The Wendover Arm: The Chiltern Hills, a 47-mile-long Chalk Escarpment, lie across the Grand Junction Canal Path. The Marquis of Buckingham Commissioned James Barnes Principal Engineer to Survey in 1792. Confronted with this unavoidable Barrier, Barnes Routed the Canal through the ‘Tring Gap’, a Lowering in the Ridge of the Chilterns that has been used as a Crossing Point since Ancient Times. Taking account of the likely Traffic Levels across the Summit and the Water requirement for Lockage, it must have appeared that the Springs that Rose in the Tring Gap together with Local Drainage were unlikely to be sufficient and it was therefore necessary to Import Water supplies from further afield. This Task was to present its own challenge over many years.
The Chiltern Hills are composed of Chalk, some 90M-yrs old. Because Chalk is porous, it Absorbs & Stores Rainwater, in effect forming a massive Underground Reservoir (Aquifer), which is maintained by a Stratum of Impervious Clay (Gault) beneath it. Natural Springs appear wherever the Base Layers of Chalk come close to the Surface. At Wendover, some 6½-miles to the West of the Canal‘s Summit Pound, such a Spring emerges at Wellhead, near to St Mary’s Church, where Water from a point at which the Coombe & Boddington Hills meet Wells up to the Surface. This Abundant Supply formed the Wendover Stream, which Flowed Northwards through the Valley driving numerous Water Mills on its way to join the River Thame. In the absence of a sufficient Supply closer to hand, Barnes planned to Divert the Wendover Stream into a Channel, which was to follow the Contour Eastwards along the Northern Face of the Chilterns intercepting other Spring-fed Streams en route to join the Main Line at Bulbourne [thus ― unlike its near neighbour, the Aylesbury Arm ― the Wendover Arm is an example of a ‘Contour Canal’, one that by following the Contour avoids the need for Locks and (for the most part) other Engineering Work, such as Cuttings & Embankments]. Work started on the Construction of the Wendover Canal in the summer of 1793 and followed the 390-ft Contour to join the Summit of the Grand Junction Canal at Bulbourne Junction on the Tring Summit level.
Feeder Ditch Map
The Negotiations that led to the Takeover of the Grand Junction Canal Co’s Canal Assets by the Regent’s Canal & Dock Co, Parliamentary approval having been given, on 1st January, 1929, the Grand Junction Canal Co became a constituent of the newly formed Grand Union Canal Co, although the Takeover excluded the Grand Junction Canal Co’s valuable Property Portfolio at Paddington.
The Wendover Arm of the Grand Junction Canal was Built between 1793 & 1797 primarily as a Feeder for the Tring Summit. A Branch of the Grand Junction Canal, called the Navigable Feeder. However, the Canal also Served Local Industries. The Building of the Canal involved a number of changes to the Form & Plan of the Town of Wendover, including the Destruction of the existing Water Mill & Mill Stream. The Feeder Streams for the Canal are an important characteristic & visual feature of Wendover today.
The Wendover Arm was planned as a Feeder to supply Water to the Tring Summit of the Grand Junction Canal (now the Grand Union Canal). It was completed as a Navigable Canal in 1797 and operated as such throughout the 19thC. However the Canal Leaked Water and was closed early in the 20thC, and the Water was Piped into the Reservoirs at Tring. As a result the Route of the Canal currently splits into 3-Sections:-
From Wendover to Drayton Beauchamp (via Halton & Buckland Wharf) the old Canal Channel carries what is, in environmental terms, a very healthy Chalk Stream. Because of the minimal human disturbance it supports a wide range of animal & plant species.
Between Drayton Beauchamp & Little Tring the Canal Channel is currently being re-Lined so that it can be re-Watered – allowing Canal Boats to Travel to Buckland Wharf, where Low Road Bridges currently prevent further progress. This work is being carried out by the Wendover Arm Trust
Between Little Tring & the Tring Summit of the Grand Union Canal the Canal is fully Navigable, and a short Section has recently been reopened to provide a Winding Hole (Turning Point). This Section gives great pleasure to those who Travel in Barges but is environmentally far less interesting than the Wendover end because the passing Barges stir up the Mud.
In 1896 a Stop-lock replaced a temporary Dam; but by then the writing was on the wall for the Arm as a Navigable Waterway. In 1911 it was Officially Closed (in fact, it had not been kept at a Navigable Depth since 1898) and Drained from Tringford to Drayton Beauchamp. An 18-ins dia Clay Pipe was laid in a Trench dug in the Dry Canal Bed for 1.5-miles, feeding Water from the far Section of the Arm from Drayton to Wendover (which was kept in Water at a Reduced Level) to a Shaft at Tringford Pumping Station, for Pumping into the surviving Section of the Arm from there to Bulbourne; while a short length of around 200-yds near Tringford was filled in; & so the Arm continued its Water Supply Function as an un-navigable Feeder for the rest of the 20thC.
The restored Length of the Wendover Arm is gradually being Extended with regular Work Parties undertaking substantial Works along a former Dried-out & Leak-prone Section of the Arm, towards Aston Clinton & the A41 Bypass where Navigable Headroom has been provided under the New Road. The Canal is still in Water from here all the way through the original Terminus Wharf at Wendover. North Street (now Aylesbury Street), where the Wharf Road joins it. Wharf Road Leads to the end of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Junction Canal
You can walk the entire 6.75– mile Arm along the Towpath (apart from a short-cut along Little Tring Road). However Boats are currently restricted to the 1st 1.5-miles. This stretches from Bulbourne, to the Winding Hole (turning place for Boats) which is restored just past Little Tring.
The Water for the Canal Flows from a Chalk Spring at Wellhead, near St Mary’s Church, Wendover. This Flows into the Wendover Canal next to Wharf Road, Wendover, HP22 6HF. This Water Supply remains essential to the Grand Union Canal South of Milton Keynes, all the way to London. The Canal Flows from Wendover through the Villages of Halton, Buckland Wharf, Drayton Beauchamp & Little Tring. Then it joins the Main Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne, near Tring, Herts, HP23 5HF.
The Wendover Branch of the Grand Junction Canal crosses the Parish near the Village of Halton, but there are no natural Streams of any size in the Parish. There were Gas-Works on the Grand Junction Canal at Bulbourne.
The Bridge over the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal at Halton Built by the Rothschild Family to enable them to cross from one side of their Estate to the other. Baron Arthur de Rothschild’s Initials, ‘A de R‘, appear in the Centre of the Iron Balustrade. The Bridge was renovated by RAF Halton in 1992.
Lock 39 at Startops End is immediately adjacent to the former White Lion Public House & the Bridge (No.132) carrying the Aston Clinton to Ivinghoe Road (Lower Icknield Way) across the Canal. This Bridge is one of a number that were extended during the late-1830s by the addition of a 2nd Arch, Built to give access to a 2nd Lock in Parallel with that existing. The intention was to reduce Queues at busy Locks and, by Building the Parallel Lock ‘narrow’ (7-ft as opposed to 14ft-3ins), to reduce the amount of Water released from the Summit by Narrowboats travelling Singly. All the Locks from Marsworth to Stoke Hammond were converted in this way, but the modification eventually became redundant following the Construction of increased Reservoir Capacity and a chain of Back-pumping Stations (known as the ‘Northern Engines’) along this Section, while Narrowboats increasingly travelled in Pairs, passing through the Wide Locks abreast. The Parallel Locks were eventually filled in leaving several double-Arched Canal Bridges as Mementos of their existence.
Years ago [c.1850] Waggons from places as far off as Lewknor & Aston Rowant were to be seen en route through Bledlow all the way to Wendover Wharf, for Coal brought there by Canal”. The Wharfinger at that time was John Bell, who offered Water Conveyance “To London & Forward, Goods to most parts of the Kingdom”. Very little remains today other than the name, Wharf Road, and the Wharfinger’s House. Wendover Wharf lies a short distance to the North of the Town Centre, the original access being from the end of Clay Lane across grazing Land belonging to Manor Farm. In 1796, Wharf Road was built (at that time ending at Wendover Wharf) to give proper access to the Arm from Aylesbury Road. Wharf Cottage, which still stands, was the Wharfinger’s Residence and Warehouses (gone) were Built at the Wharf opposite the Tow Path. It is known that Grain was Landed there for Milling at the Great Octagonal Brick-Built Tower Mill (now converted into a Private Dwelling) that stands on the opposite side of Aylesbury Road.
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 