The Northampton Arm in England - Bridges, Locks, Features and Photos.

The Northampton Canal Arm was opened in 1815 and linked The Grand Central Canal at Gayton Junction - via the River Nene - to Peterborough and The Wash

Brewery beside the Northampton Canal Arm

The Northampton Arm starts (or ends) at Cotton End Wharf at Lock 17 on the southern edge of Northampton where it connects with the River Nene and then proceeds on it's fairly short 4 3/4 mile course to link up with the Grand Union Canal at Gayton Junction. You can get onto the Northampton Canal Arm from the bridge which carries the A43 south out of Northampton - turn right on the towpath and walk the short distance up to the first of the canal's lock - Cotton End Lock no.17. Then of course being a canal the route is totally straightforward - just go back past the A43 roadbridge and stay on the towpath all the way down to Gayton Junction. Around Cotton Lock 17 the canal is somewhat scruffy with some litter and so on lying about but once you get past the first railway bridge things improve a lot. As is sadly the case these days the first few bridges have been painted on with ugly graffitti but again this stupidity disappears quite soon once you are a little way along. There are some lovely old bridges to be seen and sadly two modern concrete things - the lack of any attempt at design on modern bridges especially where they have to go anywhere near our lovely canals is disgusting. The attitude seems to be let's just pour concrete over the poor canal and that will do.
Some of the missing lift bridges (or drawbridges) on the Northampton Arm are being repaired/re-instated and these look pretty good - they are fixed in their open position however.

Cotton End Lock

Lock 17 - Cotton End

Cotton End - Pipebridge

Bridge 17

Northampton Canal Railwaybridge 16

no idea what this brickwork was for.

Railway Bridge 15

Pipe Bridge

Lock 16.

Lock 16 and PipeBridge

Briar Hill Bridge, Northampton Canal Arm.

Briar Hill Bridge 14

Briar Hill Bridge 14,.

Bridge 13 and a nearbye Pipe bridge, Northampton Canal Arm.

Bridge 13 and PipeBridge

Bridge 13

Northampton Canal's Hardingstone Lock no.15

Hardingstone Lock 15

The Northampton Canal Arm's towpath is in an excellent condition throughout the entire - easy to both walk and cycle on and good enough for a comfortable wander along using for instance a pushchair. There is a thriving community of ducks (fat ducks of course) plus moorhens, coot etc. living their lives happily all along the canal's route - also lots of reeds, trees and other foliage to be enjoyed - making a walk really enjoyable. Perhaps the only real drawback is the constant traffic noise from the A34 road which accompanies the canal Arm for quite some distance.

Hardingstone Lock 15

A45 Roadbridge no.9b - Northampton Canal

A45 Roadbridge 9b

Northampton Canal Arm Bridge.

Possible site of a missing drawbridge on the Northampton Canal

Missing Drawbridge perhaps ?

Banbury Lane Bridge, Northampton Canal Arm.

Banbury Lane Bridge 9

Northampton Canal - Banbury Lane Bridge no.9

Banbury Lane Bridge 9.

Wootton Lock Gates - Lock 14, Northampton Canal Arm.

Wootton Lock14 lock gates

Wootton Lock 14

Aqueduct

Northampton Canal Arm Aqueduct

Northampton Canal Arm Drawbridge 7.

Rothersthorpe Bottom Lock, Northampton Canal Arm.

Rothersthorpe Bottom Lock 13.

M1 sliproad Bridge

M1 roadbridge crossing the Northampton Canal

Northampton Canal Arm - M1 roadbridge.

Rothersthorpe Lock 12

Another M1 sliproad

Rothersthorpe Lock 11

Northampton Canal Arm - Rothersthorpe Lock 11.

Drawbridge no.6 on the Northampton Canal

Drawbridge 6

The maximum size for canal boats travelling on the Northampton Arm is:
Length 72 feet, Beam 7 feet, Height 7 feet 6 inches and a maximum draught of 3 feet. The canal features a flight of 17 single locks - you can see most of them from the top of the flight at Rothersthorpe Top Lock (no.1). In the summer and particularly on weekends this area is extremely popular with visitors on holiday in England as well as locals - you can see Rothersthorpe Locks in a much more peaceful way during weekdays of course.

Rothersthorpe Lock 10

Rothersthorpe Lock 9

Rothersthorpe Lock no.9, Northampton Canal Arm.

Rothersthorpe Lock 9.

Rothersthorpe Lock 8.

Rothersthorpe Lock no.8, Northampton Canal Arm.

Rothersthorpe Lock 8

Rothersthorpe Lock 7

Rothersthorpe Lock 7.

Rothersthorpe Lock no.6, Northampton Canal Arm.

Rothersthorpe Lock 6

Northampton Canal - Rothersthorpe Lock no.6

Rothersthorpe Lock 6.

Drawbridge no.5 on the Northampton Canal, England

Drawbridge 5

Rothersthorpe Lock5

Northampton Canal Arm, Rothersthorpe Lock no.5

Rothersthorpe Lock 5.

Rothersthorpe Lock4

Rothersthorpe Lock 4.

Rothersthorpe Lock 3

Rothersthorpe Lock no.3 on the Northampton Canal

Rothersthorpe Lock 3

Northampton Canal Arm - Bridge no.4 and Pipe Bridge

Bridge 4 and PipeBridge

Northampton Canal Arm - Bridge 4.

Rothersthorpe Lock2

Rothersthorpe Lock 2.

Rothersthorpe Top Lock

Northampton Canal Arm - Rothersthorpe TopLock1.

Sand Landing Bridge no.3 on the Northampton Canal

Sand Landing Bridge3

Sand Landing Bridge.

Arm End Bridge no2 and Pipes on the Northampton Canal

Arm End Bridge 2

The Photos on the left are of Arm End Bridge (bridge 2) and then Gayton Junction and the Grand Union Canal. Parking is available in Stoke Bruerne in the Canal Museum car-park and you can catch a bus (the bus stop is on the museum side of the bridge) which leaves at 1018hrs (but this time needs checking for updates) to go into Northampton and then return back by walking the towpath.
To continue on to Stoke Bruerne you have to go left along the Grand Union Canal for several 100 yards to reach Turnover Bridge 47 - this is an interesting old canal bridge as it has a walkway for the horses which used to pull the canal boats. Cross the bridge and go back along the other side of the Grand Union - passing Gayton Junction and continuing on South. The canal passes to the west of Blisworth and then reaches the third longest navigable waterway tunnel in the United Kingdom - the 3057 yards long Blisworth Tunnel (which was originally opened in March 1805).

Turnover Bridge

An airshaft serving the Blisworth Tunnel

Tunnel airshaft

Blisworth Tunnel North

Blisworth Tunnel's South end portal or entrance.

Blisworth Tunnel South

Stoke Bruerne

The modernised tunnel allows two 7 foot wide canal boats to pass - however there is no towpath through the tunnel. To continue walking you have to climb up on a pathway to a small country track, turn left and then almost immediately right onto a road. Follow the road until it bends half right - a wide signposted path on the left hand side of the road goes ahead from here and takes you gently down to reach the southern end of Blisworth Tunnel and the towpath. From here it is only a relatively short distance back to Stoke Bruerne.