Walking & Cycling the Grand Union Canal Towpath
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ROAD Rickmansworthorth dates back to SaxonSa timesimes and withh itsts prominentp position at thet ORY A404, M25 Junc 18 Rickmansworth Park RECT Parsonage conflco uencee of the 3 rivrivers Chess,ess, GadeG & ColnColne. It grewgr w tot a sizeable townwn gainingg its Mal ver JMI School y roroyaloyal charterrter in 154242. a n W Rickmansworth Station Bal W ay k Rail and Metropolitan Line, dwi nd A412 Rec Thehe canalcananal wwas builtlt in 1797, and many busbusinesnessesesssees sprangsprpra up in the vicinityvicinnity includingin ton Gade tory Lane Road London Underground Rickmansworth Park ns Lane Ban Maple Cross PARK ROAD A412 ar ge E Walking & Cycling JMI School 5 paperp perr mmillsls and a bbrewery. Later camecame theth railwaya ayy tot WatfordWatfo builtilt byb Lordrd Ebury New B ay M25 Junc 17 A412 ROAD W route UXBRIDGE Lod Road Girton continues High Street iinn 186218662 becomingecomingmingng the EburyEb Way after the linelinne fi nalllylyy closed in 1981.1981 The state of Links on other PennsylvaniaP sylvaaniania USA is namedmed afterafteaft a famous formerr residentrresiden William Penn who lived in Dickin Wa side The Grand Union Canal A412 on Road Wen y sum BasingB Hoouse - now Threee RRiversver Museum. son Avenue Cassiobridge Way Stati Rickmansworth Malvern Way Lock No. 78 RiverColne The annualual Canal & Environmentviro me Festival in May promotedp by ThreeT ee Riversvers District Infant & Nursery School Winton Drive Towpath Halfords Three Rivers District t Council and Rickmansworth Waterways Trust bringsbrinnggs totogether thee localoca communitycomm nity and High A404 Ebury Road Council Offices oach Str tree canal folk in a showcase of old workingng boats aandanndd tradtraditionally paintednt canal wares,ware S eet thway Three Rivers together with a variety of environmentallytally friendlyrienendlyen y goods,go ideas,s, andnd eevents. from Rickmansworth to Watford Museum igh Croxley Green ton Drive Appr Bal H Win Nor dw Viaduct New ton Watersmeet WATFORD ins La St Joan of Arc Rickmansworth d Library / Theatre e ROA Win Marina D Ro The Grand Union Canal wends its way from Information RC School ne a WATFORD ROAD Lan Harvey Road ey Roa A412 d Bridge London to Birmingham through city, town and Primary School A412 169 Harv Bury Lane Saints Croxley Station RIVERSIDE DRIVE All Val oach A41 country. Improvements to the towpath between The Aquadrome Tal Metropolitan Line, amore 2 bot Road Croxley Hall London Underground ley Syc Appr Croxley Wood Wal Sycamore Road Station Watford and Rickmansworth provide a good, fl at Stocker’s Lake Bury Lake ss Hazelw Church Street Nor k Batchworth Lake Che folk Road er Drive surface for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users. ood Rd Riv leigh k Lane Frankland Road Oak ley Wal Enjoy the peace and tranquility of the canal or Val h Ski Waters The Bury St Mary’s dm Drive Canal Towpath al Bus use the route as a traffi c free journey to work Church ore Grand Union Can Beggars Street Way A404 Ebury Way anal away from busy roads. Between Leavesden and ane Church Long Valley Bridge Grand Union C Blackmoor L Bla oad Croxley Hall Wood 170 the Aquadrome in Rickmansworth it is about a 45 Recycling ckm t R Wood t Road The Ebu Croxley Hall rs Centre Common Moor wate o Canal ry Bye Asco Bridge W Farm or L minute easy bike ride over 5 miles of towpath. Centre ay Lock 79 Asco 175 ath Canal Towp Business Park ane nd Union Canal Bridge Stocker’s Gra Bridge ade There is so much to see and do along the way. Lock 82 174 173 River G The Aquadrome Batchworth Explore ancient woodland and roam between NCN Route 61 Lock 81 to Maple Cross, The Aquadromem lakes,, Bury andan Batchworthhworthworth jusjustju Canal Towp al Uxbridge, Grand Harefield Road LON Can the trees in Whippendell Wood. Take the kids to Union Canal south of RickmanworthRickmm Town were onnce gravegravelraveel Grand Union ers Lane DON nd Union Hatt joins River Thames pits that providedovividedidd roadstoneone for Wemmbleym ey Stadiumd al TowpathGra at Brentford Croxley Common Moor Gre Cassiobury Park and ride the minature railway or e Can enhill u ath Cre and the M1M and now proovide opporortunittyy foror a n Batchworth ROAD Can sce Sherfield Ave Thish LocLocalocal NatureNatu Reserveese provides a greatg habitathab ta nt variety of water basedb actiactivitiesctivities frfrom fifish shingngg to al get back to nature at the Aquadrome. foro meadmeadowland wildflfl owersowe and manymany birdsbird sailing or just walking and watchwatchingtching thee wildlife.wilddlife A4145 Stocker’s Lock incluc uding greenre woodpeckers.odppec . WalkingWal ng overo er thee For those wanting to explore further, walk or cycle This lockck withw itss picturesque Batchworth Lock Canal Centre Lot Mead como mon showshow how the dampd mpp moorlandmo providesrovvidd Lock 80 Croxley River Gade Croxley Common Moor habia tat for a varietyvararieetyty ofof insectininsectsts iincludinglud antsts whichwhic is through history looking for the clues of the old whitewhi cottage,cottag shares its The locksideck e Canal Centreentre givesgivves an insightins t into the pasasst Nature Reserve a sigs gn the landdha has nevernever been b ploughed.Theughed.Th banksnks t namenamam with the 16th century w when thee Rivervee Chess Lockk andd theth CanalCana LockLo here Site of Special Scientific Interest of thet e River GadeGaGad and the canal are home to a varietyva i Vie Vie railway line along the Ebury Way. Alternatively w farmfaar nearby used for fi lming escen ROAD was an importantmp a pointpo on thee LondonLonondon to BirminghamB rminghamm xley Ebury of wilw ldfowl and kingfi shersrs are a commonc mon sight. Cr follow the towpath south towards London and tv series Black Beauty. route with overnightov rniight refreshmentt facilitiesfaciacilit es for boatmenen Way Cro The old Coal Post London DON and their horses.seessC CanalC nal narrowboatsn s werewe e madem at thehe enhill Uxbridge or north towards Hemel Hempstead Boundary marker still stands Caxton Gre LON Walkers Boatyardarr nearby.arby. Way outside the Toll House where Moor Lane This guide will show you many places of interest tolls were levied on goods River Colne Crossing Holywell d going into London. Herts is Ebu m en route, as well as all the access points including ssing a and Middlesex wildlife Trust ry n Industrial Estate Old Way t l Batchworth Circular Walk or Cycle ’s Approach Cro e manages the Nature reserverve d links into West Watford and Rickmansworth town ra at Stocker’s Lake whichh is i r Lane lw From the Canalnal CentreC at Batchworthh thereer is a pleasant a home to a wide variety off y Cro centre. Leafl ets in this series covering the Ebury Industrial Estate Moo l xley shortsho circularr walk or cyclecyc of about 2miles2milles proceedingpr in View wildfowl or birds, insects e northrth up the towpathwpath to the EburyE Wayy Ramp just Dwigh Cax Way and cycling in Watford are also available and mammals. ton West Watford before LotLo Mead Lock.The ramp linkslin toto the Ebury WayWa t Road Wa y from local outlets. The Colne Valley Regional Park traffi c freeee route back southwardsstoR to RRickmansworth.mansworth. N A4145 Just over thehe ChessC Bridge thee circlecle iss ccompletedco by MOOR L Business Park EstablishedE ed in 1965, the park covers 43 square miles of ANE Ebu the short cut southsou on thee Riverer ChessChC towowpathwpath back to ry varied countrysidetryside on the edge of London stretching Way Holywell the Canal Centre at Batchworth.tchwororth t Road from Rickmansworthsworth downdo to Staines. It is a mosaic TOLPIT ANE JMI School A404 S LANE of farmland, woodlandodland and water with many hidden A4145 River Colne Dwigh The Withey Beds PITS L treasures ranging from popularpopu recreation areas such as Sandy Lodge Road, The Rookery, Rickmansworth Aquadromeuadrome and Black Park to tranquil Northwood Moor Park TOL & Northwood Oxhey, South Watford nature reserves such as Stockers Lake and Maple Lodge. © Crown copyright. All rights reserved 100019606 2007 Whatha links Weste Watford and the StarS Wars Episode 1!? Well,ll, iti was M25 Junc 19 Grand Union Canal London Underground this woodlandw nd that was used as thehe environmental backdrop foror the Track Canal Lock Fishing Dell Wood Chandler’s Cross Chandler’s Cross Towpath Station Public / Private (no through road for vehicles) the sacredac templee ruins in the foreststt ofo Naboo. Historically managged walking & cycling Lane The Towpath Mill River / Canal / Lake for timber,b fi rewood and game, the woodlandwoodland is a now a site of speecialcial Grove N Cycle Routes (traffic free) Street / Minor Road Car Park Watersports A permit is required to cycle on the towpath from Lane scientifi c interest.t During the hurricanen of 1987 and gales of 199090 mmore Cycle Route part of the Pub / Restaurant / than 2,50000 treest were blown down or damaged creating gladesdedes thatthahat British Waterways and is downloadable from: The Grand Union Canal Main Road Toilet School / College L National Cycle Network Refreshments ang are now thehee home of many butterfltterfl iesiie such as speckled wood,ood ringletr ngle ley www.waterscape.com/cycling/permit.html bur y La Rousebarn and holly blue.bl The wood is alsoa so homeh m to over 270 specieses ofo plants.ppla Cycle / Pedestrian Crossing Motorway Supermarket / Shop Children’s Play Area Fields ne or from British Waterways, Willow Grange Open Land The recentlyy improvedimpro path betweeneen the towpath and the woodwooo The Grove Church Road, Watford, Herts WD17 4QA Cycle Routes provides improvedroovo access for all includingclu the disableded andd cyclists. Previously goods from the Railway Cycle Shop Museum Towpath (signed on quiet road) Woodland The fi rst substantialbsst househouse on thee sitesit wwas thought to be Midlands had to travel south to Whippendell Wood Elizabethan.