Guide to The Beautiful Oxford Canal on it's journey between Banbury and Oxford.

Oxford Canal Locks and Bridges featured on the Oxford Canal on it's route between the centre of Banbury heading south via Aynho, Islip, Lower Heyford to the Canal's end in Oxford.

The Oxford Canal joins the lovely River Cherwell which seems to wander and meander about even more than it's watery neighbour for a short distance but they soon part company again as in the photo on the left - however elsewhere both river and canal are often just a few yards away from each other. In one particularly interesting spot the River Cherwell cuts across the canal at Weir bridge and Lock.
Originally the Oxford Canal was built and used for moving coal to the South but these days it is the habitat of fishermen, cruise boats, cyclists, walkers, herons, kingfishers, fat ducks and a large number of private canal boats. We have often used the canal for our walking trips - it is quite ideal to create lots of circular walks in and around the open countryside especially around the Lower Heyford area of Oxfordshire. One of the nicest things about the canal are the small bridges which frequently cross over it - these are usually simply farmer's bridges used to move stock etc. between their fields either side of the canal. There are quite a few photos of the railway bridges and also some of the what appears to be the remains of bridges as well (of course in reality these remains are no longer bridges since they do not cross the canal but are interesting so included). The original canal bridges were numbered and where some of the numbers are now missing but bridge remains exist we have made a guess that these were said bridges at one time.
One of the saddest things we have come across on the Oxford Canal is the (presumably responsible) Oxfordshire County Council's poor treatment of Nell canal-bridge. They have simply shoved an ugly load of concrete immediately across the top of this once gorgeous little bridge - which incidentally is one of the oldest on the Oxford Canal system. In other locations where roads have to cross at existing canal bridge sites at least some attempt has been made to keep the original canal bridge intact by routing their ugle concrete bridge either higher up or to the side, but here they have simply vandalised it - shame on them.

This sequence of Oxford Canal Bridges and Locks shows the canal from the centre of Banbury at Bluebird Bridge then follows it as it wanders across lovely Oxfordshire countryside to it's end Isis Lock Bridge 243 and Isis Lock 46 in the heart of Oxford City.

As you head south out of Banbury the towpath passes quite a few derelict warehouses alhtough the town seems to be busy renovating these buildings and probably one day soon they will all be people's flats. You soon get into really open countryside - as the River Cherwell is often right next to the canal the towpath can be really wet and muddy (due to seep-age). There are quite a few lift bridges along this section of the Oxford Canal and also you can see some locations where these lift bridges have now been (sadly) demolished.

Bluebird Bridge

Albion Bridge 166

Samuelson Bridge 168

Demolished Bridge 169

Demolished bridge

Haynes Lift Bridge 170

Foxes Lift Bridge 171

Nadkey Bridge 172

Lift Bridge 173

M40 Bridge

Grants Lock 30

Grants Bridge 174

Grants Bridge 174

Stevens Lift Bridge 175

demolished bridge 176?

Twyford Bridge 177

Demolished lift bridge - possibly 178

or this demolished bridge may have been 178

King's Sutton Lock 31

King's Sutton Lock 31

Tarvers Bridge 179

Tarvers Bridge 179

Scroobys Lift Bridge 181

Coles Lift Bridge 182

Dismantled Railway Bridge

M40 Road Bridge

Coles Lift Bridge 183

Demolished Lift Bridge 184?

Demolished Lift Bridge 185?

Haddons Lift Bridge 186

Nell Bridge. Poor old Nell Bridge - it has been totally covered over by the building of a crappy concrete road bridge with obviously no consideration by the authorities to the history and beauty of one of the oldest canal bridges on the Oxford Canal.
The River Cherwell is always quite close to the canal along this stretch and particularly interesting is the area around Anyho Weir Lock where it actually (diagonally) crosses the Oxford Canal. The canal's towpath is carried across the river on a really nice set of brickwork arches. If there has been heavy rain the currents here are quite violent. Anyho Weir Lock is situated immediately after Weir Bridge - this lock is quite unusual in that it is an irregular octagan shape and quite shallow. The lock takes the canal only around one foot below the River Cherwell but this octagonal shaped design allows sufficient water to be passed through the system.

Nell Bridge Lock 32

Nell Bridge Lock 32

Nell Bridge Lock 32

Nell Bridge 187

Weir Bridge 188

Aynho Weir raised towpath

Aynho Weir Lock 33

Aynho Weir Lock 33

Belchers Lift Bridge 189

Aynho Bridge 190

Demolished Lift Bridge - 191?

Souldern Bridge 192

Chisnell Lift Bridge 193

Somerton Deep Lock Bridge 194

Somerton Deep Lock 34

Somerton Deep Lock 34

Somerton Deep Lock Bridge 194

Meadlands Bridge 195

Somerton Bridge 196

Demolished Lift Bridge - 197?

Deep Cutting Bridge 198

Somerton Mill Bridge 199

Pipe Bridge

Heyford Common Lock 35

Heyford Common Bridge 200

Railway Bridge 201

Single Bridge 202

Bridge 203

Bridge 203

Allen's Lock 36

Allen's Lock 36

Allens Bridge 204

Mill Lift Bridge 205

Heyford Wharf Bridge 206

Cleeves Bridge 207

High Bush Bridge 208

Dashwood's Lock 37

Dashwood's Lock 37

Dashwood Bridge 209

Dashwood Bridge 209

Northbrook Bridge 210

Northbrook Packhorse Bridge by 210

Northbrook Lock 38

Northbrook Lock 38

New Brighton Bridge 211

Old Brighton Bridge 212

Pigeons Lock 39

Pigeons Bridge 213

Pigeons Bridge 213

Pigeons Bridge area

Pinsey Bridge 214

aka Binsey Bridge sometimes

Caravan Lift Bridge 215

Enslow Railway Bridge 216a

Enslow Bridge 216

Bakers Lock 40

Bakers Lock

Horse Bridge 217

Bunker Hill Railway Bridge

Shipton Weir Bridge 218 + Lock 41

Shipton Weir Lock 41

Shared Waters. The River Cherwell and The Oxford Canal meet therefore and share their waters through Oxfordshire just south of Bakers Lock at the nicely shaped Horse Bridge - this river/canal comination then continues south as far as the really beautiful area around Shipton Weir Lock where The river Cherwell and the canal part company.

Shipton Lift Bridge 219

Shipton Lift Bridge 219

Shipton on Cherwell Railway Bridge

Dismantled Railway Bridge

Dismantled Railway Bridge

Shipton Bridge 220 and Stoplock

Shipton Bridge 220

Aubreys Lift Bridge 221

Sparrowgap Bridge 223

Langford Lane Bridge 224

Langford Lane Bridge 224

Roundham Lock 42

Roundham Bridge 226

Roundham Bridge 226

Bullers Bridge 227

Bullers Bridge 227

Yarnton Bridge 228

Yarnton Bridge 228

Kidlington Green Lock 43

Kidlington Green Lock

Pipe Bridge Kidlington

Oxford Canal Footbridge

Oxford Canal Footbridge

Kings Bridge 230, Oxford Canal

Drinkwaters Lift Bridge 231

Duke's Cut. This short waterway connects the Oxford Canal with the River Thames and was built at the request of the Duke of Marlborough - hence the name. For narrowboats leaving Dukes Cut Lock 44a the turn right into the Cut occurs almost immediately - then on under Dukes Bridge and into Lock 44b (which has a railway bridge above it just to add to the fun). The Cut is more like a river with willows and other trees lining the route and often fallen branches are floating around so care is needed. The "towpath" is generally narrow and lined with nettles and bramble to start with and also quite muddy - then it follows the twists of the Cut as it goes between fields to reach the River Thames. For towpath walkers and cyclists note that there is no access to the Thames Path via this cut - the nearest way to reach the Thames is by leaving the canal at Bridge 235 then via Wolvercote to The Thames at Godstow Bridge.

Railway Bridge

Dukes Lock

Dukes Lock 44a

Oxford Canal Link to The Thames

Dukes Bridge 232

Dukes Cut Lock 44b

A40 Bridge 232a

A40 Bridge 232a

Lift Bridge 233

A34 Western Bypass Bridge(s) 233a

A34 Western Bypass Bridge(s)

Perry's Lift bridge 234

Perrys Lift Bridge

Wolvercote Lock 45

Bridge 235

Wolvercote Lock 45

Footbridge 235

Balls Bridge 236

Balls Bridge 236

Bridge 236a

Bridge 236a

Missing bridge 237? location

St Edward's Lift Bridge

St Edward's Lift Bridge 238

Bridge 238b

Bridge 238b

Location of missing bridge 239?

Bridge 239a

Bridge 239a

Aristotle Bridge - 240

Aristotle Bridge

Canal Bridge 242

Bridge 242b

Bridge 242b

Bridge 243

Canal Bridge 243

Oxford - Isis Lock 46

Another route to The Thames at Isis Cut

The Oxford end of the Oxford Canal

From the end of the Oxford Canal at Isis Locks and Bridge if you turn right along the road you will find that Oxford Railway Station is just a short stroll away. Should you instead you turn left along the road then Oxford City Centre plus all the many churches, colleges and so on for which Oxford is so famous are again just a few minutes stroll away.

The Oxford Canal - a complete record of every bridge and lock are split into several pages as follows:-
A photo record of the Oxford Canal's Locks
Northern end of the Oxford Canal - Sutton Stop to Braunston Turn
Oxford Canal - Braunston south to Banbury
From Banbury into the City of Oxford and the end of the Oxford Canal (this page)

We have picked out a few Books about England - concerning the waterways of England. 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. (The relevant Nicholson Guide covering The Oxford Canal is BOOK 1.)
If the development and history of our English and British Canals is of particular interest consider looking at the Anatomy of Canals series which are really good reading!.