STOKE BRUERNE Heading South

After leaving the Blisworth tunnel celebrations the 7 locks at Stoke Bruerne have to be negotiated and each one holds up to 56,000 galls of water.

In the 1790s the Grand Jct. Canal Co. created this route between the midlands and London and in doing so cut 40miles off the original journey via the Oxford canal and the R. Thames. This shorter route came into use following completion of Blisworth Tunnel in 1805.

The locks were duplicated in 1835 to speed up traffic even more during a time that canal companies were competing for business.


After the second lock down the flight the remains of the old brick works arm can be seen with
just a brick wall and some vegetation growing in the almost dry canal bed to give any clue as to the location.
The brick works operated between the 1840s and 1920 and boats would leave the main line to load in the arm with bricks and capping's for use on the canal as well as shipments for buildings along the way.


Now i`m just guessing but this model being proudly steered along the lock pound could be a
Destroyer or perhaps a Minesweeper, if dad was alive his WWII navy experience would have
supplied the answer but if there are any old sea dogs out there please correct my guesswork.


Moving south and another marina takes shape at Thrupp Wharf next to bridge 64. Opening on
the 1st oct it will have 60 moorings at a cost of £2300 for a 60` boat.

As can be seen in the plan above the entrance is in the winding hole next to the Navigation pub.





Below is Campbell Park moorings in Milton Keynes with room for 4/5 boats on the non towpath side next to the neat and tidy pond or is it a lake? When does a pond get big enough for lake status?.
Anyway not having visited MK from this area, have always bussed in, i made the 20 mins stroll into the centre for a look around and i can report it`s the same as last visit......boring.