Denham (just above The Deep)

We left Brentford basin early on Thursday October 25th because we didn't want to impede our neighbours on the inside (we were breasted-up) and we were keen to make good progress north because we were due back home the weekend. Now we new we were going to make Northamptonshire but we did was to be somewhere convenient to leave Albert for a few days.

Approaching GSK Headquarters at Brentford

The weather was cold an bright and a lot better for locking than on our way down when we had driving rain. A CRT maintenance boat left Brentford just ahead of us and we met it in the first lock (Clitheroe) and we faced the prospect of following it up the Hanwell flight filling each lock. However, just as we reached Hanwell Bottom Lock we found the CRT boat stopped with rubbish around their prop so they followed us up the flight. Volunteers from CRT we supposed to be on duty to help with the locks but they weren't answering their phone; so we went up alone. It was a decent run and the pounds were well filled so we had no problems. Eventually a single volunteer did appear just as we crossed Three Bridges (I usually point out at this point that there are actually only two bridges despite its name - one road and one canal and the railway at the "bottom" doesn't have a bridge). The volunteer set the Norwood Locks, which are the top two in the flight for us.

Entering a lock on the Hanwell Flight next to the "asylum wall"

Once clear of the Hanwell flight it was a clear run with good weather through to Cowley Peachey. Lunch was on the move again (sandwiches and soup). We stopped at High Line Yachting mid-afternoon for a gas bottle since one ran out in Brentford.

Looking down the Slough Arm

Does everybody promise that one day they might go down the Slough Arm just for the hell of it? We have passed it on many occasions and that thought always crosses my mind. 

There were very few boats moving but as we got near Uxbridge a few were involved in visiting water  points and sanitary stations. The day light soon started fading fast so we finally called it a day just above Denham Deep lock where there was an excellent quiet mooring with rings.