Introduction
My mum and I are walking parts of the Grand Union Canal.
On 12 April 2008, we walked a section from Hayes and Harlington
station to Denham Station.
Hayes to Cowley Peachey Junction
My train was delayed so I arrived in Hayes fifteen minutes late,
causing much consternation because my mum had managed to
bring her phone without charging it. However she used the time
productively to buy some net curtains, and we promptly joined
the canal and set off.
A cement works.
Bridge 195. It appears to have been built in 1914. Twice.
An industrial estate opposite, near West Drayton. Sadly this is no longer Berritte Ltd,
Electrical Insulation Specialists - more like a couple of dodgy looking
garages.
Another estate on the towpath site. I liked the shrub (buddleia?) growing from
the old chimney.
Before long we reached the amusingly-titled Cowley Peachey Junction,
where the Slough Arm joins the main canal. We stopped to eat lunch
on the convenient benches here.
Bridge across to the Slough Arm of the canal.
I like how the footway is raised above the superstructure.
Another view of the bridge...
...and another.
Cowley Peachey to Denham
The locks had these nicely-painted signs.
Lock gates.
Grand Union Canal Carrying Co Ltd; this is either an 'original'
narrowboat or at least one that's pretending.
Anvil opposite us.
A pair of corrugated bridges seemed a little overbuilt to carry
pipes across the river, but not large enough for people. Regardless,
the industry they supported had long since vanished, replaced with
dull housing estates.
Bridge with phone mast behind.
Warehouse beside a surviving boatyard a little further on.
Fire escape stairs in a modern office park.
TM FEAR, BOUT ACRE FEAR. Almost a haiku but not quite. (A pipe
bridge, obviously.)
We were fast approaching the countryside - officially. Denham is one
stop outside Greater London. I guess it's Green Belt. Trees and
greenery suddenly became a lot more evident.
But that didn't stop me finding a slightly-flooded barge laden with oil
drums.
A couple of traffic cones too - bonus.
Denham Deep Lock marked the end of our journey along the canal for the
day.
It's appropriately named - that's pretty deep.
Denham
Denham is a little village so twee it doesn't even have streetlights
(although there's also a modern bit near the railway).
Boarded-up doorway.
Trees above the roof of the church hall.
Grave carving (it goes on 'here rest the remains') which was apparently
for somebody's faithful servant. Impressively done, anyway, and I liked
the odd emphasis on this first word.
Quite a few people were around the village hall for some kind of
event, don't know what. Anyway I liked their sign.
We walked for a long distance by a high wall surrounding the massive
grounds of a local mansion. Couldn't see much over it; but the path
eventually led us to the wonders of Denham Station, which is
strange.
This is both a gigantic subway that you can use to cross under the
railway line, and the station entrance (the raised part joins to
stairways up to each platform).
Stairs up to a platform.
View from the platform stairs across to that huge arch. My guess:
whenever they built this thing, there wasn't a brick shortage.
Light, cobwebs, and back of the 'platform 2' sign.
That's about it. Mum got a bus back (she can travel free on buses)
and I caught a train into Marylebone. Denham was pretty interesting,
so this is a section I'd recommend.
