Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Henry III had a palace. Edmund de Langley, the first Duke of York and brother of the Black
Prince, was born at the palace in 1341 and is buried in the Norman All Saints church, as is
archaeologist Sir John Evans. The Saracen's Head is rather more recent, dating from the 17th
century.
A royal hunting lodge site and a moat are overshadowed by a 440m viaduct carrying the
M25 over the canal, river, road and railway. The London Orbital is the world's longest city
bypass and Britain's busiest motorway. Junction 20 is on the west side of the canal. For prac-
tical purposes many people now regard the M25 as London's boundary. Canal piling by the
viaduct is tied together with a mixture of standard- and narrow-gauge railway line.
Home Park Farm Lock is on the outskirts of Abbots Langley. In 1931 the Ovaltine Egg
Farm was established here, based around a thatched and half-timbered building. It is now
a housing estate. Nicholas Breakspear was born in the town, becoming Pope Adrian IV in
1154, the only English Pope.
Watford, a market town in the Middle Ages, is the largest town in Hertfordshire.
To the west of Lady Capel's Lock is Grove Park, formerly 77ha of gardens for the Earl of
Essex in the 17th century, landscaped by Stubbs. It is now a golf course with chestnuts, oaks,
ashes and a country park feel. The balustraded Grove ornamental bridge was a demand made
by the Earl of Essex when the canal was built.
Grove Mill was formerly the home of the Earls of Clarendon, and is now exclusive flats
with some interesting pieces of machinery placed like sculptures on the lawn by the canal.
The canal has some tight bends and a wooden signal box was built to control canal traffic, the
towpath diverted to the east side. The local fauna might include llamas.
The lower of the Cassiobury Park Locks has a Victorian cottage that was wrecked by van-
dals. British Waterways were in the process of demolishing it in 1970 when a buyer arrived,
using an Alsatian to stop the demolition and later going on to restore it. A notice on the fence
warns about the danger of crocodiles.
Ironbridge or Watford Lock has seats made from balance beams that look more substantial
than the metal ones on the lock gates. The lock is haunted by a man who opens the bottom
gate, whatever the balance beam design.
