Grand Union Canal

Thursday

Colin, Ray, Dave and Ian cycle along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal.

Well rested after yesterday's exertions. Nice hostel with a good breakfast. There was a primary school staying, which was interesting, as I did the same job with my wife's school last year.

Today's destination was a little village called Kimpton, where Ian assured us we had a room each, so that was something to aim for. There were five of us riding, as we were joined yesterday by Ray and Colin. As always, out came the bikes and we loaded them up and set off into the depths of Milton Keynes. First stop, a paper for Dave.

Milton Keynes was not as bad as I had thought it was going to be. The cycle paths were clearly marked and it was all very green. With the help of the OS map, we soon navigated to the Grand Union Canal. The only time we had a bit of doubt about which way to go, a kind man who worked at the Open University stopped on his bike and gave us very good directions. We did try to persuade him to join us, but sadly he had to work, so we stopped for a coffee at a nearby pub.

The Grand Union Canal was on the cycle route and was well signposted. It was a lovely ride mostly on the towpath and where it went off, it stayed near the canal. There were barges slowly making their way up and down, locks at regular intervals and some good wildlife - good views of herons - much closer views than I get when out at home. I suppose they were more used to people. One of the highlights was a pair of lapwings with a chick. I used to see hundreds of lapwings when I was younger, but very rarely see them now. The mother bird and chick were on the towpath and I just caught a glimpse of the chick as it dashed for cover. The mother stayed for a few seconds and then flew across the canal where the male was sitting in a field. I didn't get a picture, as I didn't want to disturb them any more than necessary.

We stopped for lunch at a pub by a set of lock gates. We were going to eat outside, but it began to drizzle and then turned a bit heavier, so we went inside and ate there. As usual, the food was good and after that and a couple of pints, the rain had stopped and we set off.

Eventually we left the canal and headed for Dunstable. That was the downside of the ride. We had to cross Dunstable and then Luton to reach our destination, or go a long way round. We decided to try and follow the cycle route which ran through both towns.

Dunstable wasn't too bad. The route was well signposted and took us through quiet areas. Then we went through the one field which seemed to separate Dunstable from Luton and things changed. We lost the cycle way and ended up at what must have been the only roundabout in Luton with no road signs! As it was about half past four by this time, it was really busy, with queues of traffic going off in all directions.

We finally sorted out which way we needed to go and set off. Unfortunately it took us into pretty much the centre of Luton down the main roads. There was a bus-tramway route with a cycle path under construction, but it wasn't finished and had the effect of narrowing the road, so that the cars couldn't get past us very easily. Very unpleasant riding. There were some pretty nasty roundabouts to cross, but on the whole the drivers were very helpful and considerate and we managed to get through the worst of it.

As we came out of the other side, we managed to locate ourselves on the map and got off the main roads and into the lanes leading to Kimpton. This was a much more pleasant ride and we bumbled along having a chat, and came into the village. As we rode down the main street, Ian went on ahead to find the pub and sort out the accommodation. I noticed Ray had stopped at the end of someone's drive, where there was a table manned by four little girls. When I went over, they were selling popcorn to raise funds for the school library. Unfortunately, I don't like popcorn, but I offered a donation just as their mum came out and suggested that they think about their market - cyclists at the end of long ride on a warm day = need a drink! Which I did. They scampered back up to the house and made me a glass of apple squash. It was delicious and well worth the donation.

A couple of hundred yards down the road was the Boot Inn, where we were staying. The lady showed us to some newly refurbished cabins at the back of the car park and they were lovely. As Ian said, we had a room each, all en-suite with a double bed. If you need somewhere to stay near Luton, I can thoroughly recommend The Boot at Kimpton - it's on the right side of Luton for the airport.

We had a meal in the pub - also recommended - and then had the luxury of a night in bed with enough room to spread out and stretch. Heaven after thirty nine miles of cycling.