The Oxford Canal - Photos of it's Marvellous Old Bridges and Locks.

Oxford Canal Lock and Bridge Pictures show all the bridges and canal locks on the Oxford Canal between the centre of Banbury heading south via Aynho, Islip, Lower Heyford to the Canal's end in the City of Oxford, England.

The 77 mile long Oxford Canal wanders it's way through the English countryside between Oxford (The River Thames) and Hawkesbury Junction near Coventry and was fully opened in 1790.

River Cherwell - Oxford Canal part company  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. One of theNell Bridge on the Oxford Canal saddest things we have come across on the Oxford Canal is the (presumably responsible) Oxfordshire County Council's poor treatment of Nell 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.

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.

 

Oxford Canal Bridges and Locks between the centre of Banbury at Bluebird Bridge to Isis Lock Bridge 243 and Isis Lock 46 in the heart of Oxford.

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 the route and also sadly some locations where these bridges have been demolished.

Canal road bridge at Banbury Albion Bridge Banbury Samuelson Bridge Oxford canal bridge demolished possibly was 169 Demolished Oxford Canal lift bridge possibly was 169
Bluebird Bridge Albion Bridge 166 Samuelson Bridge 168 Demolished Bridge 169 Demolished bridge
Haynes Lift Bridge Oxford Canal Foxes Lift Bridge Nadkey Bridge Oxford Canal Lift bridge 173 M40 - Oxford canal road bridge
Haynes Lift Bridge 170 Foxes Lift Bridge 171 Nadkey Bridge 172 Lift Bridge 173 M40 Bridge
Grants Lock Oxford Canal - Grants Bridge Grants Bridge Stevens Lift bridge extinct lift bridge - Oxford Canal
Grants Lock 30 Grants Bridge 174 Grants Bridge 174 Stevens Lift Bridge 175 demolished bridge 176?
Twyford Bridge Ex lift bridge Demolished lift bridge Oxford Canal Locks - King's Sutton Lock King's Sutton Lock
Twyford Bridge 177 Demolished lift bridge - possibly no178 or this demolished bridge may have been 178 King's Sutton Lock 31 King's Sutton Lock 31
Oxford Canal - Tarvers Bridge Tarvers Bridge Scroobys Lift Bridge Another Coles Lift bridge Dismantled railway bridge near Kings Sutton
Tarvers Bridge 179 Tarvers Bridge 179 Scroobys Lift Bridge 181 Coles Lift Bridge 182 Dismantled Railway Bridge
M40 bridge over the Oxford Canal Coles Lift Bridge ex lift bridge probably no 184 on the Oxford Canal Oxford Canal demolished lift bridge probably 185 Haddons Lift Bridge
M40 Road Bridge Coles Lift Bridge 183 Demolished Lift Bridge 184? Demolished Lift Bridge 185? Haddons Lift Bridge 186
Nell Bridge Lock Oxford Canal Locks - Nell Bridge Lock The narrow Nell Bridge Lock Nell Bridge on the Oxford Canal Weir Bridge
Nell Bridge Lock 32 Nell Bridge Lock 32 Nell Bridge Lock 32 Nell Bridge 187 Weir Bridge 188

Nell Bridge. Poor old Nell Bridge - totally covered over by the building of a crappy road bridge - no thought to the history and beauty of this - one of the oldest canal bridges on the Oxford Canal.
The River Cherwell. The Cherwell is always quite close to the canal along this stretch and particularly interesting is around Anyho Weir Lock where it actually diagonally crosses the Oxford Canal. The canal's towpath is carried over the river on a really nice set of brickwork arches - if there has been heavy rain the currents 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 - taking the canal only around one foot below the River Cherwell - this extra width allowed sufficient water to be passed through the system.

raised towpath at Aynho Weirs Aynho Weir Lock on the Oxford Canal Aynho Weir Lock and Weir Bridge Belchers Lift Bridge Aynho Bridge
Aynho Weir raised towpath Aynho Weir Lock 33 Aynho Weir Lock 33 Belchers Lift Bridge 189 Aynho Bridge 190
Demolished lift bridge - possible 191 Souldern Bridge Chisnell Lift Bridge Somerton Deep Lock Somerton Deep Lock
Demolished Lift Bridge - 191? Souldern Bridge 192 Chisnell Lift Bridge 193 Somerton Deep Lock Bridge 194 Somerton Deep Lock 34
Oxford Canal's Somerton Deep Lock Somerton Deep Lock Bridge Meadlands Bridge Somerton Bridge Demolished lift bridge possibly was 197
Somerton Deep Lock 34 Somerton Deep Lock Bridge 194 Meadlands Bridge 195 Somerton Bridge 196 Demolished Lift Bridge - 197?
Deep Cutting Bridge Somerton Mill Bridge Pipe Bridge Heyford Common Lock 35 Heyford Common Bridge
Deep Cutting Bridge 198 Somerton Mill Bridge 199 Pipe Bridge Heyford Common Lock 35 Heyford Common Bridge 200
Railway Bridge near Upper Heyford Single Bridge Allens Lock Bridge Oxford Canal Bridge no 203 Allen's Lock
Railway Bridge 201 Single Bridge 202 Bridge 203 Bridge 203 Allen's Lock 36
Oxford Canal - Allen's Lock Allens Bridge Mill Lift Bridge Heyford Wharf Bridge Cleeves Bridge
Allen's Lock 36 Allens Bridge 204 Mill Lift Bridge 205 Heyford Wharf Bridge 206 Cleeves Bridge 207
High Bush Bridge Dashwoods Lock Oxford Canal - Dashwood's Lock Dashwood Bridge Oxford Canal - Dashwoods Bridge
High Bush Bridge 208 Dashwood's Lock 37 Dashwood's Lock 37 Dashwood Bridge 209 Dashwood Bridge 209
Northbrook Northbrook Packhorse bridge over the Cherwell//Oxford Canal Northbrook Lock Oxford Canal - Northbrook Lock New Brighton Bridge
Northbrook Bridge 210 Northbrook Packhorse Bridge by 210 Northbrook Lock 38 Northbrook Lock 38 New Brighton Bridge 211
Old Brighton Canal Bridge on the Oxford Canal England Pigeons Lock Lovely old Pigeons Bridge on the Oxford Canal Pigeons Bridge no.213 Pigeons Bridge
Old Brighton Bridge 212 Pigeons Lock 39 Pigeons Bridge 213 Pigeons Bridge 213 Pigeons Bridge area
Pinsey Bridge on the Oxford Canal Oxford Canal Bridges - Pinsey (sometimes known as Binsey?) Caravan Lift Bridge on the Oxford Canal in England Enslow railway bridge Enslow - Oxford Canal Bridge in England
Pinsey Bridge 214 aka Binsey Bridge sometimes Caravan Lift Bridge 215 Enslow Railway Bridge 216a Enslow Bridge 216
Bakers Lock on the Oxford Canal Oxford Canal - Bakers Lock Horse Bridge Railway Bridge near Bunker Hill Shipton Weir Lock
Bakers Lock 40 Bakers Lock 40 Horse Bridge 217 Bunker Hill Railway Bridge Shipton Weir Bridge 218 + Lock 41

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

Lock at Shipton Weir on the Oxford Canal Shipton Lift Bridge Oxford Canal Shipton Lift Bridge Shipton on Cherwell Railway Bridge Dismantled Railway Bridge
Shipton Weir Lock 41 Shipton Lift Bridge 219 Shipton Lift Bridge 219 Shipton on Cherwell Railway Bridge Dismantled Railway Bridge
Oxford Canal Dismantled railway bridge Shipton Bridge Oxford Canal - Shipton Bridge Aubreys Lift Bridge Sparrowgap Bridge
Dismantled Railway Bridge Shipton Bridge 220 and Stoplock Shipton Bridge 220 Aubreys Lift Bridge 221 Sparrowgap Bridge 223
Langford Lane Langford Lane Bridge Roundham Lock Roundham Bridge Oxford Canal - Roundham Bridge
Langford Lane Bridge 224 Langford Lane Bridge 224 Roundham Lock 42 Roundham Bridge 226 Roundham Bridge 226
Bullers Bridge Bullers Bridge on the Oxford Canal Yarnton Bridge Yarnton Bridge Oxford Canal Kidlington Green Lock
Bullers Bridge 227 Bullers Bridge 227 Yarnton Bridge 228 Yarnton Bridge 228 Kidlington Green Lock 43
Oxford Canal Locks- Kidlington Green Pipe Bridge near Kidlington Oxford canal footbridge Oxford Canal - foot bridge Kings Bridge
Kidlington Green Lock Pipe Bridge Kidlington Oxford Canal Footbridge Oxford Canal Footbridge Kings Bridge 230
Drinkwaters Lift Bridge Railway Bridge near Drinkwaters Dukes Lock Dukes Lock - Oxford Canal Dukes Bridge
Drinkwaters Lift Bridge 231 Railway Bridge Dukes Lock 44a Dukes Lock 44a Dukes Bridge 232

Duke's Cut. This short waterway connects the Oxford Canal with the River Thames and was made at the request of the Duke of Marlborough - hence the name. As you go along the Cut it is much more like a river - lots of willows and other trees line the route and inevitably there are quite often fallen branches around so care is needed. The "towpath" is generally narrow and lined with nettles and some bramble to start with and also often quite muddy - then it follows the twists of the Cut as it goes between fields to reach the River Thames.

Oxford Canal - Dukes Lock Oxford Canal Road Bridge Road Bridge over the Oxford Canal Lift Bridge no 233 Perrys Lift Bridge
Dukes Cut Lock 44b Oxford Canal Road Bridge Oxford Canal Road Bridge Lift Bridge 233 Perrys Lift Bridge 234
Oxford Canal - Perrys Lift Bridge Wolvercote Lock Upper Wolvercote Bridge Oxford Canal - Upper Wolvercote Upper Wolvercote Canal Bridge
Perrys Lift Bridge 234 Wolvercote Lock 45 Upper Wolvercote Bridge 235 Upper Wolvercote Bridge 235 Upper Wolvercote Bridge 235
Oxford Canal - Balls Bridge Balls Bridge Railway Bridge - Upper Wolvercote Upper Wolvercote Railway Bridge over the Oxford Canal maybe a demolished lift bridge
Balls Bridge 236 Balls Bridge 236 Upper Wolvercote Railway Bridge Upper Wolvercote Railway Bridge Demolished Lift Bridge?
St Edwards Lift bridge Oxford Canal - St Edwards Lift Bridge Oxford Canal Bridge Aristotle Bridge Oxford Canal - Aristotle Bridge
St Edwards Lift Bridge 238 St Edwards Lift Bridge 238 Oxford Canal Bridge Aristotle Bridge 240 Aristotle Bridge 240
Bridge 242 Bridge 242 on Oxford Canal Isis Lock Bridge Isis Lock - Oxford The Oxford Canal southern end in the City of Oxford
Oxford Canal Bridge 242 Oxford Canal Bridge 242 Isis Lock Bridge 243 Isis Lock 46 Southern end of the Oxford Canal

 

Several books about English Canals and their History:- Useful Canal Books:-
Anatomy of Canals   British Canals: The Standard History   Nicholson Guide to the Waterways

 

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

More English Canal Pictures including a photo record of the whole of the Grand Union Canal plus several Canal Arms can be found via our English Topics.

 

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