Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane – Short Sunday Stroll – 23.08.2009

The Grand Union Canal is 137 miles long and its end point is in Birmingham (not my endpoint today I hasten to add!) Part of the canal flows through Cassiobury Park. I have I have mentioned this in a previous blog when I visited the park (I walked round some of the River Gade instead)

So it was a nice Sunday morning stroll to Grove Mill from the Park. I have to admit that the canal has a different character from the River Lea – and some of this canal is much quieter and lonelier in places. Their did seem to be a lot of canal boats around – probably holiday traffic. Ironbridge Lock was quiet as yet –

From 2009 – 23.08.2009 – Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane

We walked up the next lock and I spotted the most disturbing warning sign – (not a normal no swimming) etc – warning of crocodiles! In a lock ! Thats Scary….

From 2009 – 23.08.2009 – Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane

The walk took us past yet another lock and past a water over flow – presumably to ensure that the canal does not flood. It was it this point I saw my first ever Canal boat traffic jam – they were all queuing to get into the lock and two managed to get in! (sadly my photo didn’t come out for this)

Tackling a small footbridge to the other side of the canal the canal bends slightly and the canal approaches Grove Mill Lane – as we went past the slightly abandoned (?) lock keepers cottage, and under the road bridge, you can see the Grove Mill across the way. I think it was a flour mill (someone can correct me if I am wrong on this one) but now is has been converted to flats…

From 2009 – 23.08.2009 – Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane

The Canal is much more laid back and does not seem to have much traffic at this point – is much wider possibly due to the mill being here and may have been widened at this point – there is a lot of bird life – well ducks anyway 🙂

As we walked on, we came to the Grove bridge which had been restored (full picture on the picasa site link at the bottom of the blog) as you looked across the canal a quite stunning view of The Grove as it is now known. This originally was the Earl Of Clarendon’s residence – now is it is just a hotel.

From 2009 – 23.08.2009 – Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane

Instead of crossing the Grove bridge we carried on to the next bridge – I don’t think it had a name, but it was quite small and it was very narrow – in fact it was quite old and have a feeling it was used when the horses used to pull the canal barges way back when! (how they went across who knows!)

It was then a short stroll to lock 74 or rather Lady Capels lock which was rather overcrowded in contrast to where we had just walked. Perhaps they were all just stuck…

From 2009 – 23.08.2009 – Ironbridge Lock – Lady Capels Lock & Grove Mill Lane

We then turned around past part of the canal we had just walked and cut across part of the Grove Trails – some I would like to walk at another time.

Here is My Walk in Photos

Hope you enjoy

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