Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal passing Trellick Tower at Westbourne Park, London
Map
Specifications
Length137 miles (220 km)
Locks166
StatusNavigable
History
Date of act1931
Geography
Connects toRiver Thames
Regent's Canal
River Nene
River Soar
Oxford Canal
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
Digbeth Branch Canal
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
Map
Geographic map of the entire Grand Union canal system (zoom in to see detail)
Grand Union Canal
Birmingham, Warwick Bar
Salford Junction
Birmingham & Warwick Jct branch
Digbeth branch
Bordesley Junction
Oxford Canal
Napton Junction
Oxford Canal
Braunston Junction
Old Grand Union Canal
Norton Junction (Leicester Line)
River Nene
Gayton Junction
Northampton Arm
Buckingham Arm
Cosgrove Junction
Buckingham Basin
Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway?
Aylesbury Basin
Aylesbury Arm
Marsworth Junction
Wendover Arm
Bulbourne Junction
Wendover Basin
Slough Basin
Slough Arm
Cowley Peachey Junction
Bull's Bridge Junction
Brentford Arm/
Paddington Arm
south end of canal
The Regent's Canal
Paddington Basin
Syon Park
The Tideway (Thames) at Brentford
? - proposed
The canal at Braunston
The Grand Union Canal near Westbourne Park, London

The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter stretching for 137 miles (220 km) with 166 locks from London.[1] The Birmingham line has a number of short branches to places including Slough, Aylesbury, Wendover, and Northampton. The Leicester line has two short arms of its own, to Market Harborough and Welford.

It has links with other canals and navigable waterways, including the River Thames, the Regent's Canal, the River Nene and River Soar, the Oxford Canal, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, the Digbeth Branch Canal and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

The canal south of Braunston to the River Thames at Brentford in London is the original Grand Junction Canal. At Braunston the latter met the Oxford Canal linking back to the Thames to the south and to Coventry to the north via the Coventry Canal. "Grand Union Canal" is also the original name for what is now the Leicester line of the modern Grand Union, running from short east of Braunston to Leicester, and which is now sometimes referred to as the Old Grand Union Canal to avoid ambiguity.

  1. ^ "The Grand Union Canal Holiday Cruising Guide and Map". www.canaljunction.com.