Sunday, January 14, 2018

Uxbridge to Moor Park


I tackled two more segments of the LOOP yesterday, walking about ten miles from Uxbridge to Moor Park in Northwest London. (I did this partly to take my mind off my dentistry -- as I told a friend, "Hopefully achy legs and back will distract from achy tooth!")

Above is Uxbridge Lock, near the beginning of my walk along the Grand Union Canal. The locks allow for changes in elevation along the canal's route.


In Uxbridge, before I started, I came across this incredibly groovy utility box. If only they all looked like this, rather than just olive drab!


The first half of the walk followed the canal. The map called it the "bluest" section of the LOOP, because of all the water -- but there was nothing particularly blue about it yesterday. I enjoyed looking at all the boats, as usual, with names like Firefly, Tiger and Hedgehog, and this apparently nameless craft with a Snoopy theme.


Next to one boat, someone had set out what looked like a tea party for weathered stuffed animals.


And as a Florida boy, I had to appreciate this house, with its big fake gator sitting on the canal bank. (There's a disembodied mannequin arm lying next to the gator's mouth --  someone has a sense of humor.)


Just before I left the canal, I passed these colorful flats near Harefield.

And then my route turned eastward and I found myself walking across farmland and through a conifer forest.


These two passed me along the way -- which surprised me a bit, because I walk pretty fast and usually I'm the one passing other people! Clearly they are seasoned trekkers. I loved their matching headgear.


I found this old U.S. Air Force truck in a horse pasture. The USAF used to have a base somewhere near Ruislip in West London, I believe, as well as other bases around England -- so who knows where it came from. It looked pretty old.


Here are the conifers in Bishop's Wood, near Moor Park. The pathway on this section of the walk was a nightmare -- very churned up and muddy. It bore the telltale imprint of horseshoes, but it seemed like it would have been treacherous going for a horse.

I stopped at a pub called Ye Olde Greene Manne for a hamburger and a pint of London Pride, before ending amid the well-groomed suburbia of Moor Park. And the walk did distract me from my tooth!

11 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Thanks for showing your regular visitors this section of The Loop. I think that Olga would have enjoyed participating in the weathered stuffed animals tea party. The last time I saw The Grand Union Canal I was at Watford Gap Services on the M1. The canal is 137 miles long with several connecting canals and it links Birmingham with London as I am sure you already knew.

Ms. Moon said...

Wow! That was quite a walk! And yes, thank you for the pictures, as YP said. The canals and their house boats continue to amuse and even astound me. I just can't imagine living in such a small space. It would appear that the people who do live on them have slightly different, uh, sensibilities!
As do the people who live in the gator on the lawn house. Obviously.
I hope your tooth gets some help soon!

ellen abbott said...

I think it's so cool that they have preserved these walking paths. so do the people who live on the canal in their boats have to pay some sort of rent? and to who? do they have permanent mooring spots or do they actually travel up and down the canal?

Marty said...

Fascinating. I had no idea of the canal and would love to see it. I've always been intrigued by the flat-bottomed house boats.
Funny - I went to high school for 1/2 year at the American school in Ruislip when my father was posted to London for a year.

Red said...

Interesting history on armed forces bases in England during the war. Countries had to have legal ownership of the land. The bases were set up very quickly and just as quickly they were torn down.

Sharon said...

Another great set of photos. I love the long boats, especially the ones with special paint jobs and the house with the gator out front is quite pretty. Those hats on the walkers are fun! I looked up the Ye Olde Green Manne pub to see what it looks like. I like it. It looks cozy and very English.

Anonymous said...

What a great walking path. Love what you saw there, and most especially the house with the gator and the disembodied mannequin arm. Hope your tooth is feeling better.

Catalyst said...

I would love to live on a houseboat and enjoy the canals. And, like Sharon, I looked up Ye Olde Green Manne. It looks very nice and now I'm hungry!

e said...

Wonderful photos. I wonder how many houseboats live along the canal...the gator made me laugh! Good luck with that tooth.

The Bug said...

Great photos! I need to figure out how to make a hat like the ones on your fellow travelers. Super cool!

jenny_o said...

I had no idea there were canals all over the place - and I like those hats.

Good luck at the dentist tomorrow (or is it "today" there already??)