Walking the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
THE Stratford- upon-Avon Canal is a scenic 25.5- mile waterway running from King’s Norton, south of Birmingham, to the Shakespearian town.
The North Stratford section connects with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at King’s Norton. It is level for almost 11 miles as it travels through the Birmingham suburbs for the first few miles. Nevertheless, the often tree-lined towpath has a surprisingly rural feel despite travelling through suburbia.
Right from the outset, the canal makes an indelible mark on both walkers and boaters alike with the distinctive guillotine- gated King’s Norton stop lock at the start. Close by is the fine Junction House building listing the toll and cargo charges as of 1894. Unfortunately the building was badly damaged in an arson attack in 2019 and is currently being restored.
One mile along the towpath, the only tunnel on the entire route is reached at Brandwood where a diversion via two roads (one of them is busy) is needed to continue the walk. Soon after the bridge to Solihull High Street, the first aqueduct is reached at Bridge 8 at Major’s Green.
Beyond it is Dickens Heath, a modern village with apartments overlooking the towpath. Near here the towpath can become muddy in parts.
Two-and-a-half miles later the canal goes under the M42 and reaches Hockley Heath before reaching the Lapworth Flight of 26 locks, a key feature of the canal. There is plenty of seating, picnic benches, and some well-maintained grass sections. A few minutes’ walk from the towpath is the Packwood House Tudor Manor House with its park and gardens, owned by the National Trust.
Towards the bottom of the flight, we are nearly halfway towards Stratford-upon-Avon and not too far from Lapworth station. At Kingswood Junction there is a short arm that links with the Grand Union Canal. There is another National Trust property, Baddesley Clinton, a moated manor house not far from the adjacent Grand Union towpath.
Beyond Kingswood Junction, the South Stratford takes over until the end at Bancroft Basin at Stratford. The south canal is a wonderfully rural section, more so than its northern counterpart, and there are some fascinating iron split bridges too. Historically this type of bridge had a gap in the centre for the rope of horse-drawn boats to go through. This section is also known for its unique barrel-roofed cottages, a design intended to save money when the canal was built.
The canal heads loosely south-east, heading under the M40 and then past the Lapworth Bottom Lock, the last lock of the Lapworth Flight. Soon we reach the picturesque village of Lowsonford which is noted for its historic Fleur de Lys public house.
A little further, the Grade II-listed, Yarningale Aqueduct, near Claverdon, leads to the wonderfully named Bucket Lock (Lock 34). Not far away is the small Preston Bagot Flight. From there is a pleasant two-mile walk across fields to the historic town of Henley-in-Arden.
At Wootton Wawen village, which has a railway station, shops, pubs and a shopping village, there is also a small aqueduct. Just beyond the village there is the relatively new Hill Farm Marina. This is soon followed by Grade II-listed Edstone ( Bearley Aqueduct), the longest cast iron trough aqueduct in England and the third we’ve passed in four miles. Fascinatingly, the three aqueducts give the walker a unique eye-level view of any boat that may be passing, as the towpath is level with the bottom of the canal!
A fine rural stretch then leads to Wilmcote village, just over three miles from the end. The village also has a station and is famous as being the former home of Mary Arden, William Shakespeare’s mother.
Beyond Wilmcote is a flight of 11 locks before Bishopton is reached on the northern outskirts of Stratford. Here is the Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway rail station, handily placed for keeping cars out of the town centre. The final approaches to the town where William Shakespeare was born are a mix of road bridges and locks to negotiate. The basin has ice cream boats and day trip boats, too!
The historic Stratford-upon-Avon Canal has something for everyone, whether it’s the sheer number of tempting waterside pubs on the northern section or the idyllic countryside of the southern.
Its handy location in central England makes it easily accessible by public transport. If you get a chance to explore the towpath and local area, I highly recommend it.
My thanks go to Neil Franklin and the copyright holders of maps and photos.