A circular walk around Stoke Bruerne
Route facts
Waterways:
Grand Union Canal »
Distance: 2.5 miles / 4km
Duration: 1 hour
Suitable for: Everyone
Circular route from: Blisworth Tunnel
Discover one of the UK's most attractive canals on this well-marked walk.
This circular walk is a joint project between British Waterways, Northamptonshire County Council and South Northamptonshire Council.
Walkers are asked to follow the Country Code:
- Keep to the line of the paths
- Leave gates as you find them
- Respect the countryside - leave wildlife, livestock, crops and machinery alone
- Keep your dogs under control
- Take your litter home
The route is clearly marked with the symbol above and has been designed so that you can enjoy a hearty half day walk or just a short stroll for no more than half an hour.
The paths on this walk are public rights of way. The land that they cross is privately owned farmland.
The route can be started or finished at any point.
Getting there
Public transport: United Counties runs a number 37 service from Milton Keynes and Northampton to Stoke Bruerne Mondays to Saturdays. A saunterbus operates between Easter and September on selected days. Please call 01604 20077 for full details.
Waypoints
1. Blisworth Tunnel
Britain's longest navigable continuous bore tunnel is 1.5 miles long and, at its deepest point, is 120ft below ground. Engineered by Jessop and Barnes in 1804, the tunnel was closed between 1980 and 1984 while its central 100m section was relined with concrete segments at a cost of £4 million. From here, walk south down the towpath until you arrive at Blisworth Hill Tramway.
2. Blisworth Hill Tramway
While Blisworth Tunnel was being built, a horsedrawn railway was constructed so that goods could be transported between Stoke and Blisworth. It was in operation from 1800 but was then dismantled in 1805 when the tunnel was opened. The line is still visible from the top of the canal cutting. Further along the canal, you will arrive at The Canal Museum.
3. The Canal Museum
The Canal Museum is housed in a restored corn mill with working models, videos, pictorial and three-dimensional displays which bring to life the unique 200 year old story of our waterway transport system. This is complemented by the living canal outside with its flight of locks and Blisworth Tunnel. Thousands of people from all over the world visit the museum each year. Just past the museum is the Canal People restaurant.
4. Canal People
Next to the museum is a row of stone cottages, at the end of which is the Canal People restaurant. The restaurant used to be a shop, catering for every need of the boat people. It was here that Sister Mary Ward BEM had her boat people’s surgery until she retired in 1962. Opposite is the Boat Inn, which has also been a butchers, canalside bistro and stables for canalboat horses.
5. Seven Locks
Further along the towpath, you will see the seven locks, which were built to accommodate two narrowboats and each hold around 56,000 gallons of water. To save water, the locks were built with ponds at the side to enable half a lock of water to be re-used when refilling the lock. In 1835, the locks were duplicated to speed up traffic and the original lock is now home to the unique boat weighing machine containing LMSR Birmingham 'station' boat.
6. Brickworks Arm
Opposite the seven locks is the brickworks which provided local building materials from the 1840s to 1920. It was served by a busy wharf on the Brickwork Arm, which leads of the Grand Union Canal below the second lock. The site is now a nature reserve, a valuable wildlife haven, open free of charge to the public. Turn left off the towpath past the bus stop to Stoke Bruerne.
7. Stoke Bruerne
One of the prettiest canalside villages, Stoke Bruerne is home to one of the liveliest stretches of canal. When the canal was built, the village street had to be diverted from its old line along what is now Chapel Lane and re-routed over the bridge below top lock.
8. St. Mary's Church
From Stoke Bruerne, the route will take you along Mill Lane, past fields and trackways across the remarkable Northamptonshire countryside. As you arrive at Church Lane, you will see St. Mary’s Church, which stands on the hill overlooking the canal. It was used by the engineers as a sighting point when they were aligning the route of the tunnel. The route will then lead you back to where you began.
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