The Grand Union Canal south from Birmingham - England

The Grand Union Canal - walking from Bordesley via Knowle Locks and Kingswood to Lapworth.

The Grand Union's towpath heading south is in excellent condition for both cyclists and walkers however the amount of graffiti is amazing - every lock arm, the lock-gates, various signs, once beautiful old brick walls and even drain covers - everything and anything with a semblance of a flat surface is just covered in this crap. You have to go quite a way out of Birmingham - in fact some way past Solihull - before this disgusting vandalism starts to reduce.

Camp Hill Lock 57 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks - Lock no.57
Bridge 94 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge 94
Grand Union Canal Bridge 94
Bridge no.94
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 56 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks - Lock no.56
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 56 and pipebridge
Camp Hill Lock 56 + Pipebridge
Grand Union Canal Bridge 93
Bridge 93
Canal Bridge 93 on the Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.93
- Grand Union Canal Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 55
Camp Hill Locks -
ock no.55
Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 55, Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks - Lock 55
Birmingham - Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 2 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bordesley Middle Way Bridge no.2
Birmingham, Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 2 Grand Union Canal, England.
Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 2
Birmingham - Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 1
Bordesley Middle Way Bridge no.1
Birmingham, Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 1 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bordesley Middle Way Bridge 1
Lock 54 and Railway Bridge - Grand Union Canal Main Line
Lock 54 and
a Railway Bridge
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight Gates - Lock 54 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks -
Lock 54 gates
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 54
Camp Hill Locks -
Lock no.54
A Railway Bridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Railway Bridge
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 53, Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks -
Lock 53
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 53
Camp Hill Locks -
Lock no.53
Grand Union Canal Railway Bridge
Railway Bridge
Railway Bridge at Camp Hill - Grand Union Canal, England.
Railway Bridge
Camp Hill Lock Flight - Lock 52 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks -
Lock 52 gates
Birmingham South - Camp Hill Locks - Lock 52, Grand Union Canal, England.
Camp Hill Locks -
 Lock no.52
Warehouse siding near Small Heath - Grand Union Canal, England.
Short siding near Lock no.52
Bridge 91 - Small Heath, Grand Union Canal, England.
Small Heath Bridge
no.91
Small Heath Bridge no.91 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Small Heath Bridge no.91
Warehouses beside the Grand Union Canal, England.
Canal-side warehouses
 at Small Heath
Anderton Road Bridge - no. 90 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Anderton Road Bridge 90
South Birmingham - Anderton Road Bridge 90 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Anderton Road
 Bridge no.90
Golden Hillock Bridge 89 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Golden Hillock Road
bridge 89
Golden Hillock Bridge nbr 89 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Golden Hillock Roadbridge no.89
Siding, Grand Union Canal, England.
Siding at Small Heath
Bridge 88c - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.88c
Canal Bridge 88c, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge 88c
Canal Bridge 88b
Railway Bridge no.88b
Grand Union Canal - Ackers Trust Basin
Ackers Trust Basin
Canal Bridge 88b - Grand Union Canal, England.
Railway Bridge no.88b
Pipebridge
Pipe Bridge
The Grand Union Canal aqueduct - canal crossing the River Cole
River Cole Aqueduct
The Grand Union Canal crosses over the River Cole
Aqueduct over the River Cole
Bridge nbr:88a - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.88a
Bridge 88a - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge 88a
Kings Road Bridge nbr:88 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Kings Road Bridge no.88
Canal Bridges - Bridge 88, Grand Union Canal, England.
Kings Road Bridge
 no.88
Canal Bridge 87, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.87
Bridge 87 and pipebridge on the Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge + Bridge no.87
Yardley Road Bridge nbr:86a
Yardley Road Bridge 86a
Inside Yardley Road Bridge (Bridge 86a), Grand Union Canal, England.
Inside Yardley Road
Bridge 86a
Canal Bridge nbr:86a - Yardley Road Bridge
Yardley Road Bridge
Woodcock Lane Bridge nbr:86 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Woodcock Lane Bridge no.86
Canal Bridge nbr:88c - Grand Union Canal, England.
Woodcock Lane Bridge
Pipebridge over the Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge near Bridge 86
Canal pipebridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge by bridge 86
Canal Bridge nbr:85 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.85
Grand Union Canal Bridge nbr:85
Bridge no.85
Pipebridge and Bridge nbr:84 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge + Bridge 84
Bridge nbr:84, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.84
Canal Bridge nbr:83
Bridge no.83
Bridge nbr:83 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge 83
Bridge nbr:82 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.82
no-name or number canal bridge, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge near Solihull
Bridge nbr:82 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.82
Canal Bridge 81
Bridge no.81
Bridge nbr:81, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.81
Rowood Bridge 80 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Rowood Bridge no.80
Bridge nbr:80 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Rowood Bridge no.85
Pipes and footbridge 79a crossing the Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge +
FootBridge 79a
PipeBridge and Footbridge 79a - Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipebridge + FootBridge
Grand Union Canal - Bridge 79 - Elmdon Heath Bridge
Elmdon Heath Bridge
Elmdon Heath Bridge nbr:79 and Pipebridge
Elmdon Heath
Bridge 79 + Pipebridge
Bridge 78a, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.78a
Canal Bridge nbr:78a
Bridge 78a
Catherine de Barnes Bridge - 78, Grand Union Canal, England.
Catherine de Barnes
Bridge no.78
Grand Union Canal - Catherine de Barnes Bridge
Catherine de Barnes
 Bridge
Canal Pipebridge
Pipebridge
Canal pipebridge, Grand Union Canal, England.
PipeBridge
Henwood Bridge nbr:77 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Henwood Bridge 77
Syphons and Henwood Bridge 77 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Syphon + Bridge no.77
Aqueduct where the Canal goes over the River Blythe
River Blythe Aqueduct
Canal Bridge 76 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.76
Canal Bridge 88c
Bridge no.76
Grand Union Canal Bridge 88c
M42 Bridge no.75b
Barston Lane Bridge - Grand Union Canal Bridge 75a
Barston Lane Bridge no.75a
Bridges 75a and 75b on the Grand Union Canal, England
Bridges nos.75a and 75b
Copt Heath Bridge nbr.75
Copt Heath Bridge no.75
Copt Heath Bridge 75 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Copt Heath Bridge
Castle Bridge nbr:74, Grand Union Canal, England.
Castle Bridge no.74
Castle Bridge - Canal Bridge 74
Castle Bridge 74
Waterfield Bridge - 73, Grand Union Canal, England.
Waterfield Bridge no.73
Waterfield Bridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Waterfield Bridge
Syphon or Sluice on the Grand Union
A syphon near
Bridge 72a
Canal Syphon, Grand Union Canal, England.
Syphon near Bridge 72a
Kixley FootBridge 72a, Grand Union Canal, England.
Kixley Footbridge
no.72a
Kixley Footbridge 72a
Kixley Road Bridge
Bridge 72 - Kixley Road Bridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Kixley Road Bridge 72
Kixley Roadbridge - 72
Bridge no.71
Bridge no71 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Kixley Footbridge
 no.72a
Bridge 71, Grand Union Canal, England.
Bridge no.71
Knowle Lock 51, Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Lock Flight -
Lock no.51
Knowle Locks - Canal Lock 51 Lockgates - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Locks -
Lock no.51 Gates

About the Knowle Lock Flight on The Grand Union Canal.

Originally Knowle Locks were a series of six narrow locks but one lock was removed and the remaining five were modernised into wide locks during the 1930 Grand Union Canal Improvement. The remains of the old narrow locks are still evident as can more or less be seen on our Lock 49 photo below. Knowle Locks are the northernmost wide locks on the Grand Union Canal - from here and north on into Birimingham all the canal locks are narrow.
Knowle Lock 50 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Lock Flight - Lock no.50
Knowle Lock Gates at Lock 50 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Locks -
Lock no.50 Gates
Knowle Lock 49, Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Lock Flight -
Lock no.49
Grand Union Canal - Knowle Lock 49
Knowle Locks -
 Lock no.49
Knowle Lock 48 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Lock Flight -
 Lock no.48
Lockgates at Knowle Lock48 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Locks -
Lock no.48 Gates
Knowle Lock Flight, Grand Union Canal, England.
View of Knowle Locks
Knowle Lock 47 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Lock Flight -
Lock no.47
Knowle Locks - Lock 47 gates - Grand Union Canal, England.
Knowle Locks -
Lock no.47 Gates
Kings Arms Bridge, Grand Union Canal, England.
Kings Arms Bridge 70
Kings Arms Bridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Kings Arms Bridge 70
Black Boy Bridge, Grand Union Canal, England.
Black Boy Bridge no.69
Grand Union Canal - Black Boy Bridge
Black Boy Bridge 69
Bridge 68 - Bakers Lane bridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Bakers Lane Bridge no.68
Grand Union Main Line - Bakers Lane Bridge 68
Bakers Lane Bridge 68

Grand Union Canal Bridge 67 is a Turnover Bridge.

These nicely shaped bridges took the towpath gently up to the height of the bridge and were built fairly wide across. This allowed the horses towing the barges to cross over the canal without having to be unhitched whenever the towpath changed sides or perhaps to switch to another canal. The walkways up and down from the towpath are usually cobbled for grip.
Once over this bridge the towpath from here heading on south is in a terrible state especially if it's been raining. There are several collapses, quite high undergrowth and you have to try and get past some quite deep, slippery muddy stretches - also cyclists should watch out for one or two potholes which can be quite well hidden in the undergrowth. The condition of this section of the Grand Union Canal's towpath only improves a few hundred metres from Rising Bridge 66 (which is on the western side of Lapworth).
Turnover Bridge 67 near Lapworth, Grand Union Canal, England. Grand Union Canal - Turnover Bridge 67 Pipebridge - Grand Union Canal, England.
Turnover Bridge no.67
Turnover Bridge 67
Pipe near Bridge no.66


Grand Union Canal Pipe bridge Grand Union Canal Bridge 66 - Rising Bridge Rising Bridge 66 - Grand Union Canal, England.
Pipe Bridge
Rising Bridge no.66
Rising Bridge 66

Our topics about the Grand Union Canal - from it's start in Birmingham south to where it meets The Thames in London:



Grand Union Canal in Birmingham
Grand Union Canal - Camp Hill Locks and Knowle Locks - this page
Grand Union Canal Lapworth - Hatton Locks
The Grand Union Canal Fosse Locks - Napton
Grand Union Canal Braunston area
Grand Union Canal around Stoke Bruerne
Wolverton - Horton on the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal Ivinghoe - Kings Langley
Grand Union Canal - Denham area
& Grand Union Canal on into London
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The Grand Union Canal in England - walks and features - created by www.foxysislandwalks.co.uk