Newark, and Papercourt lock, perhaps one of the best locks on the navigation. Finally, we will arrive at the busy market town of Guildford, and moor at Dapdune Wharf, once a bustling wharf and now a visitor centre for the National Trust.

Cruise No.23 Guildford to Teddington Wey Navigation and River Thames 24th to 29th September – 5 nights, 33 miles, 22 locks This cruise features the Wey Navigation, a little-travelled jewel of a waterway, which is in the ownership of the National Trust. Despite its closeness to London, this really is a picturesque and rural waterway that should be on everyone’s canal bucket list. Leaving Guildford, we start by traveling upstream to the limit of navigation at . Even this early in the cruise, we encounter lovely meadows, one of the main reasons the Wey Navigation was created in 1653. Turning at Godalming (the first town to have a central station providing public electricity in 1881) we begin our travel downstream back through the market town of Guildford and out into the open countryside once again. Continuing northwards we will pass the pretty locks of Triggs and Papercourt, before reaching Newark lock where the remains of the priory can be seen in the distance. Passing through Walsham gates, a rare turf sided lock, we enter the last 5 miles of cut before re-joining the Wey at Town lock on the outskirts of Weybridge and pass through Thames lock to join the Thames. From here it is a short journey, passing Hampton Court, before we arrive at our destination in Teddington.

Autumn Walking Holidays 30th September to 14th October Our two walking holidays in October are designed to allow guests to complete a good stretch of the in one week; covering the lower non tidal section of the Thames between Reading and Teddington. In 2018 we plan to also include the upper reaches between Reading and .

Cruise No. 24 Teddington to Reading – Thames Path walk 30th September to 7th October - 7 nights, 8 to 12 miles per day This cruise is ideal for those who would like to walk a reasonable chunk of the Thames Path, and takes us from Teddington to Reading, roughly mid-way to the extent of the navigable non-tidal River Thames at Lechlade. During this trip, most of our daily walks will be between 8 to 12 miles, although there may be one longer and one shorter day. This will allow us to moor for the evening at places such as Staines, Windsor, Maidenhead, Marlow and Henley, allowing for a little site seeing along the way. If all our guests agreed, we could also allow ½ day for sightseeing at one of the many historic landmarks along this section of the Thames. Our journey upstream takes us almost immediately past the imposing Hampton Court, with further royal connections to be seen at Runnymede and Windsor. All along this route we will pass a variety of waterside homes, the majority (from my point of view) out of reach but great fun to look at and see “how the other half live”! Our walk continues past Cookham, Marlow, Henley and Sonning, hopefully resplendent in Autumn colours, before we reach our destination at Reading.

Cruise No. 25 Reading to Teddington – Thames Path walk 7th to 14th October - 7 nights, 8 to 12 miles per day Stating the obvious perhaps, but this is the reverse of cruise no.25 and finishes at the lower end of the non- tidal River Thames at Teddington. As with the previous holiday, most of our daily walks will be between 8 to 12 miles, although again there may be one longer and one shorter day. We will be mooring for the evening at locations including Henley, Marlow, Windsor and Hampton Court and if all our guests agree, we can allow ½ day for sightseeing at one of the many historic landmarks on this section of the Thames. Your walk will take you through or past Sonning, Marlow and Cookham, and as we approach Maidenhead, Cliveden Reach, which will be full of autumn colour at this time of year. Windsor needs little introduction and beyond we will pass Windsor Home Park, and continue towards Runnymede and Staines. Your last mornings walk will take you past Hampton Court Palace and through Kingston to our final mooring at Teddington.

For further information about Tranquil Rose Hotel Boat Holidays, to enquire about availability or to make a booking, please contact us:

17 Road South Holmwood RH5 4LB tel: 07966 248079 email: [email protected] www.tranquilrose.co.uk