Short Break Route Suggestions (3 & 4 nights):
Relaxed route: Welford and Return - 21 miles, 22 locks, 12.5 hours total
This is a nice weekend cruise that incorporates a fair amount of locks but not too many cruising hours per day, so you are able to stop off and visit places along the way. Start your journey south, heading towards Foxton locks. Climb the Foxton Staircase of 10 and enjoy lock-free cruising all the way to Welford. Head towards the Husbands Bosworth Tunnel, if you want to visit the town of Husbands Bosworth, moor up before entering the 1166yd long tunnel. Once out of the tunnel continue onto the village of Welford, where you will find a couple of pubs and a grade II listed church. Turn at either the winding hole or one of the two marinas for your return journey back to Foxton.
Intermediate route: Crick and Return - 39 miles, 20 locks, 19.5 hours total
A real rural escape, a busy weekend route but more relaxed for a midweek break. After a 20 minute cruise from the base you’ll reach the bottom of the Foxton Locks, climb the flight and travel through an attractive stretch of canal with no more locks. Cruise through the Husbands Bosworth Tunnel of 1166yds and continue on past the open fields and the moorings for the delightful little village of Yelvertoft, which is within easy walking distance of the canal. From here it is a fairly short cruise to the moorings for Crick; again within easy reach of the canal. Crick has several pubs to choose from for refreshment before starting your return journey.
Active route: Leicester and Return - 32 miles, 48 locks, 22 hours total
A good option for a midweek break, travelling through open fields and under a mixture of bridges you’ll head up the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal. Travel through the 880yd Saddington Tunnel before encountering your first lock at Kibworth. Shortly after you’ll reach the historic hamlet of Wistow, famous for its ‘maize maze’ at the rural centre. Next you’ll pass the canalside village of Newton Harcourt, a well known Leicester beauty spot. Soon you’ll start to see signs of a city emerging, with distant views of towns and houses. There are secure visitor moorings at Castle Gardens, which are within walking distance of the City of Leicester.
Weekly Route Suggestions:
Relaxed route: Braunston and Return - 58 miles, 46 locks, 30.5 hours total
Make your way up through the Foxton flight of 10 locks, after which you will cruise through peaceful uninterrupted countryside. Pass through the long tunnel at Husbands Bosworth and on past the villages of Welford and Crick, both of which have a couple of pubs to stop at for refreshments. Pass through Crick tunnel before travelling through the Watford Lock flight of 7. At Norton Junction head west and cruise towards Braunston. Before arriving at the attractive village, you’ll have to cruise through the Braunston tunnel, the longest on your journey at 2042yds. Continue through the Braunston lock flight of 6 before mooring in the village. Turn at Braunston for your journey back to base.
Intermediate route: Loughborough and Return - 64 miles, 70 locks, 37 hours total
An interesting route that will take you through a mixture of rural countryside and urban landscapes, travelling through the city of Leicester. Start your journey heading north from the base at Foxton, after travelling across the Smeeton Aqueduct and through the 880yd Saddington Tunnel you’ll come to the first locks on your journey. As you are on the approach to Leicester there will be more pubs and canalside villages. The city of Leicester is easily accessible from the secure moorings at the Castle Gardens, the city itself is surprisingly compact, but has plenty of restaurants, bars and shops to choose from. Continue on from Leicester through the village of Mountsorrel, where there are a selection of pubs and eateries within easy reach of the canal. Shortly after Mountsorrel you will be approaching Loughborough, a vibrant town with plenty of mooring spots and a good variety of shops and restaurants.
Active route: Stoke Bruerne and Return - 84 miles, 62 locks, 42 hours total
Travelling south from the base through rural countryside you’ll cruise up the Foxton Locks and head towards the village of Husbands Bosworth. Hidden from the canal, moor up before the 1166yd tunnel if you wish to venture into the village, where there is a pub and convenience store. The canal meanders its way through the hillside past the villages of Yelvertoft and Crick, continue cruising through Crick Tunnel (1528yds) and the Watford locks, until you reach Norton Junction. At the junction, join the main line of the Grand Union Canal towards Gayton Junction. Cruise through the quiet stretch near Brockhall Park before reaching the village of Weedon, where there are several pubs to choose from. At Gayton junction, continue on the main line of the Grand Union and prepare to travel through one of the longest canal tunnels in the UK- the Blisworth Tunnel, which is almost 2 miles long! After the tunnel you will be approaching the beautiful village of Stoke Bruerne, home to the National Waterways Museum.
Fortnight Route Suggestions:
Relaxed route: Coventry and Return - 114 miles, 54 locks, 55 hours total
An interesting and varied route involving a good mix of locks tunnels and aqueducts. Travel through beautiful Northamptonshire and Warwickshire countryside from the base at Foxton down the Grand Union Canal. Climb the Foxton Locks and continue past the villages of Husbands Bosworth, North Kilworth and Crick. The next set of locks will be the Watford flight of 7, after the locks you’ll reach Norton Junction, where you head west towards Braunston. Pass through hills and wooded country until you come to the long tunnel at Braunston and continue through the flight of 6 locks. At the Braunston Turn join the North Oxford Canal and travel through rural, wide open countryside making your way through the locks at Hillmorton. After Hillmorton you’ll cruise onto Rugby, a great place to stop as there are plenty of pubs and a supermarket. Continue on to Hawkesbury Junction and take the Coventry arm to the left, down to the basin at Coventry. Turn at Coventry to start the journey back to Foxton.
Intermediate route: The Leicester Ring - 154 miles, 101 locks, 76 hours total
Cruise from our base near Foxton and explore the varied scenery along the Leicestershire Ring over a 14 night break. Not for the faint-hearted! There are 101 locks to complete over 14 nights, but you should have plenty of time to stop off and explore various sites along the way.
It is recommended to do this ring anti-clockwise so that you cruise with the flow along the River Soar north of Loughborough. Pass through a tunnel and through lock flights leading to Leicester City, home to a variety of shops and restaurants and the National Space Centre. It’s also a great location for a canal-side walk before you make your way onto the River Soar. Head west at the Trent Lock onto the Trent & Mersey Canal past the villages of Shardlow and Willington, cruising over a series of aqueducts and navigating locks. Once on the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction, maybe take a well-earned break along one of the wildlife trails, stopping for a bit of light refreshment. There are 11 locks between Tamworth and Nuneaton, before you join the North Oxford Canal passing through Rugby. The junction onto the Grand Union takes you past the pretty village of Braunston, with a couple of waterside pubs to choose from. There are a selection of tunnels and lock flights passing through open fields and wooded landscapes before you join the Leicester arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Active route: Oxford and Return - 168 miles, 122 locks, 88.5 hours total
Make your way up through the Foxton flight of 10 locks, after which you will cruise through peaceful uninterrupted countryside. Pass through the long tunnel at Husbands Bosworth and on past the villages of Welford and Crick, both of which have a couple of pubs to stop at for refreshments. Pass through Crick tunnel before travelling through the Watford Lock flight of 7. At Norton Junction head west and cruise towards Braunston. Before arriving at the attractive village, you’ll have to cruise through the Braunston tunnel, the longest on your journey at 2042yds. Continue through the Braunston lock flight of 6 before mooring in the village. Cruise east from Braunston joining the South Oxford Canal at the Braunston Turn. Turn left towards Napton and travel through the nine lock Napton flight, which stretches for 2 miles between Folly Bridge and Marston Doles Bridge. Continue south through 8 more locks and a lift bridge to the pretty village of Cropredy (home to Fairport Convention) where there is one further lock, two pubs and a small shop. There are three more locks before you reach the outskirts of Banbury. Walking into the town centre from here will take just 10 minutes. Banbury is home to Banbury Cross, Banbury Cakes and Ye Olde Reindeer Inn (circa 1570). Continue towards the ‘dreaming spires’ of Oxford. South of Banbury is where the lift bridges start to multiply; they are an iconic sight on this particular canal and many of them are already open for you to pass under, between the fields of cows, sheep and horses. There are just a smattering of locks between here and Lower Heyford, passing Aynho en route. Very close to Lower Heyford, it is possible to stop and visit Rousham House (1635). Continue cruising and after a sharp turn to your right you reach Thrupp with its two very pretty pubs, made famous by the popular TV series ‘Morse’, followed by Kidlington. Past Kidlington towards Oxford the scenery remains lovely and green with a few pretty brick bridges punctuating the canal. After a few more lift bridges and two locks you reach the outskirts of Oxford City Centre, with bridge 242 marking the start of more built-up surroundings. Moor up after Aristotle Bridge or Jericho Footbridge free of charge for up to 24 hours and discover Oxford on foot, bike or bus from there. Turn and return to Foxton.
