Once upon a time

Tuesday, 17 February 2009 21:06

The Oxford Canal and the Coventry Canal used to have another junction, further down towards Coventry from Hawkesbury at Longford.

The Oxford Canal was started at Longford in 1769. The Company finished the first 10 miles in two years. The Coventry Canal was initially built to Bedford and completed in 1769. The two canals ran alongside each other from Hawkesbury to Longford. The Coventry Canal Company and the Oxford Canal Company could not agree on tolls!

The Coventry Canal Company eventually took out an injunction in 1777 and the two canals were joined, creating the junction (no pun intended) at Longford. Nothing remains of the junction save a widening of the canal after bridge 10, Longford Bridge.

Site of the old junction

Longford is now a suburb of Coventry. There are a few visitor moorings on the towpath side, permanent moorings on the off side and a few stores and an off-licence at the bridge.

We carried on, under the motorway bridge and past the seven day moorings at Hawkesbury Junction. The canal narrows as it passes the Engine House at Sutton Stop.

Epiphany enters yet more new territory!

John had memories of this section - mine were rather hazy! We definitely did the Coventry Canal on Twelfth Night but thought we had also hired a boat from somewhere, cruising on the Coventry Canal. Age and memory - not a good combination!

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