Grand Union towpath, the final bit: Kings Langley to Berkhamstead

[For a summary of all my rides along the Grand Union Canal between London and Birmingham, see this blog.]

What better way to spend a beautiful autumnal equinox day than riding the only part of the Grand Union Canal (GUC) towpath which I haven't done? Well, probably many better ways, but it's what I did. I've also created a post cataloguing all my blogs covering the GUC towpath between London and Birmingham: its an excellent green cycle corridor linking the two cities, albeit a bit rough in parts.

Here's a map of my ride, which was about 22 miles in total.

Abhorring a straight line there and back again, I did a circular ride, parking on the Common at Chipperfield. I descended on bridleways to join the Canal at Hunton Bridge, followed the towpath through Kings Langley to Berkhamstead, then climbed back up the hill to Bovingdon, and returned, mainly on quiet lanes, to the start.

The towpath surface was the now familiar spectrum from good tarmac to rough and stony earth, but no trace of mud after our dry summer. Although distant views are rare, the immediate surroundings of the canal are varied and interesting, as the photos hopefully show.