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A holiday guide to the Oxford Canal


Take a picturesque voyage through classic countryside on the Oxford Canal.

From the nostalgic appeal of historic market towns to the gleaming spires of Oxford, the best of Olde Englande is to be found on a cruise along the Oxford Canal.

Originally built to Brindley’s famous contour-method, the Oxford Canal is a delight to navigate with few locks to disrupt your journey through peaceful, undulating countryside. The canal was not built for pleasure - it originally enjoyed the somewhat grubby honour of transporting coal from Coventry to the Thames - but its meandering course has been understandably popular with generations of boaters, walkers and cyclists.

That said, the twists and turns that add charm to a canal holiday were very frustrating for 19th century boatmen and in the 1830s, Marc Brunell and William Cubitt set about straightening Brindley’s original line north of Braunston. The new canal line bisected the old line in several places and today, many of these old loops have found use as tranquil moorings. Keep an eye out for the lovely cast iron bridges, which were installed over these old abandoned loops.

The Oxford Canal meets the Grand Union Canal at Braunston – amidst spectacular rural scenery. This is one of the busist points on Britain’s canal system, but the pretty village of Braunston, just a two minute climb up the hill, has retained its rustic charm.

Past the market town of Banbury, the Oxford Canal meanders into the ‘Squires and Spires’ territory of Northamptonshire and the delightful Anyho (aka Apricot) villlage. Further south, we meet the old canal villages of Thrupp and Cropredy, favoured mooring spots, which are similarly popular with the lunchtime crowd. Canalside pubs are in no short supply along the Oxford Canal – but you may have to book to secure a table.

Once in Oxfordshire, the winding canal embraces a genteel aspect as it passes close to the majestic Blenheim Palace (birthplace of William Churchill) and soon after, University punters and college spires signal an end to our buccolic journey.

Last updated: 16/07/2009