Short breaks on the Stratford Canal
The 25-mile long narrow and mostly rural Stratford-upon-Avon Canal links Shakespeare’s Stratford and the River Avon in the south, with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal close to Birmingham in the north, passing through the remains of the Forest of Arden along the way.
Weekend/3-night break from Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire
Stratford-upon-Avon and back (14 miles, 34 locks, 11 hours)
Head south along the Stratford Canal, past the canalside Navigation Inn next to our boat yard. Soon after you’ll reach the first lock and then you’ll cross over the 105-metre long Edstone Aqueduct, with lovely views across the Warwickshire countryside. You can moor up north of Bridge 59 and take a ten minute walk into Wilmcote. The village is home to the Mary Arden Inn and Mary Arden’s Farm, the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother. Go through the Wilmcote Flight of 11 locks, beginning your descent downhill into Stratford-upon-Avon. There are five more locks before you reach Bancroft Basin in the heart of Shakespeare’s Stratford. This world-famous town has plenty of places to eat, shop and visit, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and the Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm.
Mid-week/4-night break from Wootton Wawen
Hatton and back (21 miles, 34 locks, 14 hours)
Cruise north though the Warwickshire countryside and remains of the Forest of Arden. There’s a pretty barrel roof cottage next to lock no.37 built by engineers more accustomed to building bridges than houses who adapted the techniques they knew best to house the men who worked on the canal. There’s another barrel roof cottage at lock 34 in the tiny hamlet of Yarningdale Common and the Grade II* listed Yarningdale Aqueduct. Continue meandering through the countryside before reaching the village of Lowsonford, with its canalside Fleur dy Lys pub, famous for its pies. Soon after, the canal passes beneath the noisy M40 motorway. At Lapworth junction you take the Lapworth link to connect onto the broad Grand Union Canal at Kingswood Junction. The Heart of England Way connects to the Grand Union Canal at Kingswood Bridge no.65, next to the Navigation Inn. From there it’s a short walk to the National Trust’s Baddesley Clinton house. Continue cruising along the Grand Union Canal towards Warwick through steeply wooded hills and 396-metre long Shrewley Tunnel. Turn the boat around just before St John’s Bridge. You can walk up the Hatton Flight of 21 locks to the Hatton Locks cafe. Traditionally known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, the Hatton flight raises boats up by nearly 45 metres along a two mile stretch of the canal.
