The Oxford Canal between Hawkesbury & Braunston Turn.

Features of The Oxford Canal as it travels south from Hawkesbury Junction (Sutton Stop) via Brinklow, Newbold Tunnel and Hillmorton Locks to Braunston Turn.

If you are on holiday in England and would like to enjoy seeing some of our wildlife, old buildings, beautiful canal locks and bridges plus lovely English countryside you could do far worse than visit one of our English canals - and the Oxford Canal would be a great choice for this. We cannot find any actual bridge numbers for the first 3 bridges at the start of the canal at Hawkesbury and assumed therefore that the numbers we have given are probably correct since they are logical. We have also assumed the Wyken Arm Bridge is bridge number 6. The towpath heading south from Hawkesbury Junction is in relatively good condition all the way to Brinklow for cyclists and walkers and where there are muddy problems British Waterways seem to be solving the problem. As you continue past Rugby it is surprising how really peaceful the Oxford Canal is and you would not think you were in the midst of such a major city - the high hedgerow and loads of trees make this really nice walking. We did divert to have a look at Newbold Quarry Park - really this is just a series of walkways going round the original (now deep water filled) quarry - with much of the edge of the quarry itself ringed with high metal fencing. As Rugby is left behind by the Oxford Canal the route is mostly through open countryside especially as you continue on past Hillmorton Locks - which incidentally is the last place for any facilities before reaching Braunston.

The towpath from Tarrys Bridge 74 heading south really deteriorates - lots of collapses, deep holes and and if the weather is/has been wet very deep sticky mud. In addition this part of the route is really overgrown with bramble and nettle in some places - and the towpath remains in this condition very nearly into Braunston itself.

The Old Engine House at Hawkesbury Junction

Hawkesbury Junction Bridge 1

Oxford Canal - Hawkesbury Junction Bridge 1

Hawkesbury Junction - Sutton Stoplock 1

Hawkesbury Junction - Stoplock 1

Hawkesbury StopLock Bridge 2

Oxford Canal Bridge 3

Tusse's Bridge 4

Oxford Canal - Tusse's Bridge 4

Whitings Bridge 5

Oxford Canal Whitings Bridge 5

Oxford Canal Wyken_Arm - Bridge 6 ?

Sowe Common Bridge 7

Stone Bridge 9

Oxford Canal - Stone Bridge 9

Carters Bridge 11

Oxford Canal England - Carters Bridge 11

NoonHill Bridge 13

Noon Hill Bridge 13

Oxford Canal - M69 Motorway Bridge

Ansty Village Bridge 14

Oxford Canal - Ansty Village Bridge 14

Oxford Canal Bridge 15

Oxford Canal - Bridge 15

Oxford Canal Bridge 16

Oxford Canal - Bridge 16

Oxford Canal Bridges - 17 Squires Bridge

Squires Bridge 17

Oxford Canal Bridge 18

Holly Hill Bridge 19

The Oxford Canal's original route: We think that where the Oxford Canal goes over Bridge 18 this may well have been the path of the original canal - it is now used to link various parts of a golf course and is fenced off from the canal itself. Similarly at Hopsford Aqueduct 20 again it may have been the path of the old route - in any case it's well worth a walk down the bank to take a look at this bridge and also the excellent arches and brickwork on the adjacent still in use railway bridge.

Oxford Canal England - Holly Hill Bridge 19

Hopsford Aqueduct 20

Hopsford Aqueduct 20 - Oxford Canal

Nettle Hill Bridge 24

M6 Motorway Bridge over the Oxford Canal

Grimes Bridge 26 - Oxford Canal

Grimes Bridge 26

Johnsons Bridge 27

Oxford Canal Bridges - Johnsons Bridge 27

Smeaton Lane Aqueduct 28

Swing footbridge (29?) at Stretton Wharf

Stretton Road Bridge 30

Oxford Canal - Stretton Road Bridge 30

Brinklow Arches 31

Brinklow Arm Bridge 32

The Oxford Canal - Brinklow Arches. As the Oxford Canal passes Brinklow it has to cross a valley and when the canal was being built James Brindley designed an aqueduct to acheive this. The aqueduct has embankments both ends, runs for around 450 yards and is set on 12 brick and stone arches each spanning 22 feet. Nearly all of the arches have been filled in but you can still clamber down through the nettles and bramble and take a look at part of the structure (picture above). The fairly quite short Brinklow Canal Arm leaves from around here but is heavily weeded and silted up and therefore unfortunately dis-used. Several picture rows down see Oxford Canal Bridge 39 - this leads into the Brinklow Marina and offers a gorgeous example of a Horseley Iron Works canal bridge.

The Brinklow Arm Bridge no.32

Easenhall Lane Bridge 34

Easenhall Lane Bridge

Hungerfield Bridge no. 35

Bridge 34 Oxford Canal - Hungerfield Bridge

Bridge 37 Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal Bridge 37

Canal Bridge 38

Oxford Canal Bridge 38

Bridge 39 - Oxford Canal

Bridge 39 into Brinklow Marina

Cathiron Bridge 41

Oxford Canal Bridge 41 Cathiron Bridge

Waltons Bridge 42

Bridge 42 - Waltons - Oxford Canal

Railwaybridge over the Oxford Canal near Cathiron

Tuckey's Bridge no 43

Tuckeys Bridge 43

Lime Farm Marina Bridge (into a small arm)

Oxford Canal Bridge 44

Oxford Canal - Bridge 44

Fools Bridge 48 and Newbold Arm Bridge

Fools Bridge 48

Newbold Tunnel 49 (towards Rugby)

Inside Newbold Tunnel - spooky lighting

The Oxford Canal - Newbold Tunnel. The "new" 250 metre long Newbold Tunnel was built in 1829 as part of the 11 mile shortening of the Oxford Canal which was achieved in 1834. The tunnel is wide enough for two way traffic and is well -perhaps spookily- lit up and has a towpath on both sides which is rather unusual however only one side is actually available to use. The southern entrance to the original tunnel which dated from 1777 is located within the Churchyard of St Botolphs but has been bricked up with just a couple of gaps to allow bats to come and go and can be barely seen because of heavy undergrowth.

Rugby side of the Newbold Tunnel (49)

Oxford Canal Bridge 50

Bridge 50 on the Oxford Canal

Green's Bridge 51

Canal bridge 51 - Oxford Canal near Rugby

lovely old railwaybridge crossing the Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal near Rugby - old railwaybridge

Perkins Bridge 52 on the Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal bridges - Perkins Bridge no 52

Oxford Canal Bridge 53

Rugby Wharf Arm
entrance bridge

Rugby Wharf Arm Bridge - Oxford Canal

Aqueduct Bridge no 54

Oxford Canal - Aqueduct Bridge 54

Aqueduct Bridge 55 - Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal Aqueduct Bridge 55

Footbridge crossing the Oxford Canal

Masters Bridge 58

Boughton Road Bridge 59

Oxford Canal - Boughton Road Bridge 59

On the Oxford Canal between Brinklow and Rugby there are several arms going off and these still have the wrought iron original canal bridges over the towpath - all in excellent condition. Rugby used to be part of an extensive railway system and the lines are still often easily spotted - the OS map shows around 9 railway lines into Rugby at one time though most are now dismantled. However there are some really nice old intact brick railway bridges with excellent arches around to look at and which can be worth a short diversion as you wander along this stretch towards Braunston.

Clifton Bridge 66

Oxford Canal - Clifton Bridge 66

Bridge 68

Oxford Canal Bridge 68

Kent Road Bridge 69

Oxford Canal - twinlocks 2 and 3 Hillmorton

Oxford Canal - Hillmorton twinlocks 2 and 3

Hillmorton locks 2 and 3 - Oxford Canal

Bridge at Grantham Arm

The Grantham Arm

Bridge 71 at Hillmorton

Twinlocks 4 and 5 at Hillmorton

Locks 4 and 5 at Hillmorton

Hillmorton Locks on the Oxford Canal - 4 and 5

Hillmorton locks 4 and 5

The Oxford Canal - Hillmorton Locks: These paired Oxford Canal locks are located in a pleasant area - just the right place to stop and eat lunch - there are several bench seats available alongside the towpath with the nicest part of the area probably by locks 2 and 3. There are canal-boat workshops and also a cafe alongside Hillmorton lock flight. Originally these canal locks were singles but during the Canal's modernisation a second set of locks were built alongside the originals to help with both water conservation and ease congestion.

Hillmorton Toplocks 6 and 7

Oxford Canal at Hillmorton - Locks 6 and 7

Hillmorton twinlocks
6 and 7

Bridge 72 - Moors Bridge - Oxford Canal

Moors Bridge 72

Lovely old railway bridges near Rugby

Railway Bridge s. Rugby - Oxford Canal

Wharf Bridge 73

Tarrys Bridge 74

Oxford Canal - Tarrys Bridge 74

Oxford Canal Bridge 75

Norman's Oxford Canal Bridge 76

Canal Bridge no.77

M25 Motorway Bridge

Barby Wood Bridge no.78

Bridge 79

Wise's Bridge 80

Canal Bridge 81

Rowdyke Bridge 82

Oxford Canal England - Rowdyke Bridge 82

Bridge 83

Oxford Canal Bridge 84

Navigation Bridge 85 on the Oxford Canal England

Canal Bridge 87

Bridge 88 on the Oxford Canal

Canal Bridge 89

Oxford Canal Bridge 89

Oxford Canal - Bridge 90

Bridge 90 on the Oxford Canal - England

Bridges 93 and 94 at Braunston Turn England

Our Oxford Canal Guides are split through several pages as follows:-
A photo record of all the Oxford Canal's locks
The northern end of the Oxford Canal - Sutton Stop to Braunston Turn (this page)
Braunston south to Banbury in Oxfordshire
Banbury to City of Oxford and end of the Oxford Canal

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!.