During last autumn, I came across a book about the ‘lost’ route to Portsmouth from the R. Thames.

The Wey and Arun navigations formed the backbone of this route from the ‘east and west’ respectively (although it was almost north-south). The route was effectively closed around the time of the trip made and problems were encountered. Sections remain navigable today, but the central link has been lost.

I then alighted on a short tale by J B Dashwood in which the chap describes a holiday cruise from the River Thames along the ‘lost’ route to the sea via the River Arun, then a coast passage to home on the Solent shores…

The book is a reprint edition.

The book was first published in 1865, at the insistence of Dashwood’s friends!

It is striking for one major reason: his mate for the trip is his wife who seems to have been of hardy stuff.

Their craft is a Una-rigged sailing canoe. It was built for sailing the upper reaches of the Thames and for sheltered coastal hops.

Towards the end of the book, Dashwood describes the trip round Selsey Bill and another covers her suitability for coastal waters and alterations made.

The Dashwood’s hired a pony to tow the boat and a canal man to manage the towing. That did not mean the holiday couple sat back. No, they played their parts fully.

The nights were spent at wayside inns along the route.

For me, I just loved the way the journey is described. The wild-life, fauna and his little injections of local history. Diversions, on foot, to ruins or the many large houses. It was so reminiscent of many of my own books.

Completing the journey with the Dashwood’s, I dearly wanted to stop and chat to them…

A lovely read. If you can find a copy, I thoroughly recommend it.