Aylesbury Canal Arm in Buckinghamshire, England

Guide to the Aylesbury Canal Arm in England.

Photos and Information about the towpath, bridges and locks on the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Central Canal in Buckinghamshire, England.

The Aylesbury Arm runs for 10 kilometres leaving the Grand Union Canal at Marsworth Junction and going across country to arrive in the centre of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Ducks swimming along the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal in England Lock Gates seen on the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union CanalAylesbury Arm Canal Bridge Completed in 1815 the intention was to use the Aylesbury Canal Arm as part of a through connection between the Grand Union Canal and the River Thames at Abingdon - and thus ultimately create a possible route through to the Kennet and Avon Canal and Wilts and Berks Canal. These plans were argued over for around 17 years before the Arm was started - one of the biggest issues was the scarcity of water and as the Aylesbury Arm would have required water from another source i.e. The Thames (Aylesbury lies in a hollow) - in the end this through connection never did happen. The Arm drops a total of 95 feet on it's way to Aylesbury with most of it's 16 narrow 7 feet locks situated at the Marsworth end. The Arm was used commercially for transport of grain, timber, coal and building materials until the 1960s. The first locks are right at the start of the Canal as you leave Marsworth Basin - these two locks are staircase locks where the middle gate joins the top and bottom locks - this type of lock is unique on the Grand Union Canal's Southern Waterway.

Although the Waterways Authorities are often shown as encouraging various leisure activities on their canals the fact is that the Arm's towpath is in a pretty poor condition in various places. We last walked the towpath in February 2008 and there were really poor areas with bank collapse and deep mud filled holes. In at least two locations the bank had collapsed sufficiently to cause the canal to leak across the towpath into adjacent field ditches. Walking was pretty difficult to say the least and for cyclists it was really hazardous. The Arm is very popular with fishermen - you can of course fish all the year round on the canal - and at least the towpath is generally wide enough to give everyone room for their pursuits. For narrowboats the canal is quite straight in direction and generally wide enough for passing although it is very silted in some places with reeds protruding well out into the stream. There are turning points at Marsworth, another at Bridge 9 and one at the Arm's end in Aylesbury (this latter turnpoint is quite congested due to quite a few moored canal narrow boats).

Marsworth Juncton - Aylesbury Arm and Grand Union Canal Marsworth No. 1 Lock Marsworth No2 Lock Marsworth Lock no.2 and Bridge no.1 Bridge No.1
Marsworth Junction Marsworth No.1 Lock Marsworth No.2 Lock Lock 2 and Bridge No.1 Bridge No.1
Marsworth No.3 Lock Black Jacks Lock No.4 Lock No.5 Aylesbury Arm Lock No.6 Pipe Bridge next to Canal Bridge no2
Marsworth No.3 Lock Black Jacks Lock No.4 Lock No.5 Lock No.6 Pipe Bridge
Dixons Gap Bridge No.2 Lock No.7 Jefferies Lock No.8 Wilstone Bridge No.3 Foortbridge No.4
Dixons Gap Bridge No.2 Lock No.7 Jefferies Lock No.8 Wilstone Bridge No.3 Footbridge No.4
Lock No.9 Aylesbury Arm - Bridge No.5 Canal Bridge no.6 Puttenham TopLock No.10 Puttenham TopLock Lock Gates
Lock No.9 Bridge No.5 Bridge No.6 Puttenham TopLock No.10 Puttenham TopLock Gates
Puttenham BottomLock No.11 Bridge No.7 Aylesbury Canal - Bridge No.8 Buckland Lock No.12 Buckland Lock Gates near Aylesbury
Puttenham BottomLock No.11 Bridge No.7 Bridge No.8 Buckland Lock No.12 Buckland Lock Gates
Red House Lock No.13 Canal Bridge no.9 Bridge No.10 Aylesbury Arm - Canal Bridge 11 Bridge no 12
Red House Lock No.13 Bridge No.9 Bridge No.10 Bridge No.11 Bridge No.12
Bridge No.13 Bridge No.14 Broughton Lock No.14 Bridge No.15 2 excellent Pipe Bridges on the Aylesbury Arm
Bridge No.13 Bridge No.14 Broughton Lock No.14 Bridge No.15 2 Pipe Bridges
Bridge No.16 ugly concrete Aylesbury roadbridge Osier Bed Lock No.15 Bear Brook diving under the Aylesbury Arm Hills Partridge Lock No.16
Bridge No.16 Aylesbury roadbridge Osier Bed Lock No.15 Bear Brook Hills Partridge Lock No.16
Pipe Bridge next to Bridge 17 Bridge No.17 Bridge No.18 Iron Footbridge Aylesbury Basin
Pipe at Bridge No.17 Bridge No.17 Bridge No.18 Iron Footbridge Aylesbury Basin

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