Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

The Grand Union Canal.

The Grand Union is a broad canal, we can take both boats through the locks together, however for most of the canal between locks we are unable to stay breasted up and will work in single file. This was the way that boats used this canal in the days of working boats. The Grand Union canal as we know it today is long, 175 miles, and the main route was made up from the merger of three different canals. It varies from inner city to isolated rural, from heavily locked, 21 in two miles, to several pounds over 10 miles in length. It is so long that we never work it as a single trip, but rather it features in many different cruises. Sometimes a section is cruised on its own, sometimes a small part is used to connect different canals as part of a cruise.

It falls into two main parts.

London to Braunston.

This section was built as the Grand Junction canal, it runs from Brentford on the Western edge of London north west to Braunston Northamptonshire. It is nearly 100 miles long, has 100 locks and two of the longest tunnels on the UK canal system as well as several major branches. It is very much an expressway of the canal age. However it does not share the love for speed of modern main routes. Life still moves along at under walking pace and stops completely at locks.

It climbs from London through over 50 locks, passing through Uxbridge, Croxley Green, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhampstead and passing a short arm to Slough. It is a landscape of contrasts, including many lakes and parks such as Harefield Moor with its abundant wildlife and the wooded parkland of Cassionbury Park.

At Cowroast lock the 3 mile Tring summit level is reached. At the further end of the summit lies the arm to Wendover, built as a feeder arm but now unavigatable, and the arm to Aylesbury, a narrow beam canal, still in use. It is also the location for canal reservoirs teaming with bird life and Bulborne Workshops where canal gates used to be made, sadly no longer.

The canal then starts to descend, passing through countryside for many miles with the exception of Leighton Buzzard. Arriving at the bottom of the descent the canal passes through the 'new town', of Milton Keynes opinions on it vary. :-) This is the last town on this stretch of the canal which now becomes, and remains remote.

At Cosgrove the canal crosses the Great Ouse river on an embankment and an aqueduct which caused many problems to construct, and the abandoned Buckingham arm. It then meets the hills which it passes with short flights of locks at Stoke Bruerne, Buckby and Braunston, and long tunnels at Blisworth, 3,075 yards and Braunston, 2,042 yards.

On its way it passes the arm to Northampton and the fens, and the Leicester branch which takes you over to the Rivers Soar and eventually Trent.

Napton to Birmingham.

From Braunston to Napton junction the route lies long the Northern Oxford canal, then at Napton the Grand Union, formerly the two Warwick canals resumes. This last stretch is just under 40 miles with 57 locks. It is a rural canal for much of its length as it first drops down Calcutt, Stockton and Bascotte locks to take us down one side of the Avon valley. At the bottom the canal runs through the outskirts of Leamington Spa and Warwick.

The canal then climbs up out of the Avon valley by the great flight of 21 locks at Hatton, known by boatmen as "21 steps to Heaven", but where do we go when we go down them? They lift boats 146 ft, providing a spectacular view back down to the distance tower of Warwick church. We then go back into the country soon passing through the dripping cavern of Shrewley tunnel. Passing King's Norton Junction with the Stratford canal the Grand Union heads towards Birmingham, climbing the five Knowle locks and for the last seven miles passing through the suburbs of Birmingham till it drops down the five Camp Hill locks to finish at Bordesley junction.

If Birmingham is the destination, then you carry on dropping down Ashted locks and join the Birmingham and Fazeley canal to climb up the Farmer's Bridge locks. All inner city canal, but with it's own charm.

• Osterley Park. House. A superb 18th century mansion. 30 minutes from the canal in west London.
• Syon House., fine stately home, 300 yards from Brentford locks on A315.
• Boston Manor House., a Jacobean Manor House in West London, 20 minutes walk north of B 208.
• Kew Bridge Steam Museum. Steam power comes alive at London's Kew Bridge Steam Museum. Built in the 19th century to supply London with water, the museum is recognised as the most important historic site of the water supply industry in Britain. 20 minutes to the East of Brentford.
• Musical Museum Brentford. The Musical Museum contains one of the world’s foremost collections of automatic instruments it is on Brentford High Street, twenty minutes from the canal.

• Berkhampstead Castle. Ruins of the Norman castle a few minutes from B 141.
• Berkhampstead Town. Buildings of all periods and a fine church..

• College Lake Wildlife Centre at Tring. A fascinating combination of nature reserve, bird watching site and an arable centre. Ten minutes from the canal from B 133. Wildlife Centre.
• Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum at Tring, thirty minutes walk from Bulborne Junction. The largest collection of stuffed birds, mammals, inspects and reptiles in the UK made by one individual. Museum.
• Aylesbury Museum. The museum for Buckinghamshire with a Roald Dahl gallery. Ayeslbury Museum.
• Pitstone Windmill. One of the oldest postmills in Britain, dating from 1627 and restored entirely by volunteers. Ten minutes walk to the South of B 123 but only open on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Pitstone Windmill
• Ford End Watermill, Ivinghoe. This little mill, recorded in 1767 but certainly very much older, was in use until 1963. Restored by volunteers, and now maintained and run by Ford End Watermill Society, it is the only remaining working watermill in Buckinghamshire with original machinery. It is however only fully open on Bank Holidays. Watermill.
• Pitstone Green Museum of Rural Life. Housed in the buildings of a 1831 farm, although basically a Rural Life Museum with many exhibits relating to farming,country life, trades and professions within a 25 mile radius of Pitstone, it has many other interesting exhibits, including two model railways, vintage wirelesses, photographic and electrical apparatus and a WWII military aviation room. It is in Pitstone ten minutes walk from B126. Pitstone Museum.

• Leighton Buzzard. A traditional market town that has managed to retain its unique history and character whilst still meeting the demands of a busy town in the 21st century. A network of streets and shopping mews lead into Market Square, where the 19th century former Moot Hall and a fine 15th century market cross are located. The splendid broad High Street, with many interesting buildings, leads to Church Square and the 13th century All Saints Church. Leighton Buzzard.
• Leighton Buzzard Railway. Opened in 1919 to transport sand, the line has carried a steam-hauled passenger train service since 1968, and now houses one of the largest and most important collections of narrow-gauge stock in the country. Today’s Leighton Buzzard Railway offers a 70-minute round trip from Page’s Park to Stonehenge Works, which is in the Bedfordshire countryside to the north of the town. The current track is just under 3 miles (4.8km) long It starts in the centre of the town within twenty minutes walk of the canal Leighton Buzzard Railway.
• All Saints Church, Leighton Buzzard. All Saints.

• The City of Milton Keynes. A new city created since the 1970's. Great emphasis is placed on the recreational needs of the residents and in this context good use has been made of the canal. Milton Keynes.
• Milton Keynes Museum, where they preserve the history of Britain's newest city in a beautiful Victorian farmstead. Milton Keynes Museum
• Great Ouse Aqueduct. There are well surfaced walks to take you below the aqueduct and to enable you to explore the banks of the river and the remains of the previous canal crossings here.
  

• Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum. Alongside the canal. Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum

• The Hearts of the Shires Shopping Centre. The Northamptonshire shopping village that offers shopping without the stress.. From kitchenware to menswear the Heart of the Shires offers a range of elegant gift solutions as well as a first class restaurant and tea room. It is within ten minutes of the canal from B 18. . Heart of the Shires.
• Whilton Locks Pottery. Right alongside the canal at the bottom lock of the Buckby flight. The Pottery.

• Braunston. A fascinating canal village. Lots to just wander around and look at, gift shops, chandeliers, boat builders, dry docks and boats by the hundred. Braunston Village.

• The Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa. Opened in 1814 have been renovated to provide many features including Assembly Rooms and an Art Gallery and Museum. Pump Rooms.
• The Town of Leamington Spa. The main shopping centre is within ten minutes of the canal. Leamington Spa.
• Warwick Castle. Justly claimed to be one of the greatest medieval castles in the UK. It now has a number of experiences to make history live. 30 minutes walk from the canal. Warwick Castle
• Warwick Town has many attractions the main ones are listed separately below, but look here for several others. Warwick
• Warwick Museum set in the centre of the town offers an interesting variety of exhibits. Museum.
• The hidden hedged gardens of Warwick's Hill Close Gardens are rare survivals of Victorian gardens once used by townsfolk living above their business to escape from the crowded town. Hill Close Gardens.
• The Lord Leycester Hospital. A unique group of medieval timber-framed buildings dating from the late 14th century. The Hospital.
• Warwick Regimental Museum. This museum tells the story of the 6th Foot from its origins in 1674 to the Fusiliers of today. St. John's Museum
• St.Mary's Warwick. Burial place of the Earls of Warwick and the Beauchamp Chantry, the finest medieval chapel in England. Warwick Church.

• Hatton Shopping Village. Home to 25 craft and speciality gift shops, 20 antique dealers and discounted big brand names. It is about ten minutes walk from the canal. Hatton Shopping Village
• Baddesley Clinton House. It has changed little since 1633. It is about 20 minutes walk from the canal at Kingswood in north west Warwickshire.
  Baddesley Clinton House
• Packwood House. A tranquil house carefully restored and furnished with 17th century furniture, tapestries, stained glass and ornaments. It is about 30 to 40 minutes walk from the canal at Kingswood in north west Warwickshire. Packwood House
  

• National Sea-life centre , Birmingham. A place where the sea comes to the city with a spectacular undersea world with over 60 displays. Alongside this canal.
  
• Birmingham back to backs. Four houses have been restored to the 1840s, 1870s, 1930s and 1970s. About 10 to 15 minutes walk from this canal. Advance booking is advised.
• Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. Home to a large number of jewellers operating in historic surroundings, going back over 250 years. It has its own museum and gallery as well as over 100 shops. About 15 minutes walk from this canal.
• Birmingham city centre. A tremendous place for shopping, especially with the new Bull Ring. About 20 minutes walk from the canal.
• Birmingham Cathedral a fine 18th century English Baroque parish church which became the cathedral for the new Diocese of Birmingham in 1905. About 20 minutes walk from the canal.

Books on the Grand Union Canal.

There are a number of very good books about canals, but some I would personally recommend on this canal are

Two Centuries of Service. Written by David Blagrove and published in 2005 by Buchebroc Press, Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire. ISBN 1-8719-1813-8
The story of the Canal at Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth..

At the Heart of the Waterways. Written by David Blagrove and published in 1996 by Buchebroc Press, Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire. ISBN 1-8719-1805-7
The story of the canals in the village of Braunston, Northamptonshire.

The Warwick Canals. Written by Alan Faulkner and published in 1985 by The Railway & Canals Historical Society. ISBN 0-9011461-39-3
The story of the canals from Warwick..

These books are in our library on Oak and Ash and available for you to read during your cruise, as are many other books.

Some pictures of this canal?

Bull's Bridge to Marsworth / Paddington Arm. / Marsworth to Gayton / Aylesbury Arm

Gayton to Norton / Norton to Braunston / Braunston to Napton /Napton to Warwick / Warwick to Lapworth

Lapworth to Camp Hill. / Camp Hill to Salford / Digbeth Branch.

History of the canals which make up the present Grand Union canal.

The Grand Junction / Warwick to Napton / Warwick to Birmingham

The Grand Union.

Find our information about other canals on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk