Leicester Section Lock and Bridge Pictures

The Leicester Canal Section - Pywells Lock on into Leicester City and The Soar.

Bridges, Locks and Weirs on The Beautiful Leicester Canal Section as it heads on into Leicester and meets up with the The River Soar.

This final part of our Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal topic follows the canal via lovely countryside right into the heart of Leicester City travelling through some really beautiful countryside via really nice canal locks and some excellently bricked canal bridges. The towpath is fine for walking as it's generally in good condition all the way into the City - sometimes it's grassy but quite often it has been levelled and gravelled so also generally comfortable for anyone wanting to cycle it. However there are one or two very minor collapses to watch for if cycling but it's nothing like the mess which exists around Braunston between the locks and that canal's tunnel for instance.
Leicester Section - Pywell's Lock 21
Pywell's Lock 21
Pywell's Lock No:21
Pywell's Lock 21
Leicester Section Syphon
Pywell Syphon
Leicester Section - Nice brickwork at a sluice on the Leicester Canal
Pywell Syphon
brick work
Leicester Section - Canal syphon near Pywell
Pywell Syphon
Glen Aqueduct - Leicester Canal
Glen Aqueduct
Leicester Section - Crane's Lock 22
Crane's Lock 22
Crane's Lock - 22
Crane's Lock 22
Leicester Section - Crane's Bridge 76
Crane's Bridge 76
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 standard of brickwork used for the canal's bridges, sluices, canal locks and aqueducts when the canals were constructed is excellent - for instance by the aqueduct shown below if you scramble down from the towpath and you can see some nice brickwork where the canal crosses a stream and the associated brickwork.

Leicester Section Aqueduct
Canal Aqueduct
Stream with the Leicester Canal crossing above on its Aqueduct
Scramble down from the towpath.
Leicester Section Canal Aqueduct
Canal Aqueduct
Bowden Roadbridge - 77
Bowden Roadbridge
Leicester Section - Bowden Roadbridge 77
Bowden Roadbridge
Leicester Section - Ivy Bridge - 78
Ivy Bridge - 78
Ivy Bridge 78
Ivy Bridge 78
Leicester Section - High Bridge - 79
High Bridge - 79
High Bridge no.79
High Bridge no.79
Leicester Section - Newton Bridge no:80
Newton Bridge no:80
Newton Bridge - Bridge no:80 - Leicester Canal
Newton Bridge - Bridge no:80 - Leicester Canal
Leicester Section - Newton Top Lock 23
Newton
Top Lock 23
Lock gates at Newton Top Lock
Lock gates at
Newton Top Lock
Leicester Section - Spinney Lock - Lock 24
Spinney Lock -
Lock 24
Spinney Lock Gates
Spinney Lock Gates
Spinney Lock 24
Spinney Lock 24
Leicester Section - Wain Bridge no:81
Wain Bridge no:81
A pipe bridge adjacent to Wain Bridge, Leicester Canal
A pipe bridge
adjacent to Wain Bridge
Leicester Section - Top Half Mile Lock 25
Top Half Mile Lock 25
Top Half Mile Lock
Leicester Canal - Top Half Mile Lock
Top Half Mile Lock Gates
Top Half Mile Lock Gates
Bottom Half Mile Lock Gates
Bottom Half Mile
Lock Gates
Turnover Lock 27 - Leicester Canal
Turnover Lock 27 - Leicester Canal
Leicester Section - Turnover Lock 27
Turnover Lock 27
Leicester Section - Turnover Bridge 82 - Leicester Canal
Turnover Bridge 82 - Leicester Canal
Turnover Bridge 82
Turnover Bridge 82
Tythorn Lock Gates
Tythorn Lock Gates
Leicester Section - Tythorn Lock 28
Tythorn Lock 28
Bumble Bee Lock 29 on the Leicester Canal Section
Bumble Bee Lock 29
Leicester Section, Bumble Bee Lock no:29
Bumble Bee Lock no:29
Leicester Section - Tythorn Bridge no 84
Tythorn Canal Bridge no 84
Tythorn Bridge
Leicester Canal
 Tythorn Bridge
Canal Bridges in England - Leicester Section's Clifton Bridge
Clifton Bridge
Clifton Bridge 85 (Leicester Section)
Clifton Bridge 85
Leicester Section - Ellis's Bridge no 86
Ellis's Bridge no 86
Ellis's Bridge no:86
Ellis's Bridge no:86
Leicester Section - Kilby Bridge 87
Kilby Canal Bridge 87
Kilby Bridge
Kilby Bridge
Lock Gates at Kilby Lock
Lock Gates at Kilby Lock
Leicester Section - Kilby Lock no:30
Kilby Lock no:30
Leicester Section - Kilby Lock Bridge no:88
Kilby Lock Bridge -
Bridge no:88
Leicester Section - Taylor's Bridge 89
Taylor's Bridge 89
Taylor's Bridge
Taylor's Bridge
Leicester Section - Double Rail Lock no:31
Double Rail Lock no:31
Lock Gates as you approach Double Rail Lock (Leicester Canal)
Lock Gates -
Double Rail Lock
Knight Bridge no90
Knight Bridge no90
Leicester Section - Knight Bridge - 90
Knight Bridge - 90
Pochin's Bridge no:91
Pochin's Bridge no:91
Leicester Section - Pochin's Bridge
Pochin's Bridge
Ervine's Lock - Leicester Canal
Ervine's Lock - Leicester Canal
Leicester Section - Ervine's Lock no32 - it's lock gates
Ervine's Lock no32 -
t's lock gates
Leicester Section - Crow Mills Bridge 92
Crow Mills Bridge 92
Crow Mills Bridge
Crow Mills Bridge
Vice's Bridge - Leicester Canal Arm
Vice's Bridge
Leicester Section - Vice's Bridge 93
Vice's Bridge :-93
Bush Lock 33 Leicester Canal Arm
Bush Lock 33
Bush Lock  on the Leicester Canal Arm
Bush Lock
Leicester Section - Little Glen Bridge
Little Glen Bridge
Leicester Section - Footbridge + Bridge 94
Footbridge + Bridge 94
Leicester Section - Knight's Bridge 95
Knight's Bridge 95
Leicester Section - Knight's Bridge
Knight's Bridge
Leicester Section - Simpkin's Bridge - no:96
Simpkin's Bridge - no:96
Simpkin's Bridge - Leicester Canal Bridge no:96
Simpkin's Bridge 96
Beautiful railway bridge on the Leicester Canal
Beautiful railwaybridge - Leicester Canal
Railway Bridge 96a - Leicester Canal
Railway Bridge 96a
Leicester Section - Dunn's Lock no 34
Dunn's Lock
Lock gates at Dunn's Lock 34
Dunns Lock Gates
Leicester Section Section - Blaby Bridge
Blaby Bridge
Blaby Bridge no98
Blaby Bridge
Leicester Section - Whetstone Lane Lock 35
Whetstone Lane
Lock 35
Whetstone Lane Lock - Leicester Canal GUJC
Whetsone Lane Lock 35
Leicester Section's Whetstone Lane Lock and Bridge
Whetstone Lane
Bridge
Whetstone Lane Bridge 99
Whetstone Lane
Bridge 99
Leicester Section - Canal Bridge no 99a
Canal Bridge no 99a
Leicester Section Bridge 99a
Bridge 99a
Site of a demolished railway bridge on the Leicester Section
Site of demolished
railway bridge
Demolished Railway Bridge - near Leicester
Demolished Railwaybridge - near Leicester
Handford bridge 100
Handford Bridge
Leicester Section - Handford Bridge no:100
Handford Bridge 100
Leicester Section - Gee's Lock no 36
Gees Lock
Lock apparatus at Gees Lock
Gees Lock
Leicester Section - view into Gee's Lock no 36
Gees Lock 36
Gess Bridge no101
Gees Bridge 101
Gee's Bridge - Canal bridge no 101
Gees Bridge
Blue Bank Bridge 102
Blue Bank Bridge
Leicester Section - Blue Bank Bridge
Blue Bank Bridge
Blue Bank Lock - 37
Blue Bank Lock 37
Leicester Section Section - Blue Bank Lock
Blue Bank Lock
Blue Bank's Lock Gates
Blue Bank Lock Gates
Leicester Section - Soar Valley Roadbridge
Soar Valley Roadbridge
Soar Valley Roadbridge - Bridge 103a
Soar Valley Roadbridge - Bridge 103a
Leicester Section, King's Lock 38
Kings Lock
Leicester Section - Looking into King's Lock
King's Lock with Bridge 104 behind
Another view into King's Lock - Leicester Section
View into
 King's Lock
King's Lock Bridge no104
King's Lock Bridge 104

The Leicester Section and Pack Horse Bridges.

Aylestone boasts a really beautiful example of a canal 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 still in quite intact condition and has really beautiful brickwork. Continue along just a little further and the Leicester canal passes under some excellent arches which belong to Twelve Arches Railway Bridge.
Beautiful Aylestone Pack Horse Bridge - south Leicester
Aylestone Pack
 Horse Bridge
Leicester Section - Pack Horse Bridge no 105
Canal version of a Pack Horse Bridge
Leicester Section - The narrow Packhorse Bridge at Aylestone
Aylestone Pack
Horse Bridge
Leicester Section Packhorse Bridge 105
 Packhorse Bridge 105
Yet another view of the lovely Aylestone Packhorse Bridge
Aylestone
Packhorse Bridge
Leicester Section - Side Bridge from the canal to the River Soar
Leicester Canal - side bridge
Railway Bridge 105c
Railway Bridge 105c
Leicester Section - Railway bridge 105c
Railway bridge 105c
Leicester Section - The towpath at Freestone Bridge
The towpath at
Freestone Bridge
Leicester Section - Freestone Bridge no106
Freestone Bridge no 106
Leicester Section - Freestone Bridge 106
Freestone Bridge 106
Leicester Section - Parson's Bridge 107
Parson's Bridge 107
Parson's Canal Bridge no107
Parson's Bridge no107
Leicester Section - Aylestone Mill Lock 39
Aylestone Mill
 Lock 39
View inside Aylestone Mill Lock, Leicester Canal
Aylestone Mill Lock
Leicester Section - Aylestone Mill Bridge no108
Aylestone Mill
Bridge 108
Aylestone Mill Bridge - canal bridge 108
Aylestone Mill Bridge
Pipebridges near Pebble Beach - south Leicester
Pipebridges near
 Pebble Beach
Leicester Section - Pebble Beach Pipebridges
Pebble Beach
Pipebridges
Leicester Section - Towpath bridge near St Mary's Mill
Towpath bridge
near St Mary's Mill
St Mary's Mill Lock - 40
St Mary's Mill
 Lock 40
Excellent brickwork belonging to St Mary's Mill, Leicester Canal
Beautifull area round
 St Mary's Mill
Leicester Section, Lock Gates at St Marys Mill Lock
Lock Gates St Mary's
Mill Lock 40
Leicester Section side bridge no 108c
Side Bridge 108c
Leicester Section - Twelve Arches Railway Bridge - Bridge 108d, Leicester
Twelve Arches
Railway Bridge
Leicester Section - Twelve Arches Railway Bridge
Twelve Arches Railwaybridge
Leicester Section - Freeman's Meadow Lock 41
Freeman's Meadow
Lock 41
Freeman's Meadow Lock no 41
Freeman's Meadow
Lock no 41
view into Freeman's Meadow Lock, Leicester
view inside Freeman's Meadow Lock
Leicester Section - canal sidebridge, Leicester
canal sidebridge
Excellent side bridge between the canal and River Soar at Leicester
Side bridge - Leicester canal and River Soar
Leicester Section - Leicester City sidebridge
Leicester Canal
sidebridge
Leicester Section - Walnut Bridge no 109
Walnut Bridge 109
Leicester Section - Into Leicester itself - Walnut Bridge going over the canal
Into Leicester itself - Walnut Bridge
Swan Bridge 109a on the Leicester Canal Section
Swan Bridge 109a
Leicester Section - Leicester - Swan Bridge no 109a
Swan Bridge no 109a
Leicester Section - Mill Lane Bridge 110 at Leicester
Mill Lane Bridge
Mill Lane Bridge Leicester
Mill Lane Bridge 110
Leicester Section - Newarke Road Bridge 111
Newarke Road
Bridge 111
Leicester Section - Leicester - Newarke Road Bridge goes over the canal
Newarke Road Bridge

The Leicester Section has now managed to get itself well into the City of Leicester however you would hardly know this as 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 as it's generally very peaceful 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 i.e. converted into flats and so on - also there are one or two old brick chimneys still in existence. Leicester City authorities have gone to some trouble to keep the canal looking like a canal - an example 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 Leicester Section 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.

Leicester Section - Canal footbridge no 111a
Leicster Canal
 - foot bridge 111a
Leicester Section - Footbridge no 111a - Leicester
Leicster Canal
footbridge 111a
Leicester Section - Colourfull Leicester - West Bridge 112
Colourfull West
Bridge 112 - Leicester
Leicester Section - West Bridge 112
West Bridge 112
Leicester Section - West Bridge - bridge number 1 this side
West Bridge - bridge
no.1 this side
Leicester Section - Leicester City canal sidebridge
Leicester City canal sidebridge
Leicester Section - View of Evan's Weir at Leicester
View of Evans Weir
at Leicester
Leicester Section - some old sluice control gates at Evan's Weir
Evan's weir
sluice gates
Leicester Section - Leicester - River Soar Bridge
Leicester -
River Soar Bridge
Leicester Section - Evan's Weir
Evan's Weir - Leicester
Leicester Section - Soar Lane Bridge 3
Soar Lane Bridge 3
Soar Lane Bridge - 3
Leicester -
Soar Lane Bridge
Leicester Section - Hitchock's Weir Bridges - no:4
Hitchock's Weir
Bridge 4
View of the River Soar from the canal - Leicester
The River Soar
 at Leicester
Leicester Section sidebridge in Leicester
Canal sidebridge,
Leicester
Leicester Section - Hitchcock's Weir - Bridge 4
Hitchcocks Weir -
 Bridge 4
View into Leicester Canal's North Lock 42
View Leicester Canals
North Lock 42
Leicester Section -  North Lock 42 - it's lock gates
North Lock 42
it's lock gates
Leicester Section - North Bridge 5 - right next to the lock
North Bridge 5
next to the lock
North Bridge 5
Leicester -
North Bridge 5

There are several weirs and ornamental side bridges along this stretch where the Leicester Canal Section and the River Soar keep briefly meeting - Hitchcock's Weir is particularly interesting and full of wildlife such as swans, herons and the flash of a high speed kingfisher or two - and of course plump ducks.

Leicester Section - Abbey lane Bridge 6 at Leicester
Abbey Lane Bridge 6
Abbey Lane Bridge
Leicester Canal -
Abbey Lane Bridge
Leicester Section - Friday Street Bridge 7
Friday Street Bridge over the Leicester Section
Leicester Section - Leicester - Friday Street Bridge
Friday Street
 Bridge - 7
Chimneys and warehouses alongside the canal at Leicester
Chimneys + warehouses - beside the Leicester Canal
Leicester Section - Pipebridge
Leicester canal pipebridge
Pipe Bridge - Leicester
Pipebridge
Leicester Section - Memory Lane Wharf
Memory Lane Wharf
Leicester Section - Lime Kiln Lock 43
Kiln Lock on the
Leicester Canal
Lock Gates at Leicester's Lime Kiln Lock
Lime Kiln Lock 43
Leicester Section wharf near to Abbey Park - Leicester
Abbey Park Wharf
 in Leceister
Leicester Section - Abbey Road roadbridge 9
Abbey Park roadbridge - Leicester
Leicester Section - Abbey Park Road Bridge
Abbey Park Road
 Bridge - Leicester
Leicester Section - Pipe bridge towards the end of the canal - Leicester
Pipe bridge towards the end of the canal - Leicester
Leicester Section - Nice pipebridge
Nice pipebridge -
Leicester Canal
Swan's Nest Bridge 10 - Leicester
Swan's Nest Bridge 10 - Leicester
Leicester Section - Swan's Nest Bridge
Swan's Nest
Bridge - 10
Leicester Section - Leicester - Belgrave Lock no 44
Belgrave Lock on the Leicester Canal section
Belgrave Lock 44 - it's lock gates
Belgrave Lock 44
Leicester Section - Swan's Nest Weir - canal and River Soar mingle together again
City of Leicester -
Swans Nest Weir

Leicester Section - Holden St Bridge - Leicester Leicester Section - North Leicester City - Holden St Bridge As the Leicester canal reaches it's end there are still quite a few semi-derelict warehouses and mills on one side of it - they look really nice with their old battered brickwork, windows and the occasional mill or factory chimney. On the left of the canal there are extensive garden and public areas which comprises 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 which is located south of Long Eaton, Derbyshire.

We have two more topics about the Leicester Section - one covers the canal's journey on it's route from Norton Junction to Welford and the other one follows the canal as it continues via Husbands Bosworth Tunnel to Foxton and Kibworth.

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