Thursday 10th June

We left our lovely overnight spot and motored on. This part of the Grand Union is supposedly the most ornamental as it goes through Grove Park, which was the home of the Earl of Clarendon and Cassiobury Park, the home of the Earl of Essex. Neither wanted the canal to go through their land but gave their permission on the premise that the canal would be “special” – oh and money changed hands too! The canal down to Rickmansworth was attractive but we were now in proper houseboat territory – not just canal boats. At Rickmansworth we went through Batchworth Lock where there is a canal centre. We stopped for water and found “The Little Union Canal” which is the UK’s only working model canal system – unfortunately it wasn’t working but it was very pretty. Further down the canal we came across a new Tesco store which had built its own moorings for shoppers! For once we didn’t stop!! Just before we stopped for the night we came across a flock of Canada Geese but there was a rogue inamongst them – was it a “Doose” or a “Guck”?