The beautiful Stratford upon Avon Canal in England

The Stratford-on-Avon Canal - Kings Norton Junction to Lapworth section.

Walking and Cycling along the Stratford-on-Avon Canal towpath and looking at the canal's beautiful bridges, locks and other features.

About The stratford-on-Avon Canal in the English Midlands.

The 25.5 mile long Stratford-on-Avon Canal runs between Kings Norton Junction near Birmingham (where it connects with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal) and more or less travels in a south easterly direction to Stratford-on-Avon (where it links up with the River Avon). The canal was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1793 and after some delays finally opened between Kings Norton Junction and Lapworth in 1803 and eventually connected with the Avon at Stratford Canal at the end of June 1816.
Kings Norton Junction is a really nice peaceful area with it's nice old Junction Bridge 72, a beautifuly made old brick warehouse and additionally several seats along the grassy areas which are just right for stopping off for a lunch break or picnic. Several cycle routes intersect at the junction - by using the Worcester Canal's towpath the centre of Birmingham is only about 6 miles away in one direction and Worcester around 25 miles away in the other.
Right at the head of Kings Norton Junction is the fairly large Junction House - it's noticeboard makes interesting reading concerning toll and cargo charges in effect in 1894. For instance tonnage per mile of Lime at 1/2d, manure, bricks tile and stone at 3/4d, cattle, sheep and pigs were 1-1/2d and on top of this a charge of 1d per mile per boat. The Stratford on Avon canal starts off by passing through residential areas of Birmingham's suburbs for around 5 miles but you would hardly know this - it is often heavily tree-lined and very peaceful. The canal is quite wide for narrowboats and the towpath is generally in really good condition as far as Dickens Heath with just one short stretch where it has become or tends to be muddy.
The start of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Kings Norton Junction.
Kings Norton Junction.
Junction Bridge 72, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Junction Bridge 72.
Junction Bridge at Kings Norton Junction, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Junction Bridge 72.
Toll house - Kings Norton Canal Junction, Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Toll Office.
Warehouse just by the junction at Kings Norton, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Warehouse by the Jcn..
Around 200 yards along from the start of the canal there is a quite rare and nicely preserved

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal double guillotine stop lock

. These type of locks were used to control water flow between canals owned by different companies - water was a valuable commodity. The stop lock mechanism is still there and shows the gearings, chains and iron gantry as well as the oak "guillotines" at each end of the lock.
Bridge 1
Bridge 1.
Bridge 1 and a double guillotine stop lock on the Stratford upon Avon Canal
Bridge 1 and stoplock.
Guillotine stop-lock, Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
guillotine double stoplock.
sadly just a few remains of an old swing bridge, Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Site of swing bridge.
canal pipebridge, Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Pipebridge.

Brandwood Tunnel and The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.

Brandwood Tunnel is 322 metres in length and wide enough to be able to take two way narrowboat traffic - the size of barge it can accommodate is maximum 2.13 metres Beam and 2.1 metres Air draft. There is no towpath within the tunnel - before the days of mechanically powered barges boatmen pulled their narrowboats and barges through by using the iron hand-railings which were built into the tunnel's sides. If cycling or walking along the canal you have to divert up into Brandwood End. Although it's just a short distance you have to use a side road and then cross a major road. Where several other main roads also meet (there are pedestrian lights) nothing is marked re where the way to the towpath is. From the West Portal walk up to the road - turn left and then go right on a path which cuts across grass to the main road. Go across the road and then shortly bear left down a path on the right and this takes you back onto the towpath.
Western Portal of Brandwood Tunnel, Stratford-on-Avon Canal. Eastern Portal of Brandwood Tunnel, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Stratford upon Avon Canal - Brandwood Tunnel
Brandwood Tunnel (W)
Brandwood Tunnel (E)
Brandwood Tunnel


Brandwood Tunnel (E), Stratford-on-Avon Canal. Pipebridge and Bridge 3, Stratford-on-Avon Canal. Bridge 3, Stratford-on-Avon Canal.
Brandwood Tunnel Portal
bridge 3 + pipebridge
Canal Bridge no.3
Siding bridge near Brandwood, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Sidebridge.
Lyons Wharf - Stratford upon Avon Canal
Lyons Wharf.
Bridge 4, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 4.
Pipebridge and Bridge 4, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Pipebridge and Bridge 4.
Pipe and Bridge 4
Bridge 4.
pipes and bridge 4 crossing The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Pipes and Bridge 4.
Bridge 5 over the Stratford upon Avon Canal
Bridge 5.
Bridge 5, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 5.
Pipebridge near Bridge 6, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Pipes and Bridge 6.
Bridge 6 and Pipes, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 6.
Bridge no:6, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 6 and pipes.
Canal Bridge 7, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 7.
Bridge 7
Bridge 7.
site of stoplock at Shirley Aqueduct, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Site of aqueduct stoplock.
Stratford upon Avon - Shirley Aqueduct
Shirley Aqueduct.
Stratford upon Avon Canal - Shirley Drawbridge
Shirley Drawbridge.
Shirley Drawbridge, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Shirley Drawbridge.
Shirley Drawbridge (open), The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Shirley Drawbridge.
Canal Bridge 9, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 9.
Canal Bridge 9
Bridge 9.
Railway Bridge no:9a
Railway bridge.
Railway Bridge 9a, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Railway bridge 9a.
Bridge 10, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 10.
Bridge 10
Bridge 10.
Stratford-upon-Avon - Canal Bridge 11
Bridge 11.
Stratford-upon-Avon - Canal Bridge 11
Bridge 11.
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Bridge 12
Bridge 12.
Bridge 12, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 12.
Stratford-upon-Avon - Canal Foot Bridge 13
Footbridge 13.
Bridge 14, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 14 Dickens Heath.
Up to this part of the Stratford on Avon Canal there are very few bridges however from Dickens Heath onwards you start to regularly come across many really nice old bricked bridges. The towpath surface changes to more of a grass and dirt layer from here. When we last walked this stretch there had been little rainfall for several weeks and most of the towpath was dry. However it is obvious from the cracked surface that in places this must get extremely muddy when wet and probably difficult to traverse for cyclists. The canal is completely lined with beautiful trees and quite dense foliage for some miles now and walking along especially when there is a little bit of dappled sunshine getting through is a complete walking pleasure. Just after passing Bridge 16 a feeder arm meets the canal - this provides water to the canal from the 3 reservoirs at Earlswood Lakes - the reservoirs were built in the 1820s.
Bridge no14 Bridge:-15, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The Stratford upon Avon Bridge 15
Bridge 14
Bridge 15
Bridge 15


Stratford upon Avon Canal and Bridge 16 Bridge 16, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Stratford upon Avon Canal feeder arm from Earlswood Reservoirs
Bridge 16
Bridge 16
Feeder Arm
Lady Lane Wharf, Stratford-on-Avon Canal
Lady Lane Wharf.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal, a Pipebridge
Canal piplebridge.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge 17
Bridge 17.
Bridge 17, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 17.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal - Bridge:-18
Bridge 18.
Canal Bridge no:18, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 18.
Stratford upon Avon Canal - Waring's Green Wharf
Warings Green Wharf.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge:-19
Bridge 19.
Bridge 19, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 19.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge:-20
Bridge 20.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal Bridge 20
Bridge 20.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: M42 Bridge
Bridge 20a.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal M42 roadbridge (20a)
M42 Bridge 20a.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge:-21
Bridge 21.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal Bridge 21
Bridge 21.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge:- 22
Bridge 22.
Bridge 22, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 22.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Bridge 23
Bridge 23.
Canal Bridge 23, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 23.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal Bridge:-24
Bridge 24.
Bridge 24, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 24.
Hockley Heath Side Arm, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Hockley Heath Arm.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal - Bridge: 25
Bridge 25.
Bridge 25 - Stratford upon Avon Canal
Bridge 25.
Draw Bridge26 on the Stratford upon Avon Canal.
Draw Bridge 26.
The Stratford upon Avon Canal: Draw Bridge 26
Draw Bridge.
Stratford upon Avon Canal barges alongside a wharf
Swallow Cruises Wharf.
Stratford upon Avon Canal Bridge 27
Bridge 27.
Canal Bridge:27, The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.
Bridge 27.
Stratford upon Avon Canal - Lift Bridge
Lift Bridge 28.

Please see the next part of our Stratford-on-Avon Canal topic which follows the canal is it goes through the huge flight of locks at Lapworth, and our final section on the canal is about the remainder of the canal's journey to it's end at Stratford-on-Avon where it meets up with the River Avon - please see our Stratford-on-Avon South topic.

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