IWA National Festival: It’s a big one!
Have you ever moored in Cassiobury Park? You wouldn’t know you are in Watford: 190 acres of wooded parkland beside the canal.
Cruising north from Rickmansworth you first reach Cassio Bridge Lock. Here there is a tiny row of cottages seemingly undisturbed by modern life. You can moor here and make believe that you live in the woods, and yet you are five minutes’ walk from a tube station. If you moor anywhere between this lock and the next you are between the park and a golf course, giving you the illusion of being right out in the country.
Venture into the park and you’ll find pretty walkways, a stream and weir, and a children’s playground with a miniature railway. The park was once part of the 17th century gardens of the Earls of Essex, which explains the avenue of lime trees. It’s now a popular venue for community carnivals and fairs.
Next month (19th - 21st July) Cassiobury Park is hosting a three day festival celebrating the inland waterways, and will be welcoming 30,000 visitors. There is plenty of space for boats to visit, but if you don’t have a boat there is also a camp site. The event is the Inland Waterways Association National Festival and forms part of an IWA Summer Festival of London Waterways.
There will be the usual festival mix of craft and trade stands, live music and real ale, but this is a big event, expecting around 400 boats! There will be a Victorian Fairground, chandlery stalls, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and a fly past by a World War II Spitfire!
Boatshed Grand Union will have a stand right near the entrance, so come and see us.
Car parking is extremely limited so take the tube to Watford tube station, at the end of the Metropolitan Line.
If you like the idea of taking your own boat on a cruise through Cassiobury Park someday, it’s easy to search on our website for a second hand boat within your budget. Check out the home page to see boats that have been reduced in price.
Image credit: Tring Canal Festival by Dennis Freeland. Creative Commons Licence.
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