General Cruising Information To see the Restoration Works: The Arm At the top of the flight ( 45) take the turn under the At the end of the navigation please do not climb or otherwise cross bridge into the Arm – signposted ‘Wendover 6¾miles’ From the entrance the fence beyond as this encloses the Trust’s work compound and bridge at Bulbourne, the Wendover Arm is easily navigable for 1½ there is no footpath through it. miles to beyond Little Bridge (Bridge No.3), where the Trust has built a full-size winding hole as part of the restoration. Instead, if you want see the restoration work, or just walk the A feature of the Arm is its peaceful isolation. During spring and summer it is towards Wendover start from Little Tring Bridge, lined with reeds providing nesting sites for moorhens and coots and walk downhill to Little Tring (beware of traffic – no footpath) to the forms a cruiseway similar in character to the upper reaches of a river. bottom of the hill. Take the footpath on the right, this goes behind There are NO services of any kind – that means no water, fuel, or sanitary the hedge bounding the road to the next gate to the road. Cross the facilities; there are no pubs, shops and only a few houses near the road go up the cart track, sign-posted as a public footpath. 50 yards canal at Heygates Mill and at Little Tring. If you need water and up the lane a gate on the right gives access to the towpath of refreshments there is a water point (and winding hole) a quarter-mile the un-restored Arm. The restoration work is continuing less than ½ away on the main line in the Brentford direction just beyond the Icknield mile ahead, and is easily viewed from the towpath. Check for working Way Bridge (Bridge No.133); The Grand Junction Arms is by the bridge. party dates at www.wendoverarmtrust/restoration. Just a few yards from the Wendover Arm turn is a picnic site with tables An alternative that avoids the road is to go to Bridge No.4 across the and seats. fields. From Little Tring Bridge take the offside of the canal, go down The Arm is narrow and whilst it is possible to take a wide-beam boat up it, this is the steps at the bridge and follow the path alongside the canal. At the not recommended as there few places where a and a wide-beam winding hole bear left for 150 yards, then at the boundary hedge of boat can pass comfortably. Most of the Arm to Tringford Pumping Station has the field turn right and follow the footpath for 400 yards to Bridge 4. slope-sided banks and a narrow central channel; it can be quite shallow in the At the time of publishing this issue of the guide the restoration had centre, particularly if the summit level is down. Stay mid-channel, especially if reached Bridge No.4 and as time passes, you will need to turn right your boat is deep-draughted. at the bridge to view the restoration works. Cruising time from Bulbourne to the winding hole is typically 30 to 50 minutes, depending on conditions. If the pumps at Tringford Pumping The Wendover Arm Trust Station are running and feeding water into the Arm a definite flow of CRUISING GUIDE water can be noticed, this can slow your progress towards Little Tring – The Trust was formed in 1989 as a registered charity to promote the return journey can be somewhat quicker. and implement the restoration of the Wendover Arm Canal. The Trust is run by a dedicated team of volunteers and is a membership Apart from specific sites marked on the strip map overleaf as having hard organisation. There is no local or national government subsidy vertical edges you will probably need a gang plank to reach the towpath if and although the Canal & River Trust owns the canal, it is only you moor. The towpath is in good condition along the whole of the Arm. permitted by legal constraints to carry out essential maintenance to While moored please respect the peace and privacy of other boaters keep the towpath clear and to ensure the supply of water from Wend- and residents and do not run your engine or generator or play loud over reaches the Tring summit at Bulbourne Junction. All monies are music. If staying overnight (especially if downstream of the working raised through grants, donations and fund-raising activities. Pumping Station) check the water appearance in the morning, you will Visit our website www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk for more details. probably be able to see the bottom of the canal. A guide to the whole Arm, facilities and transport can be found in our leaflet: Introduction and Visitors Guide LEGEND Navigable canal A guide to the past, current and planned future restoration work can be found in our leaflet: Restoration – A Brief Guide. Dry canal Current restoration work is focussed on re-profiling and lining the Hard vertical edge to towpath dry section of the canal from to Little Tring. Towpath Front cover pictures: Public Footpath Top: Entrance to Arm at Marsworth top lock and signpost, ‘Wendover 6¾ miles’ Bottom: The Trust’s ultimate objective – Wendover Wharf and a fully restored navigation Direction of water flow Wendover Arm Trust Lock Copyright ©The Wendover Arm Trust 2014. Registered Charity Number 801190 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1WA Bridge 0719 i2

CRUISING – POINTS OF INTEREST At the top of the Marsworth flight, opposite the entrance to the Arm, is a working dry dock. This was the original canal lock and is alongside the wide lock (No. 45) built as part of the extensive refurbishment of the Grand Union in the 1930s. The towpath bridge over the entrance to the Arm (bridge No.1) is a flat replacement of a traditional humpbacked bridge. The bridge has to be strong enough to carry motorised vehicles as it is the only access to the toll house at the junction; the house displays the characteristics of a typical combined office and dwelling, including bay windows to look for incoming boat traffic and an original ticket window inside the house where tolls would be charged.

The current limit of the Little Tring Bridge (no.3) is soon Tringford Pumping Station on the Quieter moorings are to be Mooring is possible On the offside just before On the offside a concrete navigation features an reached. Completely rebuilt in towpath side still supplies water to found a couple of hundred opposite the mill with bridge no.2 is the outfall of spillway carries any 86ft winding hole to concrete and opened in 2001, the the Arm. It is reputed to be haunted! yards further up near the end deep water close to the Tring sewage works. The excess water from the allow full-length boats to bridge is faced in traditional canal Originally operated by a Boulton houses on the offside. Please bank but overnight stays effluent is of good quality Arm to the main line of turn for the journey back style with attractive hand-made and Watt beam engine, the engine respect the privacy and peace are not recommended and contains nutrients that the Grand Union below to Bulbourne bricks. The rubbing strakes on the house was demolished after diesel- of the householders there. owing to the incessant attract fish, particularly the top lock. brick abutments are copies of the electric pumps were installed in 1911. noise of the milling roach, tench and bream, and ones on the original hump-backed The present building, externally machinery. is a favourite spot for anglers bridge. Look for the construction unremarkable is impressive inside; from our local Society, The record dates that were cast into the it extends to a depth of some 20 Tring Anglers. concrete walls. The Arm continues metres underground and the pumps for a few yards with a narrow it contains manage all the water profile to permit the addition of a from Wendover, distributing it to swing, lift or other the main line via the Arm and to the accommodation bridge for livestock, reservoirs through a series of tunnels. Braunston Footpath to should this be required. From If the pumps are delivering water to towpath Bridge no.3 to the winding hole the Arm there is a strong cross-flow beyond there are good moorings on the from the outlet under the towpath. navigation towpath side. No mooring is limit The Pumping Station is only open allowed on the offside to the public on special occasions.

2300 yards Marsworth Gamnel Bridge Little Tring top lock (No.2) 1050 yards (No.45) 2640 yards Bridge (No.3) 2100 yards 1300 yards 150 yards 1400 yards

2200 yards 1170 yards 60 yards Current limit of Bulbourne The Arm then continues in 1140 yards navigation and 1495 yards junction. winding hole rural isolation with fields on both sides and the banks lined with aquatic plants; on Immediately after the Pumping the offside adjoining the Immediately after Gamnel Station are the remains of the feeder is the site where the A small feeder stream enters Bridge is the original site stop-lock, installed to prevent Tring Canal Festivals were the Arm just after the last of Bushell’s boatyard In New Mill the towpath Within yards the Arm the backflow of water from successfully held from 1990 house on the offside. Before where the wide-beam changes sides at Gamnel bends to the right and Footpath across the main line into the leaky to 2009. To boaters these the Arm was restored boat Progress was built. Bridge (No.2). If you with the junction out of fields to bridge 4 section of the Arm to maintain events were known as the beyond Tringford pumping The site is now a car are walking the sight all connection with the depth of water in the Wendover Arm Festivals but station the mouth of the park for the flour milling towpath you must the hustle and bustle of summit level. From this for the local, non-boating, feeder stream was the wind- company Heygates. We cross the bridge, there the main line and the Brentford point the Arm has been inhabitants they were called ing hole for any boat longer recommend you steer is no path under it. lock-flight appears to be restored to a good navigable Tring Canal Festivals. Much of than 20ft; it is said that you your boat well towards WARNING – beware lost. Mooring close depth by the Wendover Arm the funding of and publicity could wind a 45-footer the towpath side to of traffic there is no against the towpath is Trust; the stop-lock is now for the restoration work came here but much over 35ft avoid a shallow under- footpath and visibility possible for the first permanently open. from these Festivals. was a challenge! water concrete ledge. for vehicles is poor. thirty yards