Monument record 0411900000 - GRAND JUNCTION/UNION CANAL

Dimensions - Length 0150 km
Plan Form - LINEAR
GRAND JUNCTION CANAL, AUTHORISED 1793, OPENED 1805. 102 LOCKS. BECAME PART OF GRAND UNION IN 1928 (FURTHER DETAIL)(B1).
ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF CANAL (B2).
NGR'S (BUCKS SECTION ONLY)(B4).


The Grand Union Canal is an amalgamation of 4 earlier canals linking London with Birmingham. A single company, the Grand Union Company, was formed in 1929 out of the Grand Junction Company, the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Company, the Warwick and Napton Company, and the Warwick and Birmingham Company. The earliest canal linking London with the Midlands was the Grand Junction Canal built between Brentford and Braunston in Oxfordshire between 1793 and 1805. It connected with Birmingham. In 1929, the Grand Junction Company absorbed the three canals between Braunston and Birmingham, and the Regents Canal, and formed a new company, The Grand Union Canal Company. The route was modernised between London and Birmingham in the 1930's. The Grand Junction had been built as a barge canal between London and Braunston, the remainder being narrow. 51 locks between Braunston and Birmingham were widened to take 2 narrow boats at once. In order to work 14 foot beam barges through the system, so many bridges would have needed to have been rebuilt that it was decided to retain the 14 foot width between London and Berkhampstead (B1 and B11).

The Buckingham Branch was built between 1793-1801, and was built in two stage as a narrow gauge canal, from Cosgrove to Old Stratford, and thence to Buckingham. The navigation was abandoned ca 1920-30, and closed entirely by Act of Parliament in 1950. The bridges have been demolished and replaced by level crossings, and the cut has been drained.The remaining features of the Buckingham Branch were recorded by NRIM in 1964:
SP800514 - The Iron Trunk Aqueduct.
SP855425 - Linford Wharf, Wharf Inn and Junction with the former Newport Pagnell Canal
SP884345 - Lock 22, rise of 1'1". Swing bridge and Red Lion Inn.
SP884342 - Canal milestone on the east side of the canal ' To the Thames 55'.
SP885538 - Fenny Stratford winding point and dock
SP882327 - Canal milestone on the east side of the canal 'To Braunston 39'.
SP887299 - Lock 23, rise of 6'11"
SP890285 - Three locks, 24-26, fitted with side ponds, total rise of 20'3"
SP910269 - Old Linslade Wharf and winding point
SP912264 - Globe Inn
SP918263 - Leighton Lock 27, rise of 6'8" (B12).

The Aylesbury Arm was constructed circa 1800 from Marsworth to Aylesbury. The 3 locks in Hertfordshire were recorded by NRIM in 1965. All have brick walls with stone copings and a single gate at the upper entrance. No gate or gate equipment is earlier than circa 1920. All locks are 82 feet by 9 feet.
Lock 2: SP905144; Lock 3: SP907145; Lock 4: SP892141 (B13).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.