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Grand Union Canal:
In the
mid 1800s the Grand Union took over from the Oxford as the main route
North/South between London and the midlands. This newer canal
route had been built as straight as possible and the locks were made wide beam, principally to
allow paired narrowboats to pass through the locks
together (on the narrow system motor boats and butties need to be put
through one at a time) - a butty is a 70ft narrowboat without motor, towed
behind the 70ft motorized narrowboat.
The main line now heads south from Birmingham via Warwick and Leamington
Spa to Napton Junction. From here it heads east for a short while,
sharing it's course with the Oxford canal, to Braunston. At
Braunston it heads off, now on its own again, east to Norton Junction
(where the very pretty GU Leics section heads northeast to Foxton and
Leicester). The main line heads south passing to the west of Northampton
then continuing south all the way to London via Milton Keynes, Leighton
Buzzard, and Hemel Hempstead - joining the Thames at Brentford.
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Just south (actually east) of the original junction with the Oxford
canal at Braunston. This bridge is marked as No.1, indicating it's
'younger status' to the earlier Oxford canal. |
Willow enters a
wide beam lock at Braunston, sharing it with a hire boat - the
best way for a 'narrowboat' to use wide locks is to share. |
Des Res on the
banks of the Grand Union. |
Typical dairying
country between Braunston and Norton Junction. |
About 100
years ago the Grand Union main line was a thriving industrial route, and it was one of the last routes
to succumb to the laying-off of the working boats. On this page we
deal with the GU main line between London and Birmingham. The GU
(Leicester Section) is described under the webpage heading of River Soar
- as the GU (Leics
section) is an extension of that river navigation south to where it joins
the GU main line near Buckby.
Although a very important route south, we generally find our recommendation
goes to other routes for those wanting a canal holiday because on the main
line heading
south of Buckby there is lock after lock, ever southward. It makes it
harder to just turn around and head back the way we came - and we have
better suggestions for a holiday.
Of course we
would be delighted to do the full ring - from Braunston south on the Oxford
Canal; southeast on the Thames to Brentford; then north on the GU back to Braunston - if anyone has a full couple of weeks to spare....
North from
Braunston the GU is a direct route north to Birmingham via Leamington Spa
and Warwick. North of Warwick, the GU runs very close and parallel to
the Stratford Canal and there is a useful cut through to Lapworth at
Kingswood Junction. We find that cutting through and taking the
Stratford canal route (via the Worcs & B'ham) to Birmingham, to be more
pleasant and quicker than using the GU.
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River Avon & Stratford
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Grand Union (Leics Section)
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