Monday Evening, 27th April, Marlow.
Life afloat is often full of variety. So it proved to be this morning. It was an auger that shook me from my slumbers. This was not the one inch type as was used in a brace and bit; but a hydraulic powered, 30feet high vertically mounted, crawler tracked foundation digger. No doubt another high building will grace the Windsor waterfront by the time of our next visit; let us hope that the castle will remain in view from the river, after all – it is known also as the Royal River!
We moved off under grey skies and heavy drizzle which alternated with rain over the next two hours. I decided to stop at Maidenhead for lunch, in order to have a break from watching the rain dripping off the brim of my hat. I can take only so much excitement nowadays.
The rain did not stop me from admiring another wonderful structure created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1837-8, namely his Maidenhead Railway Bridge.
The two semi-elliptical arches are each of 128 feet in length, with a rise of only 24 feet and remain the widest and flattest brick arches in the world.
There is a story that when Brunel showed his plans, the arches were said to be too flat to support the weight of the bridge and trains.
Brunel agreed to leave in place; the timber centerings, in order that they could give additional support. These blew down in a storm several months later, leaving the bridge standing firm and unaided. Brunel had previously and secretly eased the timber supports clear of the bridge, telling no one. His confidence in his own ability was again proved to be well founded.
The bridge was widened by Sir John Fowler in 1890-3 to accommodate quadruple tracks.
Moving away again after lunch, the rain continued. Cookham reach today had a sombre feeling, slightly misty and very wet. It is dominated by the magnificiently situated mansion of Cliveden, known now as the 'Cliveden House Luxury Hotel' but was previously owned by the Astor family.
The cabin stove was lit approaching Marlow. Having tied up some 20 minutes later, the rain stopped for a while, but it remained showery.
Myra was at the sink, preparing supper when she called out, ‘Look, a Badger!’
Looking out from the nettles across the towpath, only six feet from the boat, was the snout of a Badger, sniffing around. I had moved out of sight to get the camera when a group of three Mallards waddled quickly up to the Badger and it retreated into the nettles, closely followed by all three ducks. Two came out again very quackly (sorry!), the other one was almost a minute later. It was unharmed, very strange happenings. We walked up to the nettles and could see the start of a defined run through from the path. We could also see the nettles moving as the Badger made his way deeper into the coppice.
2009 Totals – Locks 117; Miles 143; Bus pass uses 2.
