Grand Union Canal 1; Slough Arm

The Grand Union Canal is the principal navigable waterway between London (River Thames) and the Midlands (Birmingham and Leicester); it has six main branches, usually termed 'arms', and heading north from the Thames these are (in order) -

Paddington Arm / Slough Arm / Wendover Arm / Aylesbury Arm / Northampton Arm / Saltisford Canal Arm, Warwick.

Since this trip runs across London from west to east, we start in Slough at the Slough Arm.

The Slough Arm is a short 5 mile canal branch from Slough to the Grand Union Main Line, and was originally opened to serve the brick-making industry (the last commercial traffic was carried in 1960, but it was re-opened in 1975 and has remained in use since).  Anthony and I start at the Wexham Road Bridge (number 12); there are some business units and rural developments near the canal along the outskirts of Slough, but it is still pleasant walking, especially as we reach and pass through the Colne Valley Regional Park.  After passing under the M25 London Orbital Motorway to enter what is now known as Greater London (formerly Middlesex), we cross three rivers via aqueducts- Colne Brook, River Colne and Frays River, seeing pill boxes that used to guard them.  We reach the Packet Boat Marina (a packet boat used to carry passengers from here to Paddington) and then the junction with the Grand Union Canal at Cowley Peachey, crossing over it by a roving bridge to the tow path on the east side of the canal.

We walk along the Grand Union Canal, passing through the West London areas of West Drayton and Hayes; it is more built up here, but still good walking.  After about 1.5 miles, we reach the outskirts of Hayes and the junction with the Paddington Arm at Bull's Bridge.  From here, we turn east towards  Paddington and Central London.Read more