English Canal Lock and Bridge Pictures - Leicester Section

The Leicester Section - Norton Junction to Foxton - Canal Locks and Bridges.

Features of the Leicester Canal and it's bridges etc. between the end/start at Norton Junction on via staircase locks at Watford Locks - Crick Tunnel and on to Foxton.

The section of the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Main Line between Norton Junction and Foxton was opened in 1814 by the Grand Junction Canal Company in order to provide a link from Leicester to the Grand Junction Canal. This southern end of the Leicester Main Line was constructed as a narrow canal and travels through really lovely English countryside - the towpath is in reasonable condition for both cycling and walking at least as far as Watford Locks.

Leicester Canal Line off on it's way north from Norton Junction footbridge 1 Leicester Canal - footbridge no.1 rusty old canal barges Bridge 2 Bridge 2
Norton Junction - start of the Leicester Main Line Canal Bridge no.1 (footbridge) Bridge no.1 Some rusting canal barges Canal Bridge no.2 Bridge no.2
Balls Bridge 3 Bridge 3 - Balls Bridge Marina entrance near Bridge 3 narrowbridge under the canal possible site of missing bridge 4 Watling Street Bridge 5
Balls Bridge no.3 Balls Bridge no.3 Marina entrance by Bridge 3 Tunnel under the canal Site of Missing bridge no.4 Watling Street Bridge no.5
Watling Street Bridge 5 Bridge 5a railway bridge 5a Welton Station Bridge 6 Welton Station Bridge 6 canal sluice
Watling Street Bridge no.5 Railway Bridge no.5a Railway Bridge no.5a Welton Station Bridge no.6 Welton Station Bridge no.6 Syphon / Sluice
Bottom Lock 1 at Watford Lock Flight Bottom Lock 1 - Watford Locks Lock 1 - Watford Locks Leicester canal syphon foot bridge crossing Lock 2 Watford Locks - 2
Watford Locks - Bottom Lock no.1 Watford Locks - Lock no.1 Watford Locks - Lock no.1 Watford Locks - Lock no.2 Watford Locks - Lock no.2 Bridge Watford Locks - Lock no.2
Watford Locks- StaircaseLock 3 Watford Locks- StaircaseLock 3 Watford Locks- Staircase Lock 4 Watford Locks - Staircase Lock 4 Watford Locks - Staircase Lock 5 Watford Locks - StaircaseLock 5
Watford Staircase Locks - Lock no.3 Watford Locks - Lock no.3 Watford Locks - Lock no.4 Watford Locks - Lock no.4 Watford Locks - Lock no.5 Watford Locks - Lock no.5
The area around Watford Lock Flight is quite a "transport" junction - the noisy M1 motorway is very close by as are main railway lines and the old Roman Road (Watling Street/A5) - all in contrast to the beautiful set of seven locks four of which are staircase locks. These single locks take the canal up a total height of 52.5 feet - for barges it is necessary to tell the lock-keeper you wish to transit the staircase locks as he will take you through them.
For anyone walking or cycling - once you leave Watford Locks the towpath is much more grassy and gets increasingly muddy particularly as you approach Crick Tunnel - in places it is quite difficult to get along due to semi-collapse and because of how narrow it becomes. Hard enough to walk along this is probably not the best place to take your bicycle especially if there has been recent wet weather.
Lock Gates at staircase lock 6 Watford Locks - Staircase-Lock 6 Watford Locks - Staircase Lock 6
Watford Locks - Lock no.6
Watford Locks - Lock no.6
Watford Locks - Lock no.6


Watford Top Lock 7 Watford Locks - Lock no 7 Cottage and Lock 7 - Watford Flight
Watford Locks - Lock no.7
Watford Locks - Lock no.7
Lock keepers House at Lock 7
M1 Roadbridge no.6h M1 Roadbridge no.6h Ashby Bridge - 7 Ashby Bridge - 7 Leicester Canal duck Kilsby Roadbridge no.8
M1 Roadbridge no.6h M1 Roadbridge no.6h Ashby Bridge no.7 Ashby Bridge no.7 Canal Duck Kilsby Roadbridge no.8
Kilsby Roadbridge no.8 Bridge no.9 Bridge no.9 Bridge no.9a Bridge no.9a Bridge no.10
Kilsby Roadbridge no.8 Bridge no.9 Bridge no.9 Bridge no.9a Bridge no.9a Bridge no.10
Crick Tunnel. Built in 1814 by engineers James Barnes and Benjamin Bevan, Crick Tunnel is 1528 yards long - the tunnel is just about wide enough for two narrow boats to pass. There is no towpath through the tunnel and it suffers from constant dripping inside making the trip through quite a damp experience for boaters. If you plan on continuing on to Crick leave the towpath by a steepish wide grassy path on the right to reach a track which soon arrives at Watford Road - go left along the road into Crick. Walkers can then turn right down Boat Horse Lane (no prizes for guessing why the lane has that name..) and where the lane bends sharply left take a path straight ahead marked "West Haddon" - follow this as it goes downhill and half left across a field to arrive a few hundred metres from the north end of Crick Tunnel. However Cyclists need to continue on into Crick along Watford Road - High Street - then turn right along Main Road and soon get back to the towpath at Canal Bridge 12.
Bridge no.10 south end of Crick Tunnel Crick Tunnel - North Portal
Bridge no.10
Crick Tunnel
Crick Tunnel (north portal)


North Portal of Crick Tunnel Leicester Canal Bridge no.11 Leicester Canal Bridge 11
Crick Tunnel (north portal)
Bridge 11
Bridge 11

Crick Tunnel southern entrance Crick Wharf Leicester Canal Bridge 12 Canal Bridge 12 - Leicester Canal What was this for on a Leicester Canal Bridge Crick Marina, Leicester Canal
Crick Tunnel South Portal Crick Wharf Bridge 12 Bridge 12 Bridge 12 -what? Crick Marina
Syphon - Leicester Canal Crick Lodge Bridge no:13 Leicester Canal - Crick Lodge Bridge 13 Canal footbridge no:14 Footbridge no:14 Leicester Canal Bridge 15
Sluice - Crick Crick Lodge Bridge 13 Crick Lodge Bridge 13 Footbridge 14 Footbridge 14 Bridge 15

Apart from the nice bridges along this part of the Leicester Canal Section sometimes there are other bits and pieces to look at - for instance the picture two rows above - whatever this was on Bridge 12 by Crick Wharf - it seems to be a water outlet - surely not gas?. To say the Leicester Canal has some wondrous bends is an understatement - an example of it's contour following habit is the 4.5 mile route it takes between Crick Lodge Bridge and Elkington Bridge where it performs two huge bends (plus a couple of smaller bends within these). The average crow would probably fly for around 2.5 miles if travelling between these bridges.

Leicester Canal Bridge 15 Leicester Canal Bridge 16 Leicester Canal Bridge no:16 Leicester Canal Bridge 17 Leicester Canal Bridge no:17 Leicester Canal Bridge 18
Bridge 15 Bridge 16 Bridge 16 Bridge 17 Bridge 17 Bridge 18
Canal Bridge 18 on the Leicester Canal Skew Bridge no:19 Skew Bridge Canal Bridge 20 Leicester Canal Bridge 20 Leicester Canal Bridge - 21
Bridge 18 Skew Bridge 19 Skew Bridge 19 Bridge 20 Bridge 20 Bridge 21
Leicester Canal Bridge 21 Haddon Roadbridge no:22 Leicester Canal - Haddon Roadbridge 22 Darker's Bridge no:23 Leicester Canal - Darker's Bridge Leicester Canal - Smart's Bridge 24
Bridge 21 Haddon RoadBridge 22 Haddon Roadbridge 22 Darker's Bridge 23 Darker's Bridge 23 Smart's Bridge 24
Smart's Bridge no:24 Chester's Bridge 25 Chester's Bridge - Leicester Canal Bridges Clay Barn Bridge Bridge 26 - Clay Barn Bridge Mountain Barn Bridge
Smart's Bridge 24 Chester's Bridge 25 Chester's Bridge 25 Clay Barn Bridge 26 Clay Barn Bridge 26 Mountain Barn Bridge 27

Some of the canal sluices on the Leicester Section have particularly interesting brick works - this sluice / syphon shown below is located just past Bridge 27 and has a fair amount of excellent brickwork associated with it on both sides of the canal. Sluices are a very important part of canal engineering - allowing excess water to flow off and keep the canal's level at it's optimum. Also the canal's locks block off the water flow and these sluices are the means of keeping water available downstream and of course to stop flooding upstream.

Canal Bridges - Mountain Barn Bridge no:27 Sluice brickwork - Leicester Canal Leicester Canal sluice Canal sluice Elkington Bridge no:28 Elkington Bridge 28
Mountain Barn Bridge 27 Canal Syphon Canal Sluice Canal Sluice Elkington Bridge 28 Elkington Bridge 28
Heygate's Lodge Bridge Bridge 29 - Heygate's Lodge a14 roadbridge - 29a a14 crosses the Leicester Canal Leicester Canal Bridge 30 Canal Bridge no:30
Heygate's Lodge Bridge 29 Heygate's Lodge Bridge 29 A14 Roadbridge 29a A14 Roadbridge 29a Bridge 30 Bridge 30
untidy Leicester Canal sluice Stockley Bridge 31 Stockley Road Bridge - Bridge 31 Canal Bridge 32 Bridge 32 Canal Bridge 33
Scruffy canal sluice Stockley Bridge no:31 Stockley Bridge no:31 Bridge no:32 Bridge no:32 Bridge no:33
Canal Bridge 33 Bridge 34 Canal Bridge 34 Site sadly of another Missing Bridge - Bridge 35 Downtown Bridge 36 Downtown Bridge no36
Bridge no:33 Bridge no:34 Bridge no:34 Missing Bridge 35 Downtown Bridge 36 Downtown Bridge - 36
Canal Bridge 37 Leicester Canal Bridge 37 Symbolds Spinney Bridge 38 Shows the iron strip guarding bridge brickwork from towropes Symbolds Spinney Bridge - 38 Canal Bridge 39
Bridge no:37 Bridge no:37 Symbolds Spinney Bridge 38 Tow rope guard on Bridge 38 Symbold's Spinney Bridge no:38 Bridge no:39
Canal Bridge 39 Bridge 40 Mill Bridge 40 Nice sluice with Leicester Canal Bridge 41 behind it. Sparford Bridge 41 Leicester Canal - Sparford Bridge (41)
Bridge no:39 Mill Bridge no:40 Mill Bridge 40 A syphon + bridge 41 in background Sparford Bridge 41 Spaford Bridge no:41
The aqueduct at Welford Canal Arm Junction River Avon's route under the Leicester Canal aqueduct Welford Junction Junction where the Welford Arm leaves the Leicester Canal Bridge 42 at Welford Junction Welford Junction Canal bridge - 42
Welford Junction Aqueduct Bridge under Aqueduct for River Avon Welford Junction Welford Junction Canal Bridge 42 - Welford Bridge 42.

The towpath from just after Bridge 45 up to Husbands Bosworth Tunnel's West Portal was marked as closed when we last walked there due to collapse - and there was a 4 foot high metal barrier on the sluice shown below but no barrier at the tunnel end. No sign of any diversion for walkers and cyclists. In fact the collapse is about 4 feet long and easily traversable though care would be needed in wet conditions. There was no sign of any work being done on the marked collapsed area at the time althought it may have been repaired by now - and anyway there are one or two other parts of the towpath which are just as "collapsed" but open for use - also we have seen far worse on the Oxford Canal around Braunston where the towpath remained open.

Canal Bridge 43 Canal Bridge 43 Remains of missing bridge no.44 North Kilworth Wharf and filling station Canal Bridge 45 Replaced bridge 45 - no design these days of course
Bridge no:43 Bridge no:43 Location of missing bridge 44 North Kilworth Wharf Ugly modern bridge 45 Bridge 45 - total lack of design
Nice canal sluice near to ugly canal bridge 45 Syphon/sluice near to bridge 45 Baby syphon Looking through Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Western portal - Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Leicester Canal Arm - Husbands Bosworth Tunnel
This is a really nice sluice. Sluice Small syphon Looking through the Tunnel Husbands Bosworth Tunnel West Portal Husbands Bosworth Tunnel

The area around the 1071 metre long Husbands Bosworth Tunnel - which was opened in 1813 - is really nice with it's lovely trees and foliage. There is no towpath through the tunnel, you have to climb up and over the top - the path is in very condition and goes pretty well straight - crossing just one road on the way. Husbands Bosworth Tunnel will accommodate boats with a maximum beam of 2.13 metres and the tunnel has a maximum headroom of 2.06 metres - generally allowing two way narrow boat traffic. For walkers and cyclists after passing over the road on the towpath from the Eastern Portal you are then soon accompanied by a dis-used railway line for a while - and eventually cross it's nicely arched bridge.

Path of a disused railway. Nice old railway bridge on top of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Towpath heading across the top of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel The Leicester Canal from Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Husbands Bosworth Tunnel east portal Eastern entrance or portal to Husbands Bosworth Tunnel
disused railway - always a sad site nice brick railway bridge and towpath Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Towpath View of the canal from the railway bridge Husbands Bosworth Tunnel Eastern Portal Husbands Bosworth Tunnel

 

The Leicester Canal section from the Eastern Portal of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel on up to Gumley Roadbridge and the start of Foxton Locks.

There are no canal locks on this part of the Leicester Canal Section but this is more than made up for once you reach Foxton and it's excellent series of lock flights. Generally the towpath is in reasonable condition for walkers and cyclists but there are some poor bits to be aware of where the path has all but disappeared - these would be particularly awkward to go along if the weather was wet. The Leicester Canal is beautiful to wander along all the way however, especially in the Spring with all the trees just bringing out their diferent shades of green and also in the Autumn when the trees produce really colourful displays of their leaves.

Early Spring time on the Leicester Canal Honey Pot Farm Bridge - no.46 Bridge 46 - Honey Pot Farm Bridge PipeBridge Pipe Bridge Canal Bridge 47
Leicester Canal views Honey Pot Farm Bridge - 46 Honey Pot Farm Bridge - 46 Pipe bridge Pipe Bridge Bridge no.47
Leicester Canal Bridge 47 Freemans Bridge - 48 Freeman's Bridge - Bridge 48 Canal Bridge 49 on the Leicester Canal Arm Bridge 49 near Theddingworth Lodge Leicester Canal Bridge 50
Bridge no.47 Freeman's Bridge - 48 Freeman's Bridge no:48 Bridge 49 (Theddingworth Lodge) Bridge no:49 Leicester Canal Bridge no:50
Bridge 50 - Mowsley Canal Bridge 51 (Leicester Canal) Bridge 51 Bridge no.52 Leicester Canal Arm - bridge 52 Canal bridge 53 - Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal
Leicester Canal Bridge no:50 Leicester Canal Bridge no:51 Leicester Canal Bridge no:51 Leicester Canal Bridge no:52 Leicester Canal Bridge no:52 Leicester Canal Bridge no:53
Bridge no53 Canal Bridge 54 Bridge no:54 Bridge no:55 Leicester Canal - Bridge no.55 Leicester Canal Bridges - Morton Bridge no56
Leicester Canal Bridge no:53 Leicester Canal Bridge no:54 Leicester Canal Bridge no:54 Leicester Canal Bridge no:55 Leicester Canal Bridge no:55 Morton Bridge no:56
Morton Bridge - bridge 56 Canal Bridge 57 Bridge no57 - Laughton Road Lubenham Lodge Bridge Lubenham Lodge Bridge - Bridge 58 Leicester Canal Bridges - Bridge no:59
Morton Bridge no:56 Leicester Canal Bridge no:57 Leicester Canal Bridge no:57 Lubenham Lodge - Canal Bridge 58 Lubenham Lodge Bridge 58 Leicester Canal Bridge no:59

From the towpath at Gumley Road Bridge if you cross the bridge using it's footbridge then only a few 100 metres along there is a quite large car park available where there also picnic tables etc - also public toilets located are there and usually an ice-cream van. From Gumley Road Bridge going towards Foxton's Toplock there is a choice of towpath - cross over to wander along one side of the canal soon passing a stoplock which controlled the water to the original inclined plane - if you go this way there is a path and bridge which will take you back to just below Foxton Top Lock. If however from Gumley road bridge 60 you just go ahead on the towpath you soon reach Foxton Toplock - where there is also a cafe available.

Bridge no:59 Canal syphon near Bridge 59 Sluice near to Bridge 59 Gumley Road Bridge 60 Gumley Road Bridge - Bridge:60 The short arm leading to the inclined plane area at Foxton
Leicester Canal Bridge no:59 Canal Syphon Syphon Gumley Roadbridge - 60 Gumley Roadbridge 60 Sidearm to the inclined plane
Leicester Canal Branch - Foxton Top Lock 8 Lock 9 at Foxton - Leicester Canal Branch Lock 10 - Leicester Canal Branch, Foxton Locks Leicester Canal Branch at Foxton - The Flight Foxton Lock Bridges over each of the locks - Leicester Canal Branch Staircase Lock 10 - Leicester Canal Branch, Foxton
Foxton Top Lock 8 Foxton Lock 9 Foxton Lock 10 View of the Lock Flight Foxton Lock footbridge Foxton Lock 10
Foxton Lock 11 - Leicester Canal Branch Lock and bridge - Foxton Lock-12 - Leicester Canal Branch - Leicester Canal Branch Lock-13 - Foxton Lock Flight Foxton Staircase Lock-14 - Leicester Canal Branch
Foxton Lock 11 Lock Gates and Footbridge Foxton Lock 12 Passing Pound Foxton Lock 13 Foxton Lock 14
Leicester Canal Branch - Foxton Lock 15 Lock-16 - Leicester Canal Branch Leicester Canal Bridge 61 Bottom Lock 17 Foxton - Leicester Canal Branch Bridge 61 - Leicester Canal Branch Foxton Bottom Lock Gates
Foxton Lock 15 Foxton Lock 16 Bridge 61 Foxton Bottom Lock 17 Bridge 61 Bottom Lock Gates

Please visit our Market Harborough Canal Arm topic which follows the Arm and also has a walk which might be of interest - also we have a topic about Foxton Locks and the Inclined Plane which includes quite a few more photos from around Foxton. The second part of our Leicester Canal topic which follows the canal from where the Market Harborough Canal Arm leaves the canal right through into Leicester City where it joins up with the River Soar several times and then ends where the River Soar takes over navigation at Abbey Park - this can be found on our Grand Union Canal LeicesterSection topic.

 

We have picked out a few Books about England - Churches, Canals and Rivers as well as walks in England and English Nature. The Nicholsons Waterways Guides are a "must take" for anyone going on a Canal Barge or Narrowboat holiday (as well as anyone visiting the canals) as they are packed with really useful information. If the development and history of our Canals is of particular interest consider the Anatomy of Canals series - really good reading!. (The relevant Nicholoson Guide covering The Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal is BOOK 3.)

 

The Leicester (Canal) Section from Norton Junction to Foxton - created by www.foxysislandwalks.co.uk

 

 

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Canal Arms and Sections which connect with the Grand Union Canal
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