LCC Nature Walks: DENHAM & COLNE VALLEY VIA GRAND UNION CANAL [NW LONDON]

Red salute, walkers and ramblers! We're back again, this time re-visiting the lovely Colne Valley in which we had such a good time previously with our Staines Moor hike. This time we're tracing the valley further up north, where it runs along and around the Grand Union Canal.

The village of Denham gives its name to Denham Country Park, a part of the larger 42-acre Colne Valley Regional Park. The Colne and Misbourne rivers pass through the park and the Grand Union Canal forms its eastern boundary. It has a variety of wildlife, including herons, kingfishers, damselflies and dragonflies.

We'll be following a different route than this one, but to get an idea and see some pictures of the lovely forests and waterways we'll encounter, check this listing at Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/denham-and-the-colne-valley

Our route will take us from Uxbridge Station at the end of the Metropolitan tube line, north through Frays Farm Meadows on the Frays River, and further north following the River Colne up through Denham Country Park to Northmoor Hill Wood. We'll then turn east and cross Broadwater Lake Nature Reserve, turning south again to join the Grand Union Canal towpath and travelling south, with the Colne on our right, back to Uxbridge via Harefield Place Nature Reserve and Denham Lock Wood.

• Distance/Time: About 10-11km for a roughly 3-3.5 hours' walk, depending on our speed
• Terrain: Mostly flat and clear, with possible muddy patches - bring good shoes or boots!
• Supplies: 2L water and some snacks or a portable lunch - we'll hit a pub in Uxbridge for a pint and late lunch after
• Weather: Mostly sunny if our luck holds; possibly cloudy and wet at times. Bring a windbreaker and/or rain layer and a packable jumper with a small rucksack if possible

Take care and see you on the rivers!