Visiting England - Churches, Wildflowers, Woodland, Walks, Canals and Rivers.
England has many beautiful churches, miles of canals to enjoy, countryside laced with footpaths to walk and beautiful wildflowers.
Walking and Hiking whilst on Holiday in the South Midlands of England.
England has some of the best walking opportunities you will find anywhere in the
world with long ancient National Trails - all of which are inter-connected with
lot's of well mapped footpaths and tracks - as well as river and canal walks
available. We have an extensive section about
Walking in England using several of these excellent English National Trails
- instructions on mostly circular walks using The Ridgeway, The
Oxfordshire Way, The South Bucks Way, The Icknield Way and so on - perfect for a
walking holiday in England.
These described walks take you through our beautiful woodlands, along canals such as the lovely wandering Oxford Canal or our famous Grand Union Canal as well as The River Thames and it's Thames Path - visiting well known locations such as Henley, Marlow, Chequers, Blenheim Palace and Park, Woodstock and Goring. All of our Walks plus lots of photos from around England's beautiful countryside are listed on our ENGLISH WALKS topic. English Ordnance Survey maps are extremely accurate for use when planning walking (or cycling) days out with all recognised paths and tracks clearly marked. In addition the paths and National Trails themselves have clear direction signs on most intersections - making any holiday walking in England really straightforward whether you want short walks of just a few miles or a longer 20 mile day out hiking. The Photos on the right are of Steeple Aston's church of St Peter and St Paul and the other is the beautiful Dashwood Canal Bridge. and perhaps typify what you can discover whilst out walking, visiting and sightseeing in England.
Pictures of our lovely old English Churches which you may like to visit whilst on holiday in England.
There are 100s of churches in England - these local village and town churches
come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are often very old buildings going
back to and even before the 11th Century (and they are often sited on even older
ancient ceremonial sites). Some parish and local churches are huge in relation
to their location - you visit a small Oxfordshire village and find that a
massive church has been built there.
Some of our English churches seem to be in quite isolated positions - for
instance these two Oxfordshire churches shown in the photo on the left are Holy
Cross Church at Shipton-on-Cherwell and on the right-hand side of the picture
you can see St Gile's church which is located at Hampton Gay (where there is
also the site of a medieval village).
Between these lovely old churches you will also find the River Cherwell
wandering along as well as a main railway line and the equally wandering Oxford
Canal.
We live in Oxfordshire so we commenced taking photos of as many churches as
possible quite some time ago - there are so many Oxfordshire church pictures now
that we have ended up splitting these photo pages into two sections. We enjoy
hiking in our area - The Chilterns - and this caused us to also start taking
photos of churches we visited and passed in adjacent counties so there are also
many Buckinghamshire church photos to look at as well as others from a little
further afield.
Oxfordshire Churches - Oxfordshire
local churches from villages and towns in Oxfordshire with location
names between Abingdon and Lower Heyford.
Oxfordshire Church Photos -
Oxfordshire Church photos covering towns and villages in the county which are
named between Marcham and Yarnton.
Buckinghamshire Church Photos
Buckinghamshire churches from the county's Villages and Towns
English Church Photos Local and
Parish church photographs which were taken around the English Counties of
Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire,
Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Wiltshire.
ENGLISH NATURE - Pictures of flowers and fauna in England.
English Wild Flowers and Flora English Wildflowers and English Wild Plants.
Photos of English Toadstools English Toadstools.
English Canals - a Guide and Information about using and enjoying our lovely old Canals in England.
There are an extensive series of canals to be enjoyed in
England whether for boating holidays or for walking, cycling, fishing and
sightseeing. One of the oldest and most beautiful of our English Canals is the
Oxford Canal which is really worthwhile visiting especially in the Spring what
with the lovely trees, wild flowers and shrubs as well as plenty of English
wildlife -as well as- all the really nice old bridges and interesting old locks
and canal buildings. Another of our canals is the Grand Union Canal - the Main
Line sets off from the Midlands in the centre of Birmingham and travels south
right into London by The Thames - this canal also often goes through really nice
English countryside.
Using the canals - cyclists and walkers. Generally
the towpaths are useable/passable for both walkers and cyclists however there
are parts where the canal bank has semi-collapsed - this can be a considerable
hazard particularly for cyclists. If you see the towpath is overgrown with
high growth both sides this usually indicates a collapse has
occurred - expect to find holes and often deep mud. There is a speed limit which
applies to everyone using England's canals - that is maximum 4mph -
this canal towpath speed limit includes cyclists who also
usually need a permit to cycle on the towpaths. Motorised vehicles are not
allowed on the canal towpaths unless they need access and they have to have
specific permission. Although the canals are not very deep they usually contain
a thick layer of mud and also have quite a lot of weed - obviously quite
hazardous for young children in particular should they decide to fall in.
Perhaps just as potentially hazardous are the canal locks - they have quite deep
drops when empty or of course contain many feet of water when filled - the locks
do not have guard rails or anything similar so care should be taken.
The Oxford Canal and it's lovely old Bridges and Locks:-
We have we believe a photo record of every Bridge and Lock on The Oxfordshire
Canal in England - there are also other canal features shown such as sluices and
syphons, nearbye old railway bridges, pipe bridges, old pump houses and
aqueducts.
Oxford Canal Locks - if you just enjoy
looking at canal locks then this section has photos of all the canal locks
to be seen on the Oxford Canal as it heads out of Oxford and goes north to
Sutton Stop.
Oxford Canal from Hawkesbury Junction to
Braunston Turn Each canal bridge and lock in sequence plus other canal
features are shown of the Oxford Canal's trip from where it starts at Sutton
Stop (Hawkesbury Junction) down to Braunston Turn.
Braunston to Banbury on the Oxford Canal
All the Oxford Canal's
Locks and Bridges plus other canal features which can be seen on the
next part of the canal's route as it continues it's wandering journey through
the English Countryside.
The Oxford Canal between Banbury and Oxford
This shows at least one picture of Every bridge and canal lock
which crosses or is crossed by the Oxford Canal as it wanders it's bendy way
between Banbury into the heart of Oxford where it ends.
Stratford-on-Avon Canal. Whilst wandering around photographing the above canals we came across the Guide to the Stratford-on-Avon Canal where it just about touches the Grand Central at Kingswood Junction. Obviously it was quite irresistible to ignore such an obviously beautiful canal so we therefore took several pictures around the area including some of the extensive Lapworth Lock Flight. All the canal's locks and bridges are shown on the route from Lapworth on down to Stratford-upon-Avon where it hands over narrowboat navigation to the River Avon.
Kennet and Avon Canal.
Another of England's beautiful canals which crosses the West of England and
joins up with the River Thames at Reading.
Leicester Canal - Leicester Line.
On Ordnance Survey maps this really beautiful English canal is shown as The
Grand Union Canal Leicester Section since it feeds into the Main Line however
with a run of 42 miles between Norton Junction to where it meets the River Soar
in the City of Leicester (and with navigaton continuing via that river to the
River Trent) it only seems fair it should be it's own thing rather than an Arm
or Section. We have walked around 55 miles on the canal so far - namely from
Norton Junction up past the 1528 yard long Crick Tunnel (which was opened in
1814) -continuing past Husbands Bosworth Tunnel - Foxton Locks to just north of
Fleckney. One of the Leicester Canal's particular features are the excellent
series of 4 staircase locks at Watford Locks and the two sets of 5 staircase
locks at Foxton Locks (see our Market Harborough item below for photos from
around Foxton Locks including the remains of an inclined plane).
Our Leicester Canal between Norton and Foxton
Locks
covers all the Leicester canal features between the Grand Union Junction at Norton and
continues through the series of staircase locks at Foxton Locks (and it's
inclined plane and museum area).
The Grand Union Canal Leicester Branch from Foxton
to The River Soar at Leicester topic
covers all the Grand Union Canal bridges and locks and other features on the canal's journey from
the bottom of Foxton Locks through to Aylestone Meadows where it shares water
with the River Soar. Then up through Leicester City via West Bridge - plus
photos showing the route a little further north along the (mostly now) River
Soar as far as Swan's Nest Weir where the canal finally ends.
Guide to London's Regent's Canal. The Regent Canal links the Grand Union Canal (via the Paddington Arm near Little Venice in West London) with London's East End and the River Thames at Limehouse - the canal also provides a link to the navigable River Lee via Limehouse Cut. The Regent's Canal is very popular to use for both cyclists and walkers.Our photo guide shows many of the bridges and locks which can be enjoyed along it's 8.5 mile trip across London.
England's Grand Union Canal / Grand Central Canal / Grand Junction Canal.
Having completed a photo record of every one of the Oxford Canal's bridges and locks we decided that it was necessary to do the same thing on this equally beautiful English Canal for the purpose of taking pictures of all of it's locks, bridges and nearbye features as well. (One of the additional advantages of creating this photo-record of the canal was a whole series of enjoyable walks through our English countryside of course). This was in a way a much more difficult exercise as there is quite a lack of public transport to allow you to get to various locations along the Grand Union Canal Main Line and walk back perhaps 10 or 15 mile lengths at a time - we found we often had to try and make circulars or just do "there and backs". Nevertheless we have now completed a walk along the entire length of the Canal and we believe we have at least one photograph - though often photos from both directions - of all of the Canal's locks and bridges from Birmingham through to Brentford in London by the River Thames opposite Kew Gardens.
Birmingham through to Lapworth on the Grand
Junction Canal.
The Grand Union Canal's Main Line starts from Salford Junction in the north west
of the City of Birmingham and then heads south via Solihull and then into the
countryside. This topic contains photos of all the Grand Union's locks and
bridges plus various syphons and sluices, aqueducts, mini-sidearms and old
buildings involved with the canal as it heads south to Lapworth. There are loads
of old warehouses lining the canal in the Birmingham part of the canal's run -
they are really nice to look at and extremely interesting - as are the myriad of
old brick railway bridges which still exist from when railway lines were routed
all over the area.
Lapworth-Hatton Lock Flight via Shrewley Tunnel
to Royal
Leamington Spa on the Grand Union Canal The series of 21 Locks at Hatton Lock Flight are really
interesting - we have photos of them all plus pictures of every other lock and
bridge on the Grand Union Canal Main Line as it travels between Lapworth and
Royal Leamington Spa.
Leamington Spa to Braunston Canal Locks
Bridges and features These are
pictures of Grand Union Canal Locks and Canal Bridges as well as other canal type features
which can be seen on the Canal's trip between Leamington Spa and
Braunston including Stockton Locks and Napton Junction.
The Grand Union Canal from Braunston via Gayton Junction - Blisworth Tunnel - Stoke
Bruerne to Wolverton
Every Lock and Bridge (also Blisworth Tunnel) featured on
the Grand Union Canal Main Line on it's watery route between Braunston, Norton
Junction, Gayton Junction, Blisworth Tunnel, Stoke Bruerne and Wolverton - plus
photos of other canal features on the way.
Grand Union Canal between Wolverton and
Horton Wolverton to Horton on
The Grand Union Canal - Canal Pictures of all the Locks and Bridges between
these two locations including it's trip around the top of Milton Keynes and
Leighton Buzzard.
Ivinghoe Lock on the Grand Central Canal to Kings Langley Canal Lock
and Bridge Photos from the Grand Central Canal's journey as it heads on south -
thse photos cover the stretch between Ivinghoe Lock and Kings Langley in
Buckinghamshire, England. This also has photos from Marsworth and it's flight of
Locks and canal junctions - as well as Berkhamstead and Hemel Hempstead.
Grand Central Canal between Kings Langley
and Thames Lock This sequence
shows canal features and structures from Kings Langley via Denham, Cowley
Peachey Junction, Stockley Bridge and Hanwell Locks to the end of the Grand
Union canal down
at London's Thames Lock where it joins up with the River Thames opposite Kew
Gardens. We believe we now have every one of the Grand Union Canal Main Line's
Bridges and Locks photographed.
Photo Guide and Information about several of the Canal Side Arms which adjoin The Grand Union Canal - England.
The Grand Union Canal has gathered together quite a few Side Arms - some of them
are quite short as with the 5 mile Northampton Arm - whilst others are pretty
much full canals in their own right due to their length. Several of the Arms are
in a poor state but a huge effort is being undertaken by local canal enthusiasts
to get them back to their full glory - as for instance with the extremely
attractive Wendover Arm. The Canal Arms we have walked so far are shown below -
with a picture record of all their bridges and (if they have any) Locks etc. at
the time of walking and also a little about their history.
Aylesbury Arm Canal guide - Photos and
Information about this rural Canal Arm which is located in Buckinghamshire - the
Canal Arm starts off with a staircase lock at Marsworth Junction. The towpath
along the Aylesbury Arm can be quite muddy for walking and fairly difficult in
places for cyclists.
Market Harborough Arm Guide. Leaving the
Leicester Canal at the bottom of Foxton Locks (and it's unique double set of
staircase locks and the site of an inclined plane) the Market Harborough Canal
Arm sets off on a 5 mile meander to this Leicestershire Town. We have photos off
all of it's bridges and other scenery and also describe how it is easy to make a
nice 11 mile circular walk coming back across the fields via Lubenham.
Northampton Canal Arm The Northampton Canal
leaves that city from Cotton End Wharf and heads off to link into the Grand
Union Canal at Gayton Junction - there are pictures of all of it's locks and
bridges plus other features. The main event on the canal is probably the
Rothersthorpe Flight of 13 locks - the towpath is in good condition for use by
both cyclists and walkers.
(The) Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Leaving from the Western side of London right next to Paddington Railway Station
and almost immediately passing through Little Venice and providing a link with
the Regents Canal, this fairly short Paddington Canal Arm travels reasonably directly to
meet up with the Grand Union Canal at Bull's Bridge. Our canal guide shows all
the bridges on the Paddington Canal Arm plus other features to enjoy - whether
by towpath walking or cycling or of course going along on your narrowboat.
The Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal. Guide to the 5 mile long Slough
Canal Arm with photos of all of it's bridges and canal features - the Slough Arm
starts off from the Grand Union Canal's Cowley Peachey Junction. This Arm is
quite neglected which is a shame as it should be a beautiful stretch of
England's waterways and would be without the rubbish and graffiti. The towpath
is in fine condition for both walkers and cyclists.
(The) Welford Branch - canal guide. Photos and some
information about the short Welford Branch canal which goes from The Grand Union Canal's
Leicester Section at Welford Junction to Welford. There is also a 10 mile
circular walk described out of Welford which uses part of the Jurassic Way
trail, The Leicester Canal and comes back via the Welford Branch.
Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal A Guide showing off the partially
navigable and very beautiful Wendover Canal Arm in Buckinghamshire England which
starts it's fairly short journey at Bulbourne Junction near Tring Reservoirs and
ends up in the old town of Wendover. Particularly towards the Wendover end the
Canal Arm (not navigable for narrowboats here yet) is full of wildlife. The
Wendover Arm towpath is always in good condition for both walkers and cyclists
as well as lazy and always hungry ducks.
English River Navigations - a guide about The (River) Lee Navigation and The (River) Stort Navigaton both of which are accessible for narrowboats.
River Stort River Navigation. There are only a few navigable rivers in England now one of which is the 13 mile long Stort Navigation. The Stort Navigation allows narrowboats and barges to travel from Bishops Stortford down to Hoddesdon where it connects with another River Navigation - The Lee Navigation. Our topic has a series of photos showing all the river's locks, most of the bridges plus several old mills and warehouses as well as the general (and beautiful) countryside it passes through.
River Lee Navigation Guide. Another and somewhat longer river navigation than the Stort, the 27 mile navigable stretch of the River Lee (Lea) travels between Limehouse Basin and Hertford going via Enfield, Waltham Abbey and Broxbourne on the way. This navigation contains 19 locks with double-locks at the London end and it's availability for moving cargo on some stretches dates back to Roman times. We currently have a photo record of The Lee Navigation from Hertford through to Tottenham Hale - bridges, locks and other intreesting features.
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We enjoy travelling about the world (and also have a great interest in visiting countries where
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Guide India - Goa and the
Golden Triangle (all about holidays in India and touring Indian Tombs Temples and Forts)
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North and South Islands - about holidays and travelling in
New Zealand
Greek Islands Holiday Guides +
Touring Athens Many Greek Islands are covered on our Greece Holiday and Travel Guides - also a topic on touring
Athens
Travel Guides for the Far East Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore,
Bangkok and Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom etc) - holiday and travel guides in the Far East
Egypt Vacation Travel and Touring
Guides Visting
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Sheikh, Luxor, Cairo and Aswan touring guides.
Holiday Guides for the Canary Isles
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Guides for The Canary Islands of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria
Portugal The Algarve Holiday
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for The Algarve in Southern Portugal
Touring, Holidays and Travel in Vietnam.
Vietnam Touring Guides.