The Grand Union Canal - Leamington Spa to the Braunston Turn.

Features of The Grand Union Canal from Leamington Spa via Bascote Lock and Staircase Locks and Stockton Lock Flight then Napton Junction to Braunston Turn.

This part of the Grand Union boasts several marvellous series of canal locks and lock flights - namely at

Bascote Locks, Calcutt Locks and even more of them at Stockton Lock Flight

. As you can imagine, during the Spring and Summer this stretch of the Canal especially around the various locks gets quite busy with people on holiday - particularly on weekends. However if you can visit the area during weekdays everything is much more peaceful and enjoyable. Apart from the really interesting standard canal locks there is also the quite rare opportunity to see a staircase canal lock as well at Bascote (Bascote locks 14 and 15). The Grand Union Canal shares it's route with the Oxford Canal for a short distance when it reaches Napton Junction - this part of the route and the shared canal bridges are shown further down the page.

If you fancy walking the towpath it is in quite good condition throughout (and also is excellent for cyclists). As a guide for anyone wishing to walk this 10 mile stretch we parked up at St Lawrence's Church car park at Napton on the Hill (there is no problem parking there except on Sundays). If you walk through the churchyard there is a path which takes you down into the village. The bus service from the middle of Napton leaves weekdays and Saturdays at 10:14 hours and takes about 50 minutes into the centre of Leamington. If you get out at the Leamington Parish Church stop it's only a short walk down to the Grand Union Canal. Note that when you eventually reach Napton Junction you would need to turn right and go along the Oxford Canal for a short distance to Napton's Bridge and then walk back up to Napton's church car park. (Please check the above times in case of timetable changes)

Bridge 41

Canal Bridge no.40 and Pipe

Bridge 40

Footbridge no.39

Footbridge 39

Railway Bridge 38a

Railway Bridge no.38a

an ex railway bridge

Canal Bridge 38

Grand Union Canal Bridge 38

Canal bridge 37a

Bridge 37a

Bridge no37 - Grand Union Canal

Bridge 37

Leamington to Braunston - Bridge 36

Bridge 36

Aqueduct - Grand Union Canal

Barely visible aqueduct taking the Grand Union Canal over a stream

Grand Union Canal - Aqueduct

Radford Roadbridge

Radford Roadbridge no.35

Pipe Bridge

Bridge 34 - Bull Bridge

Bull Bridge 34

Radford Bottom Lock 23

Radford Bottom Lock - Grand Union Canal.

Radford Bottom Lock 23

Bridge 33a

Grand Union Canal - Railway Bridge no.33a

Bridge 33a (railway)

Grand Union Canal
Bridge 33

Canal Bridge 33

Fosse Locks - Lock no.22, Grand Union Canal

Fosse Locks - Lock 22

Fosse Lock no.22

Fosse Lock no.21

Fosse Lock no.21

Fosse Roadbridge 32

Fosse Roadbridge no.32

Grand Union Canal
Lock 20

Canal Lock no.20

Grand Union Canal -
Wood Lock no.19

Wood Lock 19

Long Hole Bridge 31

Long Hole Canal
Bridge no.31

Welsh Roadbridge 30

Welsh Road Lock 18

Splash Bridge no.29

Grand Union Canal -
Splash Bridge 29

Bascote Locks Flight view - Grand Union Canal.

Flight of locks at Bascote

Bascote Lock no.17

Bascote Lock no.17

Bascote Lock no.16

Bascote Lock no.16

Bascote Lock no.15

Bascote Lock no.15

Bascote Staircase LockGate 15-14 on the Grand Union Canal

Bascote Staircase Locks gates for 15+14

The flight of canal locks at Bascote Locks, Grand Union Canal

Bascote Lock Flight - Grand Union Canal

Bascote Lock no.14

The Bascote Lock Flight comprises of four locks two of which are Grand Union Canal staircase locks (numbers 14 and 15).

Canal stair case Locks were cheaper to build and can acheive a greater drop in a short space than standard canal locks. These Bascote Staircase Locks share the centre gate - with the upper gate of one lock also being the lower gate of the other. The locks were originally built as singles but were modernised in the 1930s into wide locks however you can still see the location of the original locks.

Grand Union Canal - Toll House Bridge 28

Toll House Bridge no.28

Toll House Bridge 28

Bascote Bridge 27

Grand Union Canal - Bascote Bridge 27

Railway arches

Railway Bridge no.26a

Railway bridge no.26a

Grand Union Canal Aqueduct Bridge

Bickleys Bridge no.26

Bickleys Bridge no.26

Cuttle Canal Bridge 25

Cuttle Bridge 25

Itchington Bottom-Lock 13 - Grand Union Canal

Itchington Bottom Lock no.13

Itchington Bottom Lock Cottage

Grand Union Canal - Itchington Bottom Lock 13

Itchington Bottom Lock no.13

New Bridge no.24

New Bridge no.24

Grand Union Canal Lock no.12

Canal Lock no.12

Kayes Arm

Grand Union Canal, Blue Lias Roadbridge 23

Blue Lias Roadbridge no.23

Blue Lias Roadbridge 23

Stockton Lock no.11

Grand Union Canal - Stockton Lock no.11

Stockton Lock no.10

Stockton Lock no.10 - Grand Union Canal

Stockton Lock no.9

Stockton Lock no.9

Grand Union Canal
Bridge no.22

Stockton Lock no.8

Stockton Lock no.7

Stockton Lock no.7

Stockton Lock no.6

Grand Union Canal - Stockton Lock 6

Stockton Lock 5

Grand Union Canal - Stockton Lock no.5

Stockton Top Lock no.4 - Grand Union Canal

Stockton TopLock 4

Grand Union Canal - Birdingbury Wharf Bridge 21

Birdingbury Wharf
Bridge no.21

Birdingbury Wharf
Bridge 21

Gibraltar Bridge no.20

Gibraltar Bridge 20 + Pipe - Grand Union Canal.

Gibraltar Bridge no.20
and it's Pipe Bridge

Daventry Roadbridge 19 - Grand Union Canal.

Daventry Road
Bridge no.19

Daventry Road
Bridge no.19

Tom Low Footbridge 18, Grand Union Canal

Tom Low Footbridge
no.18

As the Grand Union Canal approaches Napton Junction there are now quite a few marinas situated either side of the canal especially a little way after Calcutt Locks and Tom Low Bridge. The Grand Union Canal meets up with the somewhat older Oxford Canal by the really beautifully shaped Turnover Bridge (Grand Union Canal Bridge 17) at Napton Junction.

Tom Low Foot-bridge 18

Grand Union Canal - Dismantled Railway Bridge

Site of a dsmantled
railway bridge

Ventnor Marina entrance - Grand Union Canal

One of Ventnor Marina entrance points

Ventnor Marina Entry point - Grand Union Canal

Calcutt Lock no.3

Calcutt Marina bridge - Grand Union Canal.

The side bridge leading
into Calcutt Marina

Grand Union Canal Locks - Calcutt Lock no.3

Calcutt Lock no.2

Calcutt Lock no.2 -
Grand Union Canal.

Calcutt Lock no.1

Calcutt Lock 1

Grand Union Canal - Napton Junction Bridge 17

View of Napton Junction Bridge as seen from the Grand Union Canal itself

This is Napton Junction Bridge as seen from the Oxford Canal

Canal Bridges - Nimrod Bridge 108

Nimrod Bridge 108 on the Oxford Canal

The Grand Union Canal shares it's watery passage with the older Oxford Canal between Napton Junction and Braunston Turn.

There are no canal locks along this shared stretch of water but there are quite a few canal bridges. These bridges naturally show the Oxford Canal's numbering and naming system (Bridges 91 to 108) however they are also allocated bridge numbers in the Grand Union Canal's sequence although these are not displayed on the bridges themselves. Therefore although these canal bridge photos are shown on our Oxford Canal pages, for completeness each of the bridges are also shown below with both bridge numbers indicated.