The Stratford-on-Avon Canal - Lapworth Lock Flight and Kingswood Junction.

The series of Locks which make up Lapworth Lock Flight on the Stratford-on-Avon Canal are some of the most interesting to be found on the English Waterways.

The Canal's locks are very similar to those found on the Oxford Canal i.e. they are narrow and only one barge at a time can go through - transversing Lapworth Locks can therefore take some time - particularly the 6 to 14 sequence and shortly after that the 15 to 19 sequence of locks all of which are right on top of each other. Around halfway down the flight there is the canal junction at Kingswood (the Lapworth Link) where a connection to the Grand Union Canal exists - just to add to the fun!.

Lift Bridge 28.

Lapworth TopLock.

Top Lock 2.

Bridge 29.

Lapworth Lock 3.

lockgates lock 3.

Lock 4 + Bridge 30.

Lapworth Lock 4.

Bridge 30.

Lock 5.

Bridge 31.

Bridge 31.

Lock 6.

Lock 6 Gates.

Part of the Lock Flight.

The Stratford upon Avon Canal perhaps has something of a split personality as far as it's bridges are concerned. Right up too and including Bridge 30 (which is a turnover bridge) they are standard brick-built bridges with room under the bridge on one side or the other for the towpath. However once at Lock 7 you come across a complete change - many of the bridges are made of cast iron and there are footbridges placed at the end of many of the locks. These bridges were constructed in two sections with a one inch gap in the centre which enabled the tow-ropes attached to the horses to be passed through and thus avoid frequent un-harnessing.

Bridge 32 is a cast iron canal turnover footbridge

(see the photo on the right) i.e. the towpath changes sides and to accommodate the towrope and avoid un-harnessing and tangling up the tow-rope was guided round an iron "cotton reel".

Lock 7

Lapworth Lock7

Bridge no.32

Bridge 32 lug

Bridge 32

Lapworth Lock 8

Lapworth Lock 8.

Lapworth Lock 9.

Lapworth Lock 9.

Lapworth Lock 10.

Lapworth Lock 10.

Lapworth Lock 11.

Lapworth Lock 11.

Lapworth Lock 12.

Lapworth Lock 12.

Lapworth Lock 13.

Lapworth Lock 13.

Lapworth Lock 14.

Lock-14 Bridge-33 Pipe.

Bridge 33 + Pipes.

Bridge 33 + Pipebridge.

Canal Bridge no.34.

Canal Bridge no.34.

Lapworth Lock 15.

Lapworth Lock 15.

Lapworth Lock 16.

Lapworth Lock 16.

Lapworth Locks 16+17.

Lapworth Lock 17.

Lapworth Lock 17.

Lapworth Lock 18.

The area around the flight of locks at Lapworth is really well maintained with plenty of grass areas and quite a few bench seats available for people to use whilst perhaps watching the narrowboats navigating the many locks. The Lapworth Lock Flight consists of 26 locks in all with locks 6 to 14 immediately next to each other - the locks themselves are single locks with double bottom gates. In between each lock there is a quite large pool / pound of water available for any transitting narrowboats needing to wait their turn - these mini-reservoirs are also very useful for providing an immediate water source to the locks.

Lapworth Lock 18.

Canal Bridge no.35.

PipeBridge by bridge 35.

Canal Bridge no.35.

Lapworth Lock 19.

Canal Bridge no.35a.

Bridge36 + Lock20.

Lapworth Lock 20.

Lapworth Lock 20.

Lapworth Lock 20.

Canal Bridge no.36.

Lock 21 + Bridge 36.

Lapworth Lock 21.

Kingswood Junction.

Footbridge Kingswood Jc.

Kingswood Jc Railway Bridge.

Area at Kingswood Junction.

Kingswood Jc
Bridge no.37.

Kingswood Junction
Bridge 37.

Lapworth Lock Flight
Lock 22.

Canal Bridge no.37a.

Lapworth Lock 23.

Lapworth Lock 23.

Broom Hall Bridge no.38.

Canal Bridge no.38.

Lapworth Lock 24.

Lapworth Lock 24.

Dicks Lane Lock 25.

Dicks Lane Bridge 39.

Lock 26.

Lock 26 gates.

M40 bridge 39a.

Lapworth Bottom Lock 27.

Missing railway bridge.

Lock 30.

See our Stratford-on-Avon Canal (north) about the canal from it's start at Kings Norton Junction and our final section on the canal is about the remainder of the canal's journey from Lapworth Locks to it's end at Stratford-on-Avon where it meets up with the River Avon - Stratford-on-Avon South.