1
Chiltern Road, Wendover
Wendover is one of the few communities visited by the Ridgeway National Trail, that offers accommodation - two establishments are down this road.
Image: © Chris Heaton
Taken: 30 Sep 2007
0.04 miles
2
The Paddocks, Wendover
The Paddocks leads off Wharf Road and provides an access route to the old canal towpath.
Image: © Stephen McKay
Taken: 4 Jul 2017
0.09 miles
3
Wendover Arm: The Paddocks, Wendover
Initially modern housing developments come close to the edge of the canal – further north the canal runs through fields or woodland.
See
Image
Image: © Chris Reynolds
Taken: 25 Mar 2009
0.10 miles
4
Aylesbury Road in Wendover
Image: © Steve Daniels
Taken: 15 Mar 2014
0.11 miles
5
Information Board re The Wendover Arm (1)
This information board is located at the south end of the Wendover Arm canal in Wharf Road HP22 6HF. It has the following wording:
Top left
Wendover's Waterway. The Wendover Arm is a living history rewarding the
travellers of today with glimpses of the past. Its trading days now over,
the canal winds its quiet way between open fields and shady woods, past
abandoned wharfs and railway crossings, a Rothschild mansion and a
redundant quarry. Equally of interest is the abundant wildlife which now
takes refuge on, in, and around the waterway amongst its reedbeds, and
along its hedgerows.
Clinging to its contour at the base of the Chiltern Hills, the Arm is a
product of the very landform which also brought about its eventual
downfall, as this and other panels will explain.
Top Right
"The Leaky Canal" At the end of the eighteenth century the Grand Junction
Canal (now known as the Grand Union Canal), was in need of extra water to
carry its increasing traffic. The Wendover Arm started as an idea for
supplying the Grand Union with water taken from spring lines near Wendover.
Work began in 1793 and plans were quickly adapted to build the arm as a
navigable link to the village.
Within 5 years of its opening in 1797 it was obvious that the canal was
leaking. Despite several attempts to cure the leaks, water loss increased
over the next 100 years to the extent that the Arm began to drain the Grand
Union Canal! Finally, a stop-lock was constructed at Tringford and the
remainder of the Arm was abandoned in 1904, its water being diverted
underground to Wilstone Reservoir.
Middle
Map of the Wendover Arm canal with the following locations indicated from
left to right.
i) Weston Turville Reservoir constructed in 1799 to divert excess water
into the Wendover stream. It is now an important area for wildlife.
ii) Perch Bridge (iron bridge)
iii) Wendover Wharf. Wendover Arm wharf sent local produce to London and
received coal, timber and manure.
iv) Winding Hole for turning barges once unloaded.
v) Railway Crossing crossing of the branch line from Wendover to Halton
Camp.
vi) The Wides a low lying wetland area with a variety of interesting
wildlife.
vii) Halton Village the Rothschild family built a number of houses in
Halton. Many bear coats of arms and pictures depicting country scenes.
viii) Halton Camp the RAF bought the Rothschild estate and moved there in
1918, It became an important station.
ix) Halton Camp Airfield
x) Rothschild Bridge cast iron bridge built in 1880 by the Rothschilds and
bears the coat of arms.
xi) Halton House built in 1884 by Alfred de Rothschild in a French
Chateau style, and now owned by the RAF.
xii) Green Park originally owned by Anthony de Rothschild who rebuilt
Aston Clinton Manor in 1860.
xiii) Cobblers Pits old disused pits and sunken lane now overgrown by
mixed woodland.
xiv) Buckland Wharf the hamlet is named after the wharf which used to lie
in front of the neighbouring cottages.
Lower left
Circular map of the Wendover Arm canal and its surroundings
Lower middle
The Wendover Arm Trust are seeking to make the Arm navigable again. If you
wish to find out more information about their work, contact Roger Lewis
(Tel No: 01442 823378).
Lower right
Walking the Wendover Arm. Approximately 6 miles of the Arm's original 6
miles 1348 yards can be walked. The 3 miles from Wendover to the car park
at Stablebridge Road, Aston Clinton were repaired in 1993 to a surface
suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. A leaflet is available from
Buckinghamshire County Council highlighting circular walks which use
sections of the Arm.
Image: © David Hillas
Taken: 31 May 2021
0.12 miles
6
Information Board re The Wendover Arm (2)
This information board is located by the Wendover Arm near Wharf Road. It has the following wording:
Top Left
Map of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal with
Key to Main Features
1) British Waterways Works, Bulbourne
2) Dry dock
3) Marsworth flight. 7 locks 42ft 3in
4) Bulbourne Junction
5) Heygates Mill
6) Stop lock
7) Tringford Pumping Station
8) Site of Whitehouses Pumping Station
9) The Sump. Moved east of Drayton Beauchamp Bridge in 2003.
10) Aston Clinton By-Pass Bridge and canal diversion completed in 2003.
11) Bucklandwharf
12) The Narrows
13) The Wides
Opened to navigation: March 1797. Length 6 miles, 6 furlongs 28 yards
The Wendover Arm was navigable as far as the Tringford stop-lock.
The extension to Little Tring winding hole has been constructed by the
Wendover Arm Trust, completed in 2004 and officially opened to navigation
in 2005. The entire length is accessible on foot and makes a pleasant walk
through beautiful countryside.
Top Right
YOU ARE HERE
Distance to Bulbourne 11km
Distance to Wendover 0km
Lower section
THE WENDOVER ARM CANAL AND WATER FLOW MEASUREMENT
You are at the terminus of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal which
runs a distance of just under 7 miles or 11km, from here to Bulbourne,
where it joins the main line of the Grand Union Canal.
The Wendover Arm was originally planned as a feeder to supply water to the
Tring Summit level of the Grand Union Canal (known then as the Grand
Junction Canal). It was finally completed in 1797 as a fully navigable
waterway and carried commercial horse drawn barge traffic to and from
Wendover. The canal continued to operate until 1904 when continuing
problems with leakage during the late 1800's, along its middle section,
caused the canal to be closed to navigation beyond the pumping station at
Little Tring.
The middle section of the canal was "dried" but to ensure the supply of
water was maintained, a pipeline was sunk in 1912 under the dry Canal from
Drayton Beauchamp to Little Tring. At Drayton Beauchamp, the water flowing
from Wendover was fed, via a "sump" into the pipeline, which then fed the
water into the local reservoirs from where it was pumped up into the
canal by Tringford Pumping Station at Little Tring.
HISTORIC WATER MEASUREMENT AT WENDOVER
The Arm was constructed to convey water from Wendover, where there was a
plentiful supply from the streams and springs which feed the Heron Stream,
to the Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne. This is the water which you can see
entering the gauging chamber in front of you from beneath the road.
Subsequently, to augment this flow, wells were sunk by the then canal
company in what is now the garden of Sluice Cottage (Well No1) and at
Wellhead (Well No2); these wells are connected to the canal via a brick
culvert and the water from this culvert enters the gauging chamber from the
pipe opposite.
This flow originally entered the canal from the brick arch, on the far bank
of the canal, a short distance downstream of the gauging chamber.
Recently rediscovered records show that the canal company was measuring
water flow into the canal as long ago as 1841. Measurements were also taken
at a number of gauging points further upstream. Since 1963 measurements
have been recorded by instruments housed in the small brick building at the
far corner of the chamber, and today the information is transmitted via
telephone line to the organisation responsible for operating our waterways
to assist in the control of water levels throughout the system.
This record of flow from the springs spans more than 150 years and is of
international importance. It is one of the longest records of water flow
found anywhere in the world.
In studying the predicted effects of climate change it is of immense value
and has been analysed by the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology. Most other water flow
records cover periods which are too short in duration to have any value in
determining long period trends.
WENDOVER ARM TRUST
Formed in 1989, the Wendover Arm Trust is a charitable body whose aim is to
promote and restore this long neglected beautiful and unique Chilterns
waterway.
After completion the canal will once again be a fully navigable and
operational canal, following its original route from its junction with the
Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne through to Wendover a total of 6.77 miles.
This will not only provide a wonderful leisure amenity and wild life haven
but also preserve this important part of the historical heritage of the
area.
New members and volunteers are always welcome.
Image: © David Hillas
Taken: 19 Jun 2021
0.13 miles
7
Wendover Arm: Looking towards the Winding Hole
The Winding Hole was the end of navigation when the Wendover arm was in use, and allowed the barges to turn round.
See
Image
Image: © Chris Reynolds
Taken: 25 Mar 2009
0.14 miles
8
The Wendover Arm - towpath and sign
The well-maintained towpath provides excellent walking conditions leading out of Wendover alongside the disused canal.
Image: © Stephen McKay
Taken: 4 Jul 2017
0.14 miles
9
The end of the Wendover Arm
The arm is fed by a stream which emerges from a culvert over this tiny weir and keeps the disused canal in water. Above on Wharf Road children from the nearby primary school head for the ice cream van.
Image: © Stephen McKay
Taken: 4 Jul 2017
0.14 miles
10
Town Houses on Aylesbury Road, Wendover
Attractive series of town houses in Wendover.
Image: © Wayland Smith
Taken: 24 Jan 2015
0.14 miles