Peace and quiet.

Towards the end of the Slough Arm there is a big factory that is now owned by Akzo Nobel a Dutch company. Previously it was the Dulux factory for ICI. By the way did you know that the name DULUX comes from Dupont Luxury who had the brand name when it started in the 1950's. It seems that paint is no longer made here but has moved to a new factory in Northumberland. Here in Slough is the UK Headquarters and the research and Development HQ. I am really only mentioning this as I would have thought that it would be possible to tap them for a few quid to fund works on the ARM. C&RT are heavily trying to recruit volunteer  groups to 'manage' lengths of canal and this length is crying out for something like that. A good litter pick would help and some proper moorings towards the end with a map and information board or something at the end. I don't know who at C&RT looks into this sort of thing though.

Ex Dulux paint factory. However the top end has very clear water and I have never seen so many different dragon flies. There are plenty of fish and there are several varieties of water lilly just starting to show themselves.

Under one of the bridges was this mural that was constructed with the help of a local school and largely from rubbish. It is called 'Waves'. There is blanket weed but it seems to hug the bottom so not really a problem to us. 

There are a large amount of moorings at Highline Yachts. I bet the artist couldn't repeat this one though. A definite one off.

We moored up just after the aqueduct over the River Colne with the noise of the M25 just in the background.

We went for a walk round the Little Britain Lake. It is so called as looking on a map it is very similar to the outline of the British Isles on a map.

We walked on a well set path with the River Colne on the left and the Little Britain Lake on the right. The lake had been a gravel pit in the 1930's. The Colne joins the Thames above Penton Hook.

On the other side of the lake is Fray's River. This river was divereted to power mills in the area. It leaves the Colne at Uxbridge and joins it again West Drayton.

Just near Cowley is this lovely expensively improved mill building over the Fray's River. It is called Fray's after one of the mill owners in the past.

One of the properties had a fence made by tack welding loads of horse shoes together. It was crying out to have them put together less randomly, or is that just my sense of order?

 

The path brought us at just by Cowley Lock and called in for an ice cream to help us down the tow path back to the boat.

We were soon back at the start of the Slough Arm and back to the boat. I also have the first scars of the year from my battle with bramble bushes to obtain some blackberries for tea.