Braunston Turn-Rugby Sutton Stop Photos Oxford Canal Bridges Locks England

If you are on holiday in England and would like to enjoy seeing some of our wildlife, old buildings and lovely countryside you could do far worse than visit one of our 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 - 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 canal is and you would not think you were in the midst of such a major place - 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 the route is mostly through open countryside as you continue on past Hillmorton Locks which is the last place for any facilities before reaching Braunston. The towpath from Tarrys Bridge 74 south really deteriorates - lots of collapse, holes and mud as well as really overgrown with bramble and nettle in some places and it stays this way nearly into Braunston itself.


Dis-used Engine House	Hawkesbury Junction Bridge 1	Hawkesbury Junction Bridge 1	Hawkesbury Junction Lock 1	Sutton Stop Lock (Hawkesbury Junction) Lock 1

Hawkesbury StopLock Bridge 2	Oxford Canal Bridge 3	Tusse's Bridge 4	Tusse's Bridge 4	Whitings Bridge 5

Whitings Bridge 5	Wyken Arm - Bridge 6 ?	Sowe Common Bridge 7	Stone Bridge 9	Stone Bridge 9

Carters Bridge 11	Carters Bridge 11	NoonHill Bridge 13	NoonHill Bridge 13	M69 Motorway Bridge 13a

Ansty Village Bridge 14	Ansty Village Bridge 14	Oxford Canal Bridge 15	Oxford Canal Bridge 15	Oxford Canal Bridge 16

Oxford Canal Bridge 16	Squires Bridge 17	Squires Bridge 17	Oxford Canal Aqueduct Bridge 18	Holly Hill Bridge 19

The Oxford Canal's original route: We think that where the Oxford Canal goes over Bridge 18 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.


Holly Hill Bridge 19	Hopsford Aqueduct 20	Hopsford Aqueduct 20	Nettle Hill Bridge 24	M6 Motorway Bridge

Grimes Bridge 26	Grimes Bridge 26	Johnsons Bridge 27	Johnsons Bridge 27	Smeaton Lane Aqueduct 28

Stretton Swing Footbridge - 29?	Stretton Road Bridge 30	Stretton Road Bridge 30	Brinklow Arches Aqueduct 31	Brinklow Arm 32

Brinklow Arches. As the canal passes Brinklow it has to cross a valley and 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 Arm leaves from around here but is heavily weeded and silted up and therefore dis-used.


Brinklow Arm 32	Easenhall Lane Bridge 34	Easenhall Lane Bridge 34	Hungerfield Bridge 35	Hungerfield Bridge 35

Oxford Canal Bridge 37	Oxford Canal Bridge 37	Oxford Canal Bridge 38	Oxford Canal Bridge 38	Bridge 39 - into Brinklow Marina

Bridge 39 - into Brinklow Marina	Cathiron Bridge 41	Cathiron Bridge 41	Waltons Bridge 42	Waltons Bridge 42

Railway Bridge near Cathiron	Tuckeys Bridge 43	Tuckeys Bridge 43	Lime Farm Marina Bridge	Oxford Canal Bridge 44

Oxford Canal Bridge 44	Fools Bridge 48 and Newbold Arm	Fools Bridge 48	Newbold Tunnel 49	Inside Newbold Tunnel

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.


Newbold Tunnel 49	Bridge 50	Bridge 50	Greens Bridge 51	Greens Bridge 51

Old Railway Bridge	Old Railway Bridge	Perkins Bridge 52	Perkins Bridge 52	Oxford Canal Bridge 53

Rugby Wharf Arm	Rugby Wharf Arm	Aqueduct Bridge 54	Aqueduct Bridge 54	Aqueduct Bridge 55

Aqueduct Bridge 55	Oxford Canal FootBridge	Masters Bridge 58	Boughton Road Bridge 59	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 which can be worth a short diversion as you wander along this stretch towards Braunston.


Clifton Bridge 66	Clifton Bridge 66	Bridge 68	Bridge 68	Kent Road Bridge 69

Hillmorton Locks 2 and 3	Hillmorton Locks 2 and 3	Hillmorton Locks 2 and 3	Grantham Arm Bridge 70	Grantham Arm

Hillmorton Locks: These paired 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 the flight. Originally the 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 - Bridge 71	Hillmorton Locks 4 and 5	Hillmorton Locks 4 and 5	Hillmorton Locks 4 and 5	Hillmorton Locks 4 and 5

Hillmorton TopLocks 6 and 7	Hillmorton Locks 6 and 7	Hillmorton Locks 6 and 7	Moors Bridge 72	Moors Bridge 72

Railway bridges S Rugby	Railway Bridge S.Rugby	Wharf Bridge 73	Tarry's Bridge 74	Tarry's Bridge 74

Bridge 75	Norman's Bridge 76	Bridge 77	M45 Bridge	Barby Wood Bridge 78

Bridge 79	Wise's Bridge 80	Bridge 81	Rowdyke Bridge 82	Rowdyke Bridge 82

Bridge 83	Bridge 84	Navigation Bridge 85	Bridge 87	Bridge 88

Bridge 89	Bridge 89	Bridge 90	Bridge 90	Bridges 93+94 Braunston Turn

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

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Hawkesbury Junction (Sutton Stop) via Brinklow and Newbold Tunnel to the Braunston Turn - English Canal Guides and Photos.

Canal Photos of every Bridge and Canal Lock travelling south on the Hawkesbury Junction to Braunston Turn stretch of the beautiful Oxford Canal in England.