England's Grand Union - Leicester Canal Lock and Bridge Pictures

Grand Union Junction Canal - The Leicester Section.

GUJC Leicester Canal (Section) photographs of bridges, locks and other canal features as the beautiful canal wanders along from the Market Harborugh canal junction at the bottom of Foxton Locks to it's end/start at Birstall - north of Leicester City.

Once through Foxton Locks and the Market Harborough Junction the canal again enters really beautiful and - at least until it nears the City of Leicester - quite remote countryside. Another feature is that the canal locks starting from Kibworth Top Lock (Lock 18) are doubles - i.e. able to take two barges at a time.
Please see our Leicester Canal topic for all the canal's features between Norton Junction right up to Gumley Road Bridge and down Foxton Locks or our Market Harborough topic for loads of information about a walk along it's Arm and also covering a lot more information and pictures about Foxton and it's inclined plane etc.

Canal Junction: Market Harborough - Leicester Canal Rainbow Bridge 62 - Leicester Canal Branch Leicester Canal Rainbow Bridge 62 Footbridge 63 - Leicester Canal Section Leicester Canal - Footbridge 63
Market Harborough Arm Leaves Rainbow Bridge 62 Rainbow Bridge 62 Footbridge 63 Footbridge 63
Leicester Canal Branch, Pat's Bridge 64 Pat's Bridge 64 Debdale Wharf Bridge 65 - Leicester Canal Branch Leicester Canal Debdale Wharf Bridge 65 Leicester Section - Debdale Wharf
Pat's Bridge 64 Pat's Bridge 64 Debdale Wharf Bridge 65 Debdale Wharf Bridge 65 Debdale Wharf
Site of missing Leicester Canal Bridge 66 Destroyed Bridge 66, Leicester Branch Leicester Canal Branch, Binley's Bridge 67 Binley's Bridge 67 Bridge no:68 - Leicester Canal
Missing bridge 66 Missing bridge 66 Binley's Bridge 67 Binley's Bridge 67 Bridge 68
Leicester Canal Bridge 68 Gumley Bridge - 69 Gumley Bridge no:69 Leicester Canal - Long Hill Bridge 70 Long Hill bridge no:70
Bridge 68 Gumley Bridge 69 Gumley Bridge 69 Long Hill Bridge 70 Long Hill Bridge 70
Bridge 71 Leicester Canal Bridge 71 Leicester Canal - Saddington Feeder Arm Smeeton Aqueduct Leicester Canal - Smeeton Aqueduct
Bridge 71 Bridge 71 Saddington Feeder Arm Smeeton Aqueduct Smeeton Aqueduct
Aqueduct track, Leicester Section Smeeton Roadbridge no:72 Smeeton Roadbridge - 72 Leicester Canal - Saddington Tunnel's South East Portal North Western Portal of Saddington Tunnel - Leicester Canal
Smeeton Aqueduct track Smeeton Roadbridge 72 Smeeton Roadbridge 72 Saddington Tunnel SE end Saddington Tunnel NW end

Saddington Tunnel. This slightly crooked tunnel was built in 1797 and is 808 metres long and available for two way working for boats of 3.96 metres or less beam and maximum of 2.13 metres high. The tunnel does not have an internal towpath - if walking the canal's route simply follow the marked route which goes up and over the hillside directly following the tunnel's route.

Leicester Canal - Saddington Tunnel's NW Portal Fleckney Bridge 73 Leicester Canal Branch - Fleckney Bridge 73 Leicester Branch, Ross Bridge 74 Ross Bridge no:74
Saddington Tunnel NW end Fleckney Bridge 73 Fleckney Bridge 73 Ross Bridge 74 Ross Bridge 74
Kibworth Top Lock 18 Leicester Canal - Lock Gates at Kibworth Top Lock 18 Canal Pipebridge near Kibworth Leicester Canal - Pipe Bridge - Kibworth Kibworth Second Lock 19
Kibworth Top Lock 18 Kibworth Top Lock 18 Pipe Bridge - Kibworth Pipebridge at Kibworth Kibworth Second Lock 19
Leicester Branch GUJC - Kibworth Second Lock 19 Taylor's Turnover Lock 20 Leicester Canal - Taylor's Turnover Lock 20 Leicester Section - Kibworth Bridge 75 Kibworth Bridge 75
Kibworth Second Lock 19 Taylor's Turnover Lock 20 Taylor's Turnover Lock 20 Kibworth Bridge 75 Kibworth Bridge 75
G.U.J.C. Leicester Branch - Pywell's Lock 21 Pywell's Lock No:21 Leicester Canal Syphon Nice brickwork at a sluice on the Leicester Canal Canal syphon near Pywell
Pywell's Lock 21 Pywell's Lock 21 Pywell Syphon Sluice brickwork Sluice
Leicester Canal, Glen Aqueduct Leicester Canal - Crane's Lock 22 Crane's Lock - 22 Crane's Bridge 76 Leicester Branch, Crane's Bridge 76
Glen Aqueduct Crane's Lock 22 Crane's Lock 22 Crane's Bridge 76 Crane's Bridge 76

From Crane's Bridge there is a nice path which slightly dog-legs as it crosses several fields and then heads almost directly back into Fleckney - it takes around 30 minutes to walk. At Fleckney there is a small supermarket and several nice pubs which might be of interest if laying up at Crane's Lock whilst on a boating holiday. The canal itself continues it's trip towards the City of Leicester travelling through some really beautifull countryside via really nice canal locks and some beautiful brick canal bridges. The towpath is fine for walking as it's generally in good condition all the way into the City - sometimes grass but quite often it has been levelled and gravelled so also generally good for anyone wanting to cycle - however there are one or two very minor collapses to watch for if cycling but it's nothing like the mess which exists around Branston for instance.

Leicester Canal Aqueduct Stream with the Leicester Canal crossing above on its Aqueduct Canal Aqueduct Bowden Roadbridge - 77 Bowden Roadbridge 77
Aqueduct Canal goes over a small stream Canal aqueduct Bowden Roadbridge 77 Bowden Roadbridge 77
Ivy Bridge - 78 Ivy Bridge 78 High Bridge - 79 Leicester Canal - High Bridge no.79 Newton Bridge no:80
Ivy Bridge 78 Ivy Bridge 78 High Bridge 79 High Bridge 79 Newton Bridge 80
Newton Bridge - Bridge no:80 - Leicester Canal Newton Top Lock 23 Lock gates at Newton Top Lock Spinney Lock - Lock 24 Spinney Lock Gates
Newton Bridge Newton Top Lock 23 Newton Top Lock Gates Spinney Lock 24 Spinney Lock - Gates
Spinney Lock 24 Wain Bridge no:81 A pipe bridge adjacent to Wain Bridge, Leicester Canal Top Half Mile Lock 25 Leicester Canal - Top Half Mile Lock
Spinney Lock - 24 Wain Bridge - 81 Pipe Bridge + Wain Bridge Top Half Mile Lock Top Half Mile Lock 25
Top Half Mile Lock Gates Bottom Half Mile Lock Gates Turnover Lock 27 - Leicester Canal Turnover Lock 27 Turnover Bridge 82 - Leicester Canal
Lock Gates - Top Half Mile Lock Bottom Half Mile Gates Turnover Lock - 27 Turnover Lock Turnover Bridge 82
Turnover Bridge 82 Tythorn Lock Gates Tythorn Lock 28 Bumble Bee Lock 29 on the Leicester Canal Section Bumble Bee Lock no:29
Turnover Bridge 82 Tythorn Lock Gates Tythorn Lock - 28 Bumble Bee Lock - 29 Bumble Bee Lock
Tythorn Canal Bridge no 84 Leicester Canal GUJC - Tythorn Bridge Canal Bridges in England - Leicester Section's Clifton Bridge Clifton Bridge 85 (Leicester Section) Ellis's Bridge no 86
Tythorn Bridge 84 Tythorn Bridge - 84 Clifton bridge - 85 Clifton Bridge - 85 Elis's Bridge - 86
Ellis's Bridge no:86 Kilby Canal Bridge 87 Kilby Canal Bridge Lock Gates at Kilby Lock Kilby Lock no:30
Ellis's Bridge 86 Kilby Canal Bridge 87 Kilby Canal Bridge 87 Kilby Lock Kilby Lock 30
Kilby Lock Bridge - Bridge no:88 Taylor's Bridge 89 Canal Bridges - Taylor's Bridge Double Rail Lock no:31 Lock Gates as you approach Double Rail Lock (Leicester Canal)
Kilby Lock Bridge - 88 Taylor's Bridge 89 Taylor's Bridge - 89 Double Rail Lock Double Rail Lock 31
Knight Bridge no90 Knight Bridge - 90 Pochin's Bridge no:91 Pochin's Bridge Ervine's Lock - Leicester Canal
Knight Bridge - 90 Knight Bridge - 90 Pochin's Bridge Pochin's Bridge - 91 Ervine's Lock - 32
Ervine's Lock no32 - it's lock gates Crow Mills Bridge 92 Leicester Canal - Crow Mills Bridge Vices Bridge no:93 Vice's Bridge - 93
Ervines Lock Crow Mills Bridge Crow Mills Bridge - 92 Vice's Bridge Vice's Bridge :-93
Bush Lock - Leicester Canal Bush Lock no 33 - lock-gates Little Glen Bridge - 94 Footbridge 94a alongside Canal Bridge 94 Knight's Bridge 95
Bush Lock 33 Bush Lock Little Glen Bridge Footbridge + Bridge 94 Knight's Bridge 95
Knight's Bridge - Leicester Canal Section Simpkin's Bridge - no:96 Simpkin's Bridge - Leicester Canal Bridge no:96 Beautiful railway bridge on the Leicdster Canal Railway Bridge 96a - Leicester Canal
Knight's Bridge: 95 Simpkin's Bridge: 96 Simpkin's Bridge Railway Bridge 96a Railway Bridge 96a
Dunn's Lock no 34 Lock gates at Dunn's Lock 34 Leicester Canal Section - Blaby Bridge Blaby Bridge no98 Whetstone Lane Lock 35
Dunn's Lock Dunn's Lock 34 - gates Blaby Bridge - 98 Blaby Bridge Whetstone Lane Lock 35
Whetstone Lane Lock - Leicester Canal GUJC Leicester Canal's Whetstone Lane Lock and Bridge Whetstone Lane Bridge 99 Canal Bridge no 99a Bridge 99a
Whetstone Lane Lock Whetstone Lane Bridge 99 Whetstone Lane Bridge Bridge 99a Bridge 99a
Site of a demolished railway bridge on the Leicester Section Demolished Railway Bridge - near Leicester Handford bridge 100 Handford Bridge no:100 Gee's Lock no 36
Demolished Railway Bridge Demolished Railway Bridge Handford Bridge Handford Bridge - 100 Gees Lock - 36
Lock apparatus at Gees Lock view into Gee's Lock no 36 on the Leicester Branch Gess Bridge no101 Gee's Bridge - Canal bridge no 101 Blue Bank Bridge 102
Gees Lock Gees Lock Gees Bridge 101 Gees Bridge Blue Bank Bridge
Blue Bank Bridge Blue Bank Lock - 37 Leicester Canal Section - Blue Bank Lock Blue Bank's Lock Gates Soar Valley Roadbridge
Blue Bank Bridge 102 Blue Bank Lock 37 Blue Bank Lock Lock Gates - Blue Bank Lock Soar Valley Roadbridge 103a
Soar Valley Roadbridge - Bridge 103a King's Lock 38 Looking into King's Lock - Leicester Canal Another view into King's Lock - Leicester Section King's Lock Bridge no104
Soar Valley Roadbridge Kings Lock Kings Lock + Bridge King's Lock38 Kings Lock Bridge 104

Pack Horse Bridges. Aylestone boasts a really beautiful example of a pack horse bridge - it can easily be seen and walked over from canal bridge 105 which also bears the same name i.e. Packhorse Bridge no:105. Aylestone's packhorse bridge (numbered Leicester County no:10) was thought to have been built in the 15th Century and creates a dry route across boggy ground and the River Soar - there are eleven small stone and granite arches in all.

Just a little further along towards Leicester you reach St Mary's Mill Lock and also St Mary's Mill itself - the mill is stil in quite intact condition and has really beautifull brickwork. Continue along just a little further and the canal passes under some excellent arches which belong to Twelve Arches Railway Bridge.

Beautiful Aylestone Pack Horse Bridge - south Leicester Pack Horse Bridge no 105 - Leicester Canal The narrow Packhorse Bridge at Aylestone Leicester Canal's Packhorse Bridge 105 Yet another view of the lovely Aylestone Packhorse Bridge
Aylestone Pack Horse Bridge - 10 Canal Packhorse Bridge Aylestone Pack Horse Bridge (Canal) Packhorse Bridge 105 Aylestone Pack Horse Bridge
Side Bridge from the canal to the River Soar Railway Bridge 105c Leicester Section - Railway bridge 105c The towpath at Freestone Bridge Freestone Bridge no106 - Leicester Section
Side Bridge Railway Bridge 105c Railway Bridge - 105c Canal Towpath at Freestone Bridge Freestone Bridge no 106
Leicester GUJC - Freestone Bridge 106 Parson's Bridge 107 Parson's Canal Bridge no107 Aylestone Mill Lock 39 View into Aylestone Mill Lock, Leicester
Freestone Bridge 106 Parson's Bridge 107 Parson's Bridge Aylestone Mill Lock Aylestone Mill Lock 39
Aylestone Mill Bridge no108 Aylestone Mill Bridge - canal bridge 108 Pipebridges near Pebble Beach - south Leicester Pebble Beach Pipebridges Towpath bridge near St Mary's Mill
Aylestone Mill Bridge Aylestone Mill Bridge 108 Pipe Bridges Pipe Bridges St Mary's Towpath
St Mary's Mill Lock - 40 Excellent brickwork belonging to St Mary's Mill, Leicester Lock Gates at St Marys Mill Lock Canal side bridge no 108c Twelve Arches Railway Bridge - Bridge 108d - Leicester
St Mary's Mill Lock 40 St Mary's Mill Lock Gates - Lock 40 Side Bridge 108c Twelve Arches Railway Bridge
Twelve Arches Railway Bridge Freeman's Meadow Lock 41 Leicester - Freeman's Meadow Lock no 41 view into Freeman's Meadow Lock, Leicester canal sidebridge - Leicester
Twelve Arches Bridge 108d Freeman's Meadow Lock 41 Freeman's Meadow Lock Freeman's Meadow Lock Side-Bridge
Excellent side bridge between the canal and River Soar at Leicester Leicester City sidebridge Walnut Bridge no 109 Into Leicester itself - Walnut Bridge going over the canal Swan Bridge 109a
Sidebridge Sidebridge Walnut Bridge 109 Walnut Bridge Swan Bridge 109a
Leicester - Swan Bridge no 109a Mill Lane Bridge 110 at Leicester Mill Lane Bridge Leicester Newarke Road Bridge 111 Leicester - Newarke Road Bridge goes over the canal
Swan Bridge Mill Lane Bridge Mill Lane Bridge 110 Newarke Roadbridge 111 Newarke Road Bridge

The Canal has now managed to get well into the City of Leicester however you would hardly know this - there is a great deal of parkland around - the canal has quite a few trees and so on and the whole stretch is a pleasure to walk through - and it's generally very peacefull with little traffic noise etc. On one side of the canal you do find quite a few old buildings and warehouses etc which have been re-furbished, turned into flats and so on - also there are one or two brick chimneys still in existance. Leicester City authorities have gone to some trouble to keep the canal looking like a canal - an exampe of this is where they have had to put strong concrete bridges over the canal for traffic reasons yet they have adorned and painted up these bridges with nice ornamental metal work.
West Bridge is dual numbered - with the canal's sequence ending at 112 and the other side of the bridge numbered as Bridge 1 i.e. starting off the River Soar's sequence. Despite this numbering this is not in reality the end of the canal since at Evan's Weir the River Soar goes off to the left and the canal continues bearing right via old warehouses. This diversion was built in the late 1800s as part of flood prevention schemes.

Canal footbridge no 111a Footbridge no 111a - Leicester Colourfull Leicester - West Bridge 112 West Bridge 112 West Bridge - bridge number 1 this side
Footbridge 111a Footbridge 111a West Bridge 112 West Bridge 112 West Bridge - 1
Leicester City canal sidebridge View of Evan's Weir at Leicester some old sluice control gates at Evan's Weir Leicester - River Soar Bridge Evan's Weir
Sidebridge Evan's Weir Evan's weir sluice gates River Soar Bridge Evan's Weir
Soar Lane Bridge 3 Leicester - Soar Lane Bridge - 3 Hitchock's Weir Bridges - no:4 View of the River Soar from the canal - Leicester Canal sidebridge in Leicester
Soar Lane Bridge 3 Soar Lane Bridge Hitchock's Weir Bridge 4 Hitchock's Weir Bridge Sidebridge

There are several weirs and ornamental sidebridges along this stretch where the canal and River Soar keep briefly meeting - Hitchcock's Weir is particularly interesting and full of wildlife such as swans, herons and of course plump ducks.

Hitchcock's Weir - Bridge 4 View into Leicester Canal's North Lock 42 North Lock 42 - it's lock gates North Bridge 5 - right next to the lock Leicester - North Bridge 5
Hitchcock's Weir Bridges North Lock 42 North Lock North Bridge 5 North Bridge 5
Abbey lane Bridge 6 at Leicester Abbey Lane Bridge Friday Street Bridge 7 Leicester - Friday Street Bridge Chimneys and warehouses alongside the canal at Leicester
Abbey Lane Bridge 6 Abbey Lane Bridge Friday Street Bridge Friday Street Bridge - 7 Chimneys and warehouses - Leicester
Pipebridge - Leicester Pipe Bridge - Leicester Leicester - Memory Lane Wharf Lime Kiln Lock 43 Lock Gates at Leicester's Lime Kiln Lock
Pipebridge Pipebridge Memory Lane Wharf Lime Kiln Lock Lime Kiln Lock 43
wharf near to Abbey Park - Leicester Abbey Road roadbridge 9 Abbey Park Road Bridge - Leicester Pipe bridge towards the end of the canal - Leicester Nice pipebridge - Leicester Canal
Wharf near Abbey Park Abbey Park Roadbridge Abbey Park Roadbridge 9 Pipe Bridge Pipe Bridge
Swan's Nest Bridge 10 - Leicester Swan's Nest Bridge Leicester - Belgrave Lock no 44 Belgrave Lock 44 - it's lock gates Swan's Nest Weir - canal and River Soar mingle together again
Swan's Nest Bridge - 10 Swan's Nest Bridge Belgrave Lock Belgrave Lock 44 - Gates Swan's Nest Weir

Holden St Bridge - Leicester North Leicester City - Holden St Bridge As the canal reaches it's end there are still quite a few semi-derelict warehouses and mills on one side - they look really nice with their brickwork, windows and the occasional mill chimney. On the left of the canal there are extensive garden and public areas which is Leicester City's Abbey Park. The canal and River Soar then re-join at Swan's Nest Weir and Belgrave Lock - from here onwards the navigation is the River Soar. Ultimately the River Soar (now known as The Grand Union - River Soar) ends up at a canal crossroads - meeting the Erewash Canal, The River Trent itself and the Trent and Mersey Canal at Trent Lock south of Long Eaton.

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