Canal Arms in England - Wendover Arm of the Grand Unin Canal

The Wendover Canal Arm in The Chilterns - England.

Towpath, locks and bridges plus photos and information about the really beautiful Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal in England.

This Grand Union Canal Arm runs from Wendover to Bulbourne Junction and was originally designed as a feeder arm to provide scarce water for the main line canal system which was around 400 feet above the Thames at this point.

Commenced in 1793 the plans were soon altered as it was realised that the feeder arm could be made to be navigable at little extra cost. However not long after completion it was soon apparent that the Arm was leaking water and despite several fixes over the years the water loss soon became greater than the amount it was actually providing and it was eventually sealed off at the stop lock at Little Tring. Instead the water being provided by the various springs around Wendover was culverted and the canal arm remains dry between Little Tring Farm and a little before Drayton Beauchamp Bridge.

Little Grebe Moorhen Wendover Arm in Summertime Towpath on the Wendover Arm winter on the Wendover Arm
Litle Grebe Moorhen Summer Time on the Canal Canal's Towpath Winter on the Canal
Narrow channel on the Wendover Arm late Autumn on the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal heavy foliage on the Wendover Canal Arm Grand Union Canal - Wendover Arm lots of wildlife live on the Wendover Arm
heavy growth in the channel late Autumn Great trees on the Arm Wendover Arm near Halton Charging canal ducks

From Drayton Beauchamp Bridge on into Wendover the Arm is quite shallow, heavily silted and full of undergrowth with gorgeous trees bordering it's sides for much of the way however it is still wet and therefore a haven for wildlife. The towpath is in excellent condition for walkers and for cycling and there are a considerable amount of paths linking onto the towpath which makes for some really good circular hiking trips.

Bulbourne Drydock Bulbourne Junction Bridge Start of the Wendover Arm Canal Sluice Gamnel Bridge
Bulbourne Drydock Bulbourne Junction Bridge Start of the Wendover Arm Sluice Gamnel Bridge
Wendover Arm - Gamnel Bridge Mill Buildings on the Wendover Canal Tringford Pumping Station Stop Lock remains all that remains of the Stop Lock
Gamnel Bridge Mill - still in use Tringford Pumping Station Stop Lock remains Stop Lock remains

Reservoirs and the leaky Canal Arm. Between 1806 and 1817 Marsworth, Tringford and Startop reservoirs were added to help provide a water supply for the main line and the water was pumped through via the Tringford Pumping Station which is still there - it's located close to Little Tring Bridge (see above photo). There are two other reservoirs helping to provide much needed water to the Grand Union which were added onto the supply system a few years later. These reservoirs are Startop's End and the 70 acre Weston Turville Reservoir - the latter has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Little Tring Bridge no.3 longdesc= Excellent restoration on the bridge so it looks exactly as an old original Brindley bridge Restoring the Wendover Arm Canal Restoration on the Wendover Arm Pat Saunders footbridge no.4 The remains of the pump station on the Wendover Canal Arm
Little Tring Bridge no.3 Canal Restoration Canal Restoration Pat Saunders Bridge no.4 Site of Pump Station
Chiltern footbridge 4a Drayton Beauchamp Bridge 5 Drayton Beauchamp Church of St Mary One end of the old canal route Saxon Way Bridge
Chiltern Bridge no.4a Drayton Beauchamp Bridge no.5 Drayton Beauchamp Church Old Canal Route Saxon Way Bridge
Saxon Way Bridge Other end of the original canal route Buckland Wharf footbridge footbridge at Buckland Wharf A41 culvert
Saxon Way Bridge Old Canal Route Buckland Wharf footbridge Buckland Wharf footbridge A41 Culvert
Wellonhead Bridge Wendover Arm - Wellonhead Bridge The Narrows. Harelane Bridge Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal - Harelane Bridge
Wellonhead Bridge Wellonhead Bridge The Narrows Harelane Bridge Harelane Bridge

The entire Wendover Arm is full of wildlife however as you pass by the reed beds and particularly from Harelane Bridge and getting nearer to Wendover there are quite a number of ducks, coots, moorhen and swans living on and around The Wendover Arm - much of this wildlife and in particular the ducks do expect to be given food and might well blockade the towpath until their "bread toll" is payed.

Rothschilds Bridge Bright blue Rothschilds Bridge on the Wendover Arm Halton Bridge Perch Bridge Perch Bridge and a Pipe Bridge in the foreground
Rothschilds Bridge Rothschilds Bridge Halton Bridge Perch Bridge Perch Bridge and Pipe Bridge
Footbridge Wendover Arm footbridge Wendover Basin - once you could turn a narrowboat here of course. The end of the Wendover Arm Heron Stream runs into the Wendover Arm at Wendover
Footbridge Footbridge Wendover Basin End of the Wendover Arm Heron Stream enters the Arm

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