What to see along the Wendover Arm canal

The Wendover Arm canal branches off from the Grand Union Canal at the Tring summit, just before the first lock and heads on then for six and a half miles across the Chilterns to Wendover.

The level of the Tring summit is maintained by pumping water from the reservoirs into the Wendover Arm which then feeds the Grand Union.

Half a mile down the canal is the site of the Tring Canal Festival held here annually and then just on from there is Tringford pumping station.

The bund in the stop lock marked the end of the navigable canal, and the point where Phase 1 of the restoration began, of which a major landmark is the rebuilding of Little Tring Bridge. Beyond the bridge, the newly built winding hole is situated.

The canal goes through the A41 by-pass diversion and into Aston Clinton, crossing below the original route of the A41 in the village. Carrying on from the A41 towards Wendover, we get to a beautiful part of the canal flowing through Green Park and leading on to the Rothschild Bridge, just before Halton.

After passing Halton, the canal winds it's way through the woods towards Perch Bridge and The Wides, which are an area of grass and shrubs that used to be an open area of water with a tiny island on the far side. Trees have invaded what was once open water and without management the canal would disappear in a few years. The Wides will be an important area for preservation in the newly restored canal.

Once reaching Wendover the canal reaches the Wendover Basin. Twenty years ago this was an open expanse of water with just a fringe of reeds. The silting became so bad that grass is now growing and trees are colonising the new land. Channels are cut through the weed by a British Waterways workman to prevent stoppage of the water flow.

Finally we arrive at the spring at the begining of the canal.