Grand Union Canal - South Northamptonshire Council

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Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area
Character Appraisal and Management Plan
Adopted April 2014
www.southnorthants.gov.uk
Table of Contents - Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan
Summary
Summary of special interest...............................................................................1
Summary of issues and opportunities................................................................2
1. 1.1
1.2
1.3
Introduction and Planning Policy Context
What is a conservation area?.....................................................................3
Planning policy context...............................................................................3
What does conservation area status mean?..............................................3
2. Location, Topography and Geology
2.1Location......................................................................................................4
2.2 Topography and geology............................................................................4
6
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
6.8
Character Areas
Character Area 1: Stowehill to Blisworth Junction....................................29
Character Area 2: Northampton Arm........................................................31
Character Area 3: From Blisworth Junction to Blisworth...........................34
Character Area 4: Blisworth Tunnel..........................................................36
Character Area 5: Stoke Bruerne..............................................................37
Character Area 6: Stoke Bruerne to Cosgrove.........................................39
Character Area 7: Cosgrove to the River Great Ouse..............................41
Character Area 8: Old Stratford Arm.........................................................43
7 Boundary Justification
7.1 Boundary justification................................................................................45
7.2 Grand Union Canal Conservation Area boundary....................................45
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
History and Development
The early development of South Northamptonshire...................................7
The development of the national canal system..........................................9
The development of the Grand Junction Canal........................................10
19th century and 20th century history.......................................................13
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
Spatial Analysis
Landscape and views ..............................................................................17
Settlement pattern and activities...............................................................19
The character of spaces within the Conservation Area............................20
Public realm..............................................................................................21
Trees and planting....................................................................................21
Ecology and wildlife..................................................................................21
9 Community Involvement and Adoption
9.1 Public consultation....................................................................................51
9.2Copyright..................................................................................................51
9.3Disclaimer.................................................................................................51
9.4 Contact details..........................................................................................51
5 Architectural Analysis
5.1 Building age, type and style......................................................................23
5.2 Materials...................................................................................................23
5.3 Listed buildings and structures.................................................................24
5.4 Locally listed buildings..............................................................................26
5.5 Buildings or structures which make a positive contribution......................26
5.6 Canal features..........................................................................................27
Appendices
Appendix 1 - Mapping (provided separately)....................................................53
Appendix 2 - Schedule of existing listed buildings...........................................54
Appendix 3 - Schedule of proposed locally listed buildings
(including Article 4 Direction recommendations)..............................................60
Frontispiece: The Grand Union Canal at Old Wharf Farm, Yardley Gobion
8
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
Management Plan
Policy context............................................................................................47
The role of the Canal and River Trust (CRT)............................................47
Key Issues for the Grand Union Canal Conservation Area.......................47
Management proposals............................................................................47
10 Sources of Further Information.............................................................52
This document has been prepared by The Conservation Studio on behalf of
South Northamptonshire Council. www.theconservationstudio.co.uk
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary
Summary of
special interest
The Grand Union Canal stretches
through some 26 miles of South
Northamptonshire countryside,
passing through the settlements
of Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne and
Cosgrove but otherwise surrounded
by open countryside. Started in
1793, the Grand Junction Canal (as
it was then called) provided a more
convenient route between London
and the Midlands than the existing
Oxford Canal, and it soon became the
principle waterway. Two extensions
soon followed – one to Old Stratford
in 1800, which was extended to
Buckingham in 1801, and one to
Northampton in 1815, which provided
a connection through to The Wash via
the River Nene Navigation. For about
five years, Blisworth Junction (where
the Northampton Arm leaves the main
Canal), Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne
became the busiest inland ports in the
country; their success bolstered by
the ironworks, quarries, brickworks,
limekilns and other industries which
had all developed along the route of
the Canal. These must have provided
an industrial character to the Canal
area which is almost completely
missing today. Despite the impact
of the new railways which were built
from the 1840s onwards, the Canal
remained in use for transporting
various goods, particularly coal, until
well into the early 20th century, the
horses used to pull the early boats
being incrementally replaced by steam
then diesel engines.
overall character is defined by the
gently curving Canal, the modest
grassy towpath and the surviving
bridges, most of which date to the
late 18th century. The landscape
setting is of particular note, the
Canal passing through or next to
the valleys of the Rivers Nene,
Tove and Great Ouse. Stands of
willow, poplar and other deciduous
trees make a major contribution to
the character of the Canal and in
places completely contain the views
along it. In other locations, a lack
of trees allows long views out over
the adjoining fields towards distant
villages and the occasional church
spire. In the summer the Canal is
busy with narrowboats and walkers,
and although short-term mooring
is allowed, long term mooring is
carefully controlled by the Canal
and River Trust, which took over
ownership and management of
all British canals from the British
Waterways Board in July 2012.
Figure 1: Locks on the Northampton Arm
Today the Grand Union Canal (it was
renamed in 1929) is a tranquil haven
for wildlife and leisure activities,
its industrial past all but forgotten.
Modern marinas and various other
boat-related businesses have been
provided in several locations but the
Figure 2: The Canal between Stoke Bruerne and Yardley Gobion
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | SUMMARY | page 1
Summary of issues
and opportunities
Change is inevitable in most
conservation areas and it is not the
intention of designation to prevent the
continued evolution of places. The
challenge within conservation areas
is to manage change in a way that
maintains, reinforces and enhances
the special character and quality of
the area.
This will owe much to the positive
management of the Grand Union
Canal Conservation Area. Therefore
in addition to the existing national
statutory legislation and local
planning controls the following
opportunities for enhancement have
been identified:
»» Protection of the important views
and open spaces
»» Enhance existing trees, hedgerows
and boundary treatments
Protection of the buildings
and structures within or
close to the boundary of the
Conservation Area by:
»» Ensuring high quality design for all
new development
»» Considering establishing a new
local list for the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area
Measures to ensure public
engagement and education:
»» Encouraging the preservation
and maintenance of surviving
historic details and materials,
possibly through the use of Article
4 Directions to protect the unlisted
buildings and structures within the
Conservation Area
»» Continue to support local
stakeholders in the management of
the Conservation Area
»» Monitoring the condition of the
buildings and structures and take
action where necessary through
the use of existing legal powers
Protection of the landscape
setting of the Conservation
Area by:
»» Carefully controlling new
development along the Canal
»» Carefully considering the impact of
new marinas and their associated
facilities on the character of the
canal
»» Limiting the impact of new
domestic curtilages onto the Canal
Figure 3: Cosgrove Bridge No 65 is listed grade II*
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | SUMMARY | page 2
»» Review the Character Appraisal
and Management Plan at regular
intervals to ensure it is up to date
1. Introduction and Planning Policy Context
1.1 What is a
conservation area?
“An area of architectural or
historic interest the character and
appearance of which it is desirable
to preserve or enhance.”
Conservation Areas were introduced
under the Civic Amenities Act of 1967.
The Act required Local Planning
Authorities to identify areas, as
opposed to individual buildings,
of special architectural or historic
interest and to designate them as
conservation areas. Since 1967 some
9,770 conservation areas have been
designated in England, including 58
(including the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area) in the South
Northamptonshire District to date.
The 1990 Act also places a duty on
Local Planning Authorities to consider
revisions to the boundaries of their
conservation areas from “time to time”.
It is possible that the Grand Union
Canal Conservation Area boundary
may be reviewed at some stage in the
future, particularly if new information
about the area becomes available or
its character changes.
1.2Planning
policy context
The Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is the
Act of Parliament which today provides
legislation for the preservation of the
nation’s heritage of buildings and places
of architectural and historic interest.
Section 69 of the 1990 Act defines a
conservation area as:
This document provides a Character
Appraisal and Management Plan for
the Grand Union Canal Conservation
Area and is based on a standard
format derived from advice contained
within English Heritage guidance
“Understanding Place: Conservation
Area Designation, Appraisal and
Management”, published in 2011. The
Character Appraisal provides a clear
understanding of the special interest of
the South Northamptonshire section of
the Grand Union Canal by assessing
how it was built and developed and by
analysing its present day character.
The Management Plan sets out a
framework for future management
including the identification of
opportunities for enhancement.
The document as a whole therefore
provides the basis for making informed,
sustainable decisions on the positive
management, preservation and
enhancement of the Conservation Area.
1.3 What does
conservation area
status mean?
The character appraisal is not
intended to be comprehensive and the
omission of any particular buildings,
feature or space should not be taken
to imply that it is not of any interest.
Conservation area status provides
the opportunity to promote the
preservation and enhancement of
the special character of the area.
Designation confers a general control
over development that could damage
the area’s character. The details are
complex but can be summarised as:
The document should also be read in
conjunction with the wider national and
local planning policy and guidance
including the National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) under which a
conservation area is deemed to be a
heritage asset.
The South Northamptonshire Local
Plan was adopted in 1997 and
resaved in part on 28 September
2007. Policies EV10 and EV11 of the
document states that: “The Council
will seek to preserve or enhance the
special character or appearance of
conservation areas” and that “Planning
permission will not be granted for
development proposals outside of
a conservation area which have an
adverse effect on the setting of the
conservation area or any views into or
out of the area”.
»» Most demolition requires
permission and will be resisted
if the building makes a positive
contribution to the area
»» Some minor works are no longer
‘permitted development’ and will
require planning permission examples include external cladding
and satellite antennas
»» Most works to trees have to be
notified to the Local Planning
Authority for its consideration
»» Generally higher standards of
design apply for new buildings and
alterations to existing ones
»» Advertisement controls are tighter
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | INTRODUCTION AND PLANNING POLICY | page 3
2. Location, Topography and Geology
2.1Location
South Northamptonshire is located
in the East Midlands almost equally
distanced between Birmingham and
London. Historically, this provided it
with a significant advantage in terms
of accessibility, this fact not lost on
the Romans who built the first great
north road, Watling Street, through the
middle of the area in c200 AD. Much
later, in the early 1960s, the M1 was
the first motorway in England and
runs roughly parallel to Watling Street,
the modern A5. This runs through
the middle of Towcester, which with
Brackley is one of only two towns in
the District. Otherwise, the area is
characterised by small villages and
hamlets, separated by open farm land.
Close to South Northamptonshire
are the major conurbations of
Northampton, the county town of
Northamptonshire, and the ‘New
Town’ of Milton Keynes, which lies
immediately on the south boundary of
the District, beyond Old Wolverton, the
much earlier settlement. The District
also includes the Formula 1 racing
circuit at Silverstone, located a few
miles to the south west of Towcester
just off the A43, which connects
Northampton to the M40 just to the
north of Oxford.
The Grand Union Canal connects
Brentford in West London to
Birmingham. The section within South
Northamptonshire passes through
modern Milton Keynes and over the
River Great Ouse, which forms the
boundary between the town and South
Northamptonshire. The Canal then
meanders in a north-westerly direction
through a mainly open landscape
between the M1 and A5, finally leaving
the District at Stowehill, where it
crosses underneath the A5 just south
of Weedon. The route of the Canal
takes it close to, or through, a number
of small villages, the principal ones
being (from the south), Cosgrove,
Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth, where
a section of the Canal is forced by
rising topography into a long tunnel.
Included within the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area are two canal
‘Arms’, the first to Old Stratford, and
the second, to Northampton.
2.2 Topography and
geology
Figure 4: The Canal at Cosgrove
South Northamptonshire straddles two
river valleys – the valley of the River
Nene and the River Tove in the north,
and the valley of the River Great Ouse
in the south. South Northamptonshire
Council has designated part of
the Tove Valley as the Tove Valley
Special Landscape Area, reflecting
its high landscape value. The River
Nene runs north-eastward out of
Northamptonshire towards its outfall
in The Wash and was made navigable
by the Romans. Between it and the
valley of the River Tove, the land rises
slightly, forming a roughly north-east
to south-west outcrop of limestone
and ironstone hills which provided a
natural impediment to communications
and required the construction of the
Blisworth Tunnel when the Grand
Union Canal was built. Beyond Stoke
Bruerne, which lies to the south of
the Tunnel, the Canal follows a gently
curved route along the contour until
to the south of Cosgrove it rises
dramatically above the River Great
Ouse and is carried over the river by a
metal aqueduct, built in 1811. Of note
is the effect of flooding along the three
river valleys which meant that early
settlers avoided the lower areas and
built their new farms and hamlets on
the higher land, which developed into
some of the villages of today with their
medieval churches perched on rising
land overlooking the valleys below –
these remain important focal points in
long views across the landscape. The
canalscape of the Grand Union is also
a significant component of the historic
landscape and contains a number
of interesting sites, with features
dating from the Industrial Revolution
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY | page 4
onwards. The local availability of
clays and limestone, provided the
raw materials for building stone and
in some locations, where ferrous-rich
limestone beds were found, for the
extraction of iron ore. The provision
of the Canal as a means of quick and
much cheaper transportation of raw
goods, and the construction of the
Canal itself, lead to the development
of local industries such as the brickmaking works outside Stoke Bruerne,
and the iron ore quarries around
Blisworth.
The Northamptonshire Environmental
Character and Green Infrastructure
Strategies were published by the
River Nene Regional Park CIC in
2006. These strategies included
environmental, landscape and
biodiversity character assessments
for Northamptonshire and identified
the various Environmental Character
Areas which make up the county’s
landscape. This study shows that the
Grand Union Canal lies within three
different Environmental Character
Areas (from north to south):
»» The Upper Nene Catchment and
Watford Gap
»» The West Northamptonshire
Uplands
»» The Tove and Ouse Catchment
Figure 5: Bridge No 58 between Stoke
Bruerne and Yardley Gobion is built using
local ironstone and locally-made bricks
Figure 6: View northwards from the Canal
outside Stowehill
Whilst not the actual source of the
Nene, the Upper Nene Catchment
comprises a broad gentle valley. The
scale of this valley is disproportionate
to the small watercourse meandering
within it, suggesting that a more
substantial watercourse previously
flowed through the area. This is
supported by the significant deposits
of glacio-fluvial sand and gravel
within the valley, which are indicative
of the action of glacial melt waters,
confirming that the valley has been
softened by millennia of erosion. The
river channel is bordered by broad
bands of alluvium that combine
with sands and gravels, and limited
areas of boulder clay, to effectively
mask the underlying solid geology
of siltstones with intermittent bands
of the ironstone-rich Marlstone Rock
Formation. The alluvium forms a flat
floodplain that broadens and narrows
as the stream winds between the
interlocking spurs of the valley slopes
that have formed where smaller
tributaries have eroded side valleys.
The broad valley is characterised
by low lying farmland, with arable
farmland on drier areas and grassland
closer to watercourses. Free-draining
and light textured soils associated
with the glacial sands and gravels are
particularly well suited to cultivation
and, as such, arable predominates
across these extensive deposits. It
is noticeable that hedgerows along
the watercourse are not generally
common where arable land use
extends to the river, and in general
hedges around many arable fields are
showing signs of decline.
The West Northamptonshire
Uplands are characterised by the
expansive and elevated landscape
of hills and valleys that acts as the
major watershed between some
of the County’s river systems.
The landscape is underlain by the
intractable Lias Group Clays, which
are capped locally by the ironstone
bearing Marlstone Rock and
Northampton Sand Formations. The
landform rises to form broad hills and
high ridges, and the landscape has a
rolling, gently hilly character with long
level views that are criss-crossed by
a regular pattern of hedgerows with
frequent ash trees.
The landscape within the Tove
and Ouse Catchment is a broad
elongated basin aligned east to west,
with the more elevated edges of
the basin underlain by Great Oolite
group limestone in the south and
east, and iron-rich Northampton
Sand Formation and mudstones to
the north and west. The tributary
streams drain the landscape in a
dendritic pattern to the Tove, which
flows eastwards then southwards
and occupies the central portion of
the basin. The streams have eroded
broad, gentle, convex slopes resulting
in the distinctive undulating landform.
As the Tove broadens towards the
east of the area, the undulations
become less dramatic, creating a
softer, more gently rolling landscape.
Land cover is typically a combination
of arable and pasture. Where pasture
is the prevailing land use, a more
intimate, small scale landscape is
experienced when compared to the
slightly more expansive and larger
fields in the arable areas. A simple
pastoral character prevails along the
lower reaches of the Tove, and the
narrow, meandering course of the
river is often difficult to locate in the
landscape, although lines of pollarded
willows and bankside vegetation
along post and wire fences are
indicative of its course.
Figure 7:
Environmental Character Area 7:
The Upper Nene Catchment and Watford Gap
(Source: River Nene Regional Park)
Figure 8:
The Tove and Ouse Catchment Area
Figure 9:
West Northamptonshire Uplands
3. History and Development
3.1 The early
development
of South
Northamptonshire
There was some settlement in the
area from prehistoric times, with
evidence for remains dating as far
back as the Mezolithic period. Iron
Age burials have also been found,
but there is generally little definite
evidence for regular habitation
before the Roman period (c. 55
BC to 450 AD). The location of
Northamptonshire in the middle of
England has meant that during the
Roman occupation a very important
road (Watling Street) was built through
the area, which has largely survived
as the modern A5. This remained the
most important road link between
the London area and the Midlands
and north until the construction of the
adjoining M1 motorway in 1959. It is
therefore not surprising that Roman
remains have been identified in a
number of locations, particularly in
Towcester, as well as around Stoke
Bruerne and Cosgrove. The Romans
also improved the navigation of the
River Nene, so that boats could reach
The Wash, where it flows into the sea,
from the area.
Apart from Brackley, in the far west
of the District, the principal town in
South Northamptonshire is Towcester,
which became the largest Roman
settlement in the area and is located
on Watling Street. When the Romans
left in the 5th century, the area was
settled by the Saxons, who built
small farmsteads, some of which
later grew into hamlets or villages.
During the 18th and 19th centuries,
Towcester became an important
stopping-off point for coaches and
mail coaches and although the Grand
Union Canal was built in the 1800s,
its location some four miles to the
east of Towcester meant that it had
little immediate impact on the town. In
1838 the first London to Birmingham
Railway was built, again bypassing
Towcester but passing through
Blisworth just four miles away. After
this, Towcester carried on as a small
market town, although it was finally
linked to the railway by 1866.
The route of the Grand Union Canal
through South Northamptonshire was
chosen not for its proximity to existing
settlements but purely on the grounds
of engineering convenience, and it just
happens to pass through three early
settlements – Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne
and Cosgrove. It also passes close to
Nether Heywood, Bugbrooke, Gayton,
and Yardley Gobion, all of which have
medieval, or earlier, origins.
Figure 10: The Canal at Blisworth
Figure 11: Grafton House, Blisworth
Blisworth is mentioned in the
Domesday Survey as Blidesworde.
It retains a late 13th century church,
dedicated to St John the Baptist,
which was restored by E F Law in
1856 (listed grade II*). Medieval
ridge and furrow can still be traced
to the immediate east of Blisworth
Junction, confirming the existence
of an open field system around the
village. Apart from the church, the
village also contains two major historic
houses – Blisworth House, which is
a symmetrical Georgian composition
dating to 1702 (datestone), and The
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT | page 7
Old Rectory, a substantial purposebuilt house in a Tudor Revival style
also dated externally (1841). Around
the village are further ironstone and
limestone houses, notable for their
contrasting bands of the different
coloured stone, of which Stoneacres,
a 17th century building with mullioned
windows, is of special note. Apart
from the Canal, which passes through
the western edge of the village,
immediately next to The Old Rectory
and the church, the railway is not far
away with a notable stone arched
railway bridge across the A43 dating
to 1837-8. Close to the Canal are a
variety of buildings closely associated
with the development of the Canal in
the early 19th century, most notably
the former Sun, Moon and Stars Public
House (1797), some similarly dated
though somewhat altered cottages,
and, on the opposite side of the Canal,
an early 19th century warehouse
and the slightly later Blisworth Steam
Mill (1879), now converted into
apartments. Close to the former Mill,
Grafton House is an early 19th century
farmhouse with a fine limestone
frontage which overlooks a small
green and the bridge linking the two
sides of the Canal together. The
farmhouse was used for a time as a
coaching inn which was known as the
Grafton Arms.
Stoke Bruerne is an Anglo-Saxon
settlement. Its detailed development
is apply set out in the Stoke Bruerne
Conservation Plan, but briefly it is
recorded in the Domesday Survey as
Stoche meaning a stockaded place
or fenced enclosure, and the village
had a manor, a priest, a mill, woodland
and various ranks of peasant farmers,
some being free and some being
serfs. At some time in the early 13th
century the Manor of Stoche came
into the hands of William de Bruere
(or Brewer) from whom the present
name of the village is derived. During
the later Middle Ages the village saw
a succession of different overlords,
few of whom seem to have had much
interest in the village. Along with other
villages in the immediate area Stoke
Bruerne shows some archaeological
evidence of having shrunk in size
in late medieval times. This may be
related to a reduction in population
following the plague or as a result of
changes due to the actions of local
landowners. However, the extensions
made to the church during the period
1450 to 1550 would indicate a rising
prosperity. Like many medieval
villages in the area, Stoke Bruerne
was surrounded by three large open
fields which were not enclosed until
1844. Additionally there was common
land on the hill to the north west of
the village known as Stoke Plain, and
woodland known as Shaw Woods.
The turnpike from Hardingstone to
Old Stratford of 1768 crossed Stoke
parish, but avoided the village itself.
Until the start of the 19th century,
farming was the mainstay of the
community, although lace making
Figure 12: Stoke Bruerne
Figure 13: Stoke Bruerne
Figure 14: Former brewery, Cosgrove
was established in the 18th century
as a means of increasing the earning
power of poorer families. Even in the
more prosperous mid-19th century
over a third of all females in Stoke
were lace makers. The construction
of the Grand Union Canal in the
1800s, which cut through the existing
settlement, provided an impetus
to growth which remained until the
railways came in the 1840s. This
reduced Canal traffic although there
was a resurgence in its use in the
1920s. Today Stoke Bruerne remains
an important focus for Canal users
and for visitors, who come to see the
locks and other Canal features, to visit
the Canal Museum, and to use the
local hostelries.
Cosgrove is a small village which is
located not far from the motte and
bailey castle, deserted medieval
village, and monastic grange at Old
Wolverton, now subsumed within
the modern town of Milton Keynes. It
retains an early 13th century church
dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. The
largest house in the area is Cosgrove
Hall, which dates to the early 18th
century. This looks out over a
picturesque parkland of open grazing
and mature trees towards the Canal
which winds around its south-eastern
boundary. Another large house, The
Priory, is located to the north of the
village, also overlooking fields and
the Canal. It retains a sumptuous
screen dating to the 16th century
which is said to have been brought
from Devon. Cosgrove became quite
industrialised when the two arms
of the Canal, from Braunston in the
north, and Brentford in the south, were
finally joined up just outside the village
in 1800. The location at the meeting
point of the Old Stratford Arm (and
later, the Buckingham Arms), and the
Grand Union Canal also provided an
impetus to growth – by 1827 brick
kilns and a paper mill had been built in
the village and a large brewery soon
followed which can still be seen next
to the Canal. Cosgrove contains the
only grade II* listed building in the
Conservation Area – the very finely
detailed Gothic bridge over the Canal
(Bridge No 65, also called Solmon’s
Bridge) which dates to 1800.
3.2 The development
of the national
canal system
The development of the canal
system in England largely took place
between 1745 and 1835. Whilst
the introduction of the toll system in
the early 18th century had slightly
improved the condition of the nation’s
roads, they remained muddy, narrow
and unreliable due to the influence of
the weather. Water transport on the
other hand was somewhat easier,
and some of the major rivers, notably
the Thames, Trent and Severn, could
carry sizeable boats which were
used to transport coal, timber and
stone. There was also trading by
sea into and out of the major ports,
and together these meant that by the
1750s some well-established traffic
already existed between Bristol,
Liverpool, South Wales, London and
Newcastle. Some attempts to improve
the river system had also taken place
from an early date, such as the locks
which were built in Exeter in the
1560s, and the improvements to the
River Way, in Surrey, which date to
the mid-17th century. By the mid-18th
century, there was also pressure to
move more goods around the country
as farming methods changed due to
the Enclosure Acts and more ‘excess’
produce became available to sell.
The demand for coal was another
consideration, the markets for coal
being usually located some distance
from the source.
The first purpose-built canal to
address this issue was provided by
the third Duke of Bridgewater, who
with his agent John Gilbert, and an
experienced local mill-wright, James
Brindley, built a canal to bring coal
directly from the Duke’s coal mines
outside Manchester into the city.
Started in 1760, its construction was
on a grand scale with two aqueducts
and over half a mile of embankments
over boggy ground. There was an
extension to Runcorn where a large
flight of ten locks took boats down
to the Mersey and thus to Liverpool.
Other industrialists, particularly Josiah
Wedgwood, of Stoke on Trent china
fame, took note of its success and
soon followed suit, employing Brindley
to provide a set work of canals to
link the Trent, Mersey, Severn and
Thames rivers. By 1790 this was
complete, including the provision
of the Oxford Canal, which linked
London to Coventry and beyond via
the Thames at Oxford. Proposals
for new canals reached their peak
in 1793, when no less than 24 new
schemes were proposed. However,
the period between 1793 and 1815
was a time of great political upheaval
due to the French Revolution and the
Napoleonic Wars, which caused a
widespread lack of money, shortage
of men, inflation and a drop in exports.
Canals built in this period therefore
tended to struggle financially, although
the Grand Union Canal (see below)
was unusual in that it proved to be
a great success, possibly because
it provided a much-needed short cut
from London to the Midlands and was
thus protected from competition.
The earlier canals, as designed by
Brindley, are ‘narrow’ canals, built
to take smaller barges which were
usually 70ft long by just 7ft wide.
These were kept small to reduce
the costly refilling of locks with water
which were required when the canal
had to negotiate rises or drops in the
level of the land. Where locks were
avoided by tunneling, the similarly high
costs associated with digging new
tunnels meant that smaller boats were
Figure 15: The Northampton Arm is a ‘narrow’ canal
again more suitable. Smaller barges
could also be pulled by just one horse.
The modern barges of this size are
now referred to as ‘narrowboats’ and
form the predominant boat type on
the present-day canal system, most
of them being used for leisure or for
permanent habitation, although a
few still deliver coal or other products
up and down the country. ‘Broad’
canals were usually built to extend the
reach of an existing river navigation
further inland, and were suitable for
larger, local craft which removed the
necessity of moving goods from a
small boat to a larger one.
3.3 The development of
the Grand Junction
Canal 1793-1840
The Grand Junction Canal (which
became the Grand Union Canal in
1929) was built to provide a shorter
link between London and Coventry,
replacing the Oxford Canal which
had been completed in 1793.
The Oxford Canal intersected the
Weedon to Dunchurch Turnpike
(now the A45) at the point where it
enters Northamptonshire, near the
village of Braunston. At an early
stage Braunston therefore became
a significant transhipment point for
Northampton, Daventry and points
south as far as London. Although
land carriage was expensive, the
fact that many commodities could
now come into Northamptonshire by
water made a great difference to the
County’s trade. However, the Oxford
Canal was extremely circuitous, as
Samuel Simcock, the Company’s
engineer, had avoided locks at the
expense of long, contour-hugging
loops, so that in the end the route
from London to Birmingham, via the
Oxford Canal, was a lengthy 248
miles. To save costs, the canal was
also a ‘narrow’ canal, so the boat size
was constrained to be no wider than
7ft. Added to this, the navigation of
the River Thames between Oxford
and London was often difficult, the
river being subject to both drought and
flooding, as well as to threats from
thieves and criminal gangs.
The present-day Grand Union Canal
is really five canals rolled into one.
A proposal for a direct canal from
Braunston to London was made in
1791. This reduced the distance
Figure 16: The gentle curve of the Canal
follows the contour of the land
construction began the next day.
Backers of the new canal included the
influential Duke of Grafton and the
second Earl Spencer.
Figure 17: View from the Iron Trunk
Aqueduct over the River Great Ouse
from 154 miles via the Oxford Canal
to just 70 miles via the new canal,
with corresponding reductions in
travel time. An initial survey was
carried out in 1781 by James Barnes,
surprisingly a surveyor for the Oxford
Canal Company, and paid for by
the Marquis of Buckingham. A well
attended meeting was held in Stony
Stratford in 1792, and a committee
was chosen, the chairman of which
was William Praed of Tyringham Hall,
near Newport Pagnell. The route of
the proposed canal was resurveyed
and estimates prepared by William
Jessop, the foremost canal engineer
of the day. He considered the cost
to be in the region of £372,000, with
extras for branches to Northampton
and Daventry. Despite opposition from
the backers of the Oxford Canal, who
did at least receive an undertaking
to provide a token £10,000 per year
to compensate them for the potential
loss of trade, the Parliamentary Bill
was approved on 30 April 1793 and
The new canal was to be built wide,
twice the width of the Oxford Canal,
to accommodate barges up to 14ft
wide and 80ft long. It was to have
two summits, one at Tring in the
Chilterns, and one near Braunston.
Two tunnels were planned at
Braunston and Blisworth; three flights
of locks at Braunston, near Long
Buckby and Stoke Bruerne; four high
embankments across the river valleys
at Weedon, Heyford, Bugbrooke and
Cosgrove; and an aqueduct on the
County boundary between Cosgrove
and Wolverton. It was the greatest
civil engineering undertaking so far
planned in England.
The construction of the Grand Union
Canal began in 1793 and 3,000
men were at one time working on
the new canal between Brentford
and Braunston. Cutting began at
Braunston and at the other end, on
Uxbridge Moor. Preliminary work on
the Blisworth and Braunston tunnels
commenced in June 1793; including
setting up a brickyard at Braunston.
By September 1796 the 17-odd mile
long canal was completed between
Braunston as far as Blisworth. The
canal was basically hollowed out of
the land, the earth banked up on either
side as appropriate, and the canal
lined with impermeable London Clay. A
towpath for the horses was created on
one side as the topography dictated.
This is why for much of the Canal in
Northamptonshire, the towpath is on
the north side as the line of the Canal
follows the 75ft contour overlooking
the falling land to the north. As well as
the canal itself, holding pounds were
created, or water drawn from local
streams and rivers, to provide the
water needed for the canal to function.
To the south of Blisworth the tunnel
underneath the hill had become
problematic as no one had realised
the complexity of the underlying
geology, with the bedding plain
between the liassic clay and oolitic
limestone creating an underground
pool of water which the first tunnel
was unfortunate enough to puncture
straight through. Between 1796
and 1801, a small number of men,
reportedly all Cornish miners, tried
to drain the tunnel, but basically
work was halted while the canal was
completed from Stoke Bruerne to
Brentford. By October 1800 this was
done and the canal filled with water,
with seven temporary locks between
Cosgrove and Old Wolverton which
were provided to drop down, and
then up again, over the Great Ouse
river. In the absence of a tunnel, a
toll road was provided over Blisworth
Hill but this soon proved inadequate
so a three and a half mile iron railway
was built to connect Blisworth to
Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock. This
railway was built on ‘L’ shaped iron
rails on which flangeless wagons ran.
The rails were mounted on stone
blocks and the wagons were drawn
by horses. It was opened in October
1800 and was the first iron railway in
the south of England.
Figure 18: Blisworth Tunnel, north portal
For about five years, Blisworth
Junction, Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne
reputedly became the busiest inland
ports in the kingdom. As well as being
the water terminal for Northampton,
Towcester and points beyond, they
were the transhipment point for the
entire north-to-south trade of the
Grand Junction Canal.
Meanwhile, work continued on trying
to draw the water off the new tunnel
workings in Blisworth Hill. New plans
were drawn up in May 1802 for a
second tunnel, and tunneling started
again in the autumn of that year. Some
21 pits or working shafts were sunk
on the line of the tunnel. These went
down as far as the datum point of
the tunnel. From this level, horizontal
headings were driven in both directions
following the line. The excavated
spoil was hauled to the surface and
dumped – to this day, these mounds
can still be seen marching in a line
across Blisworth Hill, all aligned on the
tower of St Mary the Virgin’s Church,
Stoke Bruerne. Once excavated, the
tunnel was lined with bricks forming
a horseshoe shape some 18ft high
and 16ft across. At the bottom, the
arch stood on a saucer-shaped brick
invert. Cost-cutting by the contractors
was revealed in 1983 when restoration
worked revealed that the brick lining
was often not as thick as specified by
the engineer. There was no towpath
- boats had to be ‘legged’ through
the Tunnel and registered leggers
were issued with brass arm bands
and carried their own legging boards
or ‘wings’ which were laid across the
boat’s foredeck. The legger lay on his
back and walked sideways along the
tunnel wall with his feet.
The tunnel was completed in early
1805, and opened with much
ceremony and rejoicing on 25 March
that year. The first boat through, the
Marquis of Buckingham, emerged
into the daylight on the south side
of the tunnel to be greeted by over
5,000 people who had come to see
the event.
In 1804, the locks out of Stoke
Bruerne were commenced, and work
pressed ahead on the embankment
and aqueduct over the River Great
Ouse. The aqueduct consisted of three
parallel culverts, built ‘in the dry’ (ie on
dry land). Once they were finished, the
river was diverted though them from
its old course which was then blocked.
In 1808 two of the culvert arches
collapsed, so the old locks were reopened until a new cast iron aqueduct
could be made by Reynolds and Co of
Ketley, Shropshire. This was in place
and open to traffic in January 1811
and stands there today, although the
brick piers supporting it were heavily
repaired in the 1920s.
Figure 19: Iron Trunk Aqueduct
The total cost of the Grand Junction,
up to 1811, was around £1,646,000
of which £90,000 was attributable to
the additional costs of the Blisworth
Hill tunnel. The canal and branches
opening by 1811 totalled nearly 111
miles, of which 35 miles, including
part of the Buckingham Arm, lay in
Northamptonshire. The Old Stratford
Arm, of just over one mile, had been
extended to Buckingham (a distance
of nearly 11 miles) although between
Old Stratford and Buckingham the
canal was only wide enough to take
a single narrow boat. The money to
fund this last section had been lent
to the Canal Company by the Duke
of Buckingham and it was built in two
sections, the section from Cosgrove
to Old Stratford between August and
September 1800, and the section from
Old Stratford to Buckingham between
September 1800 and May 1801.
and got as far as Gumley in
Leicestershire, but when funds dried
up, a new canal was proposed to
simply connect the Grand Junction
Canal to Northampton. Pending
negotiations, principally over the how
water could be supplied to the new
canal, the by now redundant iron
railway over Blisworth Hill was taken
up in 1805 and relaid to provide at
least a temporary link from a wharf
close to Gayton (now the Blisworth
Junction) and a new wharf which was
created on the side of the River Nene
at Northampton. In 1809 the Grand
Junction Company finally agreed
to build a canal to Northampton but
to save water, the locks were made
narrow and although a conditional
undertaking was made to widen them,
Figure 20: The ‘dry’ section of the Canal
at Thornton between Deanshanger
and Buckingham
Trade along the Grand Junction
Canal was encouraged in 1800
by the construction of a new canal
to the north of Braunston, linking
Napton to Birmingham. A proposed
Leicestershire and Northamptonshire
Canal, which was meant to link
Blisworth to Northampton then up to
Leicestershire, started construction
Figure 21: The Northampton Arm
this was never done. The Northampton
Arm, as it became known, was finally
built between July 1812 and May
1815. It is just under five miles long
and has 17 locks, thirteen of which
form a group near Rothersthorpe. The
new canal undoubtedly created a huge
impetus to the economic activity in
Northampton, and provided a link from
the land-locked East Midlands to the
sea, via Peterborough and Wisbech.
By 1809 the Leicestershire and
Northamptonshire Canal Company
had extended the canal from Gumley
as far as Market Harborough, but
again, ran out of funds. Seeing an
opportunity, the Grand Junction
Company promoted a new company
(the Grand Union Canal Company)
to provide a new canal in 1810 to join
their canal at Norton, near Daventry, to
the newly completed canal at Market
Harborough. This canal received its
Parliamentary Act in May 1810. The
new canal was just over 23 miles long,
with 17 locks and two tunnels. It was
one of the last contour canals ever
built with a winding, 20 mile summit
level across the Northamptonshire
uplands, just over 400’ above sea
level. It was completed and opened in
1814. By this time the narrow barges
of the Brindley canals were becoming
standard on the Midland waterways,
and these had the advantage of being
able to pass each other in tunnels,
which avoided congestion. This whilst
the bridges and tunnels of the Grand
Union were built wide, the locks at
either end were narrow, no doubt to
save money during the depression
caused by the Napoleonic Wars.
These narrow locks initially provided
no impetus to economic vitality, but
once competition arrived from the
railways their limited capacity was a
serious problem.
Several small additions or
improvements were made to the
local canal system after 1810. In
1815 a short canal link to Aylesbury
was opened, and a Newport Pagnell
canal followed in 1817. In 1820
the Regent’s Canal was opened in
London, connecting the Grand Union
Canal at Brentford right into the City of
London and to Limehouse. In 1831-4
the Oxford Canal Company improved
the route between Braunston and
Coventry, straightening out sections
of canal and bypassing the tunnel at
Wolfhamcote.
By this time, it was possible to reach
Bristol, Liverpool and Hull as well as
London by inland navigation, and
several large towns had more than
one route connecting to them. Overall,
the new canal system had been a
profitable investment for the various
companies and their shareholders.
Building the canals had provided jobs
for local workers – very few Irish or
Scottish workers have been identified
and the canal companies were mainly
good employers who looked after
their employees or ‘servants’ as they
were called, in stark contrast to the
industrialists of the larger cities. It is
notable that only four men died in
the construction of the Canal, all due
to accidents in either the Braunston
Tunnel or the Blisworth Tunnel. Where
necessary, canal-side cottages were
provided for lock-keepers and tunnelkeepers which were well built and
commodious – some of these remain
along the Grand Union Canal and are
identified later in this document. The
newly-built canals also generated a
whole range of additional industries
along the line of the canal such as the
brickyards at Braunston, Gayton and
Stoke Bruerne, and various ironstone
and limestone quarries, ironworks,
blacksmithing, boat building and repair
services. With these came demands
for rope making, chandling, boot-
making, and victualling, and men were
also needed to ‘leg’ boats through the
tunnels at Braunston and Blisworth.
The importation of ‘foreign’ building
materials also impacted on the
character and local distinctiveness of
the locality with slate replacing thatch,
brick replacing cob, and coal providing
heat to even the humblest of cottages.
Iron cooking utensils changed people’s
diets, and knives and forks became
common. Crockery from Staffordshire
replaced wooden bowls and trenchers
and boots from Northampton were
exported world-wide.
Figure 22: Double arched bridge at Stoke Bruerne
3.4 19th century and
20th century history
traffic. The double arched bridge at
Stoke Bruerne, the dry lock and the
wider towpath down to Bottom Lock
are all remnants of this period.
The comfortable monopoly of the
canals and the modest prosperity of
the Nene Navigation came to an end
with the construction of the railways
through Northamptonshire, although
it was an incremental rather than an
over-night change. In 1833 the London
and Birmingham Railway received
its necessary Act of Parliament,
the route of the new railway being
carefully planned to mimic the line
of the Grand Junction Canal. This
stimulated the Canal Company to
make improvements to the canal
including the duplication of the Stoke
Bruerne’s seven locks to save water
by using the duplicate locks as side
ponds, and also to speed up canal
The construction of
the railway line did
result in demand for
new materials and the
canal was useful in
providing such a service.
Initially, the railway
was envisaged as a
passenger service, which
the canal had not been,
but as time went on more
goods began to be moved
by train. In 1847, the Grand
Junction’s largest carrier,
Pickfords, had transferred
their long distance traffic to
rail from the canal and from
then onwards there was
much keener competition between
the two modes of transport. To offset
this loss, the Grand Junction Canal
Carrying Company was set up in
1847, responding to the 1845 Canal
Carriers Act which allowed
canal companies for the
first time to act beyond
their original remit of
providing the canal.
Surprisingly, the Oxford
Canal managed to keep
its virtual monopoly of
transporting coal from
the Midlands down to
London until well into
the 20th century as it
crossed several railway
lines which radiated
out of London and so
none were in direct
competition.
Figure 23: Sign on boat at Blisworth canal
event August 2013
Once the railway from Blisworth
to Northampton through to
Wellingborough and Peterborough
was opened in 1845, the River Nene
navigation, and the Northampton Arm,
both suffered. Closer to Fenland,
the railways made much slower
impact and moving goods by barge
remained the more dominant form of
transport, the local movement of stone
surviving until the 1970s. However,
the canalised River Nene between
Wellingborough and Peterborough
eventually sank into near dereliction
until improvements were carried out in
the 1930s as part of a more general
upgrading of the canal system.
From 1860, steam-powered barges
were introduced along the canal
system, which could pull another
boat of similar size behind them.
An appalling accident in 1861 in the
Blisworth Tunnel, where two men died
and two further men were horribly
burnt, resulted in the provision of extra
ventilation shafts – originally there
had only been one, but there are now
seven. In 1869 the Company tried
replacing leggers in the Braunston
and Blisworth Tunnels with endless
wire ropes, without any success, so
from 1871 to 1936, by which time
diesel became more common, the
boats were pulled through by steam
tugs. These only had enough power
to get the boat two thirds of the way
through the Tunnel, when the fire had
to be restoked, resulting in formidable
amounts of dirty soot and steam in
not as successful as the much larger
ironworks in Corby or Wellingborough.
The last canal-side quarry closed in
1921 and the last brickworks soon
after. In the 1870s the Grand Junction
Canal Carrying Company was wound
up following legal action after an
explosion in Regent’s Park, and the
business was taken over by Fellows,
Morton and Company. This company
was expanded by the addition of
Thomas Clayton (and was thereafter
referred to as FMC) and their boats
with their smart black and white livery,
picked out in red and lettered in bold
Victorian script, were known all over
the Midlands although their main
depot was at Braunston.
Figure 24: Ventilation shaft of the 1860s off Stoke Road
the confined space. Periodically the
Tunnel had to be cleaned of this soot,
initially using the old fashioned method
of dragging through a hawthorn bush,
but later, the Company developed
a giant sectional brush which was
dragged through on a boat.
Figure 25: Blisworth Heritage Walks sign
During the 1860s and 1870s the
Braunston to Stoke Bruerne section
of the canal saw a brief but notable
increase in activity. There were
brickworks at Braunston, Heyford,
Gayton and Stoke Bruerne, large
steam-driven mills at Blisworth and
Stoke Bruerne, and limestone and
ironstone quarries with connecting
tramways at Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne
and Heyford, which also had an
ironworks. The repeal of the Corn
Laws at this time resulted in English
agriculture being open to foreign
competition, leading to the severe
agricultural depression in the 1870s.
Imported foreign ore and trade
depressions hit the iron industry
somewhat later, and whilst there was
a revival in World War One, this was
In 1894 the ‘Old Union’ canals in
Leicestershire were purchased by
the Grand Junction Company, which
attempted to open a ‘wide’ route to
the north by replacing the locks in
Foxton and Watford. At Foxton the
ten narrow locks were supplemented
with a temporary inclined plane
capable of carrying two narrow boats
or one wide boat, presumably to
allow the rebuilding of the original
locks. However, whilst the system
worked reasonably well, the high
cost of operation, and the relatively
low usage, meant that it was closed
in 1910 and demolished between
1924 and 1926. It was also intended
to widen the locks at Watford, but in
the end the locks were rebuilt to their
original narrow dimensions.
After World War One, when the
canals had enjoyed a brief period
of prosperity, there came a trade
depression. FMC suffered a strike in
1923 when the company proposed
cutting wages. Soon after, FMC
started using diesel engines, so
reducing the number of men required.
However, in the 1920s, the bulk of the
traffic was still horse-drawn and most
of the barges were operated by small
one-man businesses, mainly providing
coal to London.
By 1928 most of the revenue to the
Grand Junction Company was being
provided by non-canal activities in
the London area. A unifying of the
ownership of the five companies
which owned the canals between
London and Birmingham seemed
sensible, and after the appropriate
Act of Parliament, a new company
came into existence on 1 January
1929 called the Grand Union Canal
Company. The Regent’s Company
technically took over the canals,
whilst the Grand Junction Company
remained as a property company. This
lasted until 1971 when it was taken
over by the Amalgamated Investment
and Property Company for nearly
28 million pounds. The Grand Union
Canal Company set about making
improvements to the existing system,
but had to wait until 1931 as an
Act of Parliament was needed. The
Company tried to acquire the Oxford
Canal but this was delayed until 1947.
In Northamptonshire, improvements
were made to the locks at Braunston
and in the early 1930s a new carrying
company, the Grand Union Canal
Carrying Company, (GUCCCo) was
set up which eventually had around
one hundred pairs of boats, rising
eventually to around two hundred.
These were steel boats which were
painted in a distinctive red, white
and blue livery which lasted until the
demise of the Grand Union in 1947.
The cargoes on these boats were
still mainly coal, steel, non-ferrous
metal, timber, and foodstuffs, but the
boats also moved grain, strawboards,
footwear and leather waste (from the
factories in Northampton), and other
non-ferrous waste from the oxide
factories in Deanshanger. Warehouses
were built in Blisworth and Cotton
End, Northampton, to service this
trade, and wharfs at Heyford and
Bugbrooke were built to off-load the
coal. Meanwhile, in the early 1930s,
improvements had been made to the
River Nene Navigation, partly due to
the need of controlling the serious
flooding which occurred almost every
year. In 1938 the GUCCCo. negotiated
a new contract with the paper mills
which wiped out the small businesses
on the local canals, including the last
of the horse-drawn barges.
During World War Two there was a
resurgence in the use of the canals,
which were controlled during this
period by the Government, which
afterwards handed back the canals
Figure 26: GJCCo sign near Bugbrooke
and their boats to the canal companies
in very poor condition. In 1947
the canals, and the railways, were
nationalised, and later in the year FMC
went into voluntary liquidation, their
boats and business being transferred
to the new British Transport
Commission. This soon fell out with
the Inland Waterways Association,
formed in 1946 to promote and
encourage commercial and leisure use
of the waterways. By the mid-1950s,
the Old Stratford and Buckingham
Arms, which had seen no traffic for
several years, were finally abandoned
and left to deteriorate. In 1955 a
report which suggested the entire
Grand Union Canal system north
of Berkhamstead should be closed
resulted in a total loss of confidence,
so many existing businesses simply
Figure 27: Gayton Marina
folded. By contrast, leisure use of
the canals began at around this time,
as encouraged by the National Rally
in Banbury of the same year, and
by various improvements at Stoke
Bruerne, including the establishment
of a waterways museum in 1963. In
1962 the British Waterways Board
took over the canals, their remit
being to make the best of them rather
than close them down, although the
next eight years saw an incremental
decrease in demand for working
barges which culminated in 1970 with
the last coal being delivered to the
paper factory in Southall.
Since the early 1970s, leisure use of
the canals throughout the country,
not just in Northamptonshire, has
increased hugely, partly fuelled at
a local level by the growth of both
Northampton and Milton Keynes.
For the Grand Union Canal in South
Northamptonshire, boatyards,
moorings and servicing facilities, and
in some cases, large marinas, have
been built to service this demand.
These can be seen at Stowe Hill,
Heyford, Bugbrooke, Gayton,
Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne, Yardley
Gobion and Cosgrove. Leaks in
the canal system necessitated the
replacement of the back-pumping
equipment at Stoke Bruerne in
1976. In the early 1980s, the British
Waterways Board closed the Blisworth
Tunnel due to concerns about safety
and soon after spent around £4.3
million pounds on repairing the tunnel
walls, including replacing the entire
central section with a concrete tube.
The re-opening by BWB’s Chairman,
Sir Leslie Young, was apparently
as equally a joyous occasion as the
original event.
More recently, ownership and
management of the Grand Union
Canal has passed from the British
Waterways Board to the Canal
and River Trust (CRT). In the last
thirty years or so, a number of new
marinas have been built along the
Canal, which are only used for leisure
purposes, although there are facilities
for painting or repairing boats at
various locations along this section
of the Canal. Various moorings along
the Canal have also been provided,
although these are time limited to
prevent permanent occupation. The
Buckingham Canal Society has been
very active in promoting the reopening of the Old Stratford and the
Buckingham Arm, which is currently
only used and ‘watered’ as far as the
moorings at Cosgrove.
Figure 28: Canal weekend Blisworth August 2013
4. Spatial Analysis
4.1Landscape
and views
The Grand Union Canal in South
Northamptonshire was built largely as
a ‘contour’ canal, engineered to take
the longer but less expensive route
through an undulating, largely rural
landscape comprising large fields
which are used for both grazing and
arable crops. These are divided by
post-enclosure hedges with some
small areas of woodland. Of note are
the three river valleys – the Nene, the
Tove and the Great Ouse, which the
Canal passes close to, or, in the case
of the Tove and Ouse, actually over.
The Canal also passes through three
villages, Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne,
and Cosgrove, where the rural
landscape changes to a more built-up
(but not urban) character. In addition,
the Canal is close to several other
smaller villages – Nether Heyford,
Bugbrooke, Gayton, Grafton Regis
and Yardley Gobion, but their visual
influence is slight.
Of note are the various footpaths
and rights-of-way which lead off the
Canal, or in some cases, along the
actual towpath. These link with the
villages which lie on either side of the
Canal. The towpath route along the
Canal is used extensively by walkers,
particularly close to the villages
of Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne and
Cosgrove. Improvements, particularly
for cyclists, to the towpaths along
the Northampton Arm and between
Cosgrove and Old Wolverton are a
very popular facility.
Figure 29: The Canal between Cosgrove
and Old Wolverton
Figure 30: The pastoral setting to the
Canal near Bugbrooke
Whilst the Canal is generally on or
around the 75 metre contour, the
principal topographical feature is the
rising land between Blisworth and
Stoke Bruerne, which rises to 130
metres and which therefore forces
the Canal into a tunnel. The land
also rises, though more gently, to
the west of the Canal, and because
the treatment of the boundary to
the Canal edge is very varied, the
views out are intermittent, being
constrained by rising land, woodland,
or sometimes buildings. Views to
the east are generally limited by the
dense mainly hawthorn hedge which
lines the towpath, which for most of
this part of the Canal lies on the east
side. Because of the falling land below
much of the Canal, the Canal is built
on embankments in several places,
this being particularly evident between
Stoke Bruerne and Cosgrove, where
the Canal follows the line of the River
Tove, though at a slightly higher level.
Between Stowe Hill and the Blisworth
Junction (Character Area 1), the
Canal is contained by rising land to
the south-west, and to the north, by
the flat valley of the River Nene. For
much of this length, the Canal sits
on a slight embankment, created by
the slightly falling land to the north.
Whilst the villages of Nether Heywood,
Bugbrooke and Gayton are all close
to the Canal, the first two are hardly
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | SPATIAL ANALYSIS | page 17
visible due to the thick hedge along
the towpath which creates a visual
barrier. Occasionally, breaks in this
hedgerow provide glimpses across
corn fields to hedgerows and groups
of trees. On the south-west side of
the Canal, the edge of the Canal is
bordered by groups of shrubs, trees
and some buildings, but as the land
rises gently, the views are particularly
varied. One notable view is towards
the village of Gayton, which sits on a
hill with its church tower providing a
useful local landmark.
The Northampton Arm of the Canal
(Character Area 2) drops down the
north-east facing slope towards
Northampton (level 60 metres at
the River Nene) in a succession of
dramatic locks. Again, the setting
is rural with fields and some small
areas of woodland, but the character
of this part of the Conservation
Area is completely compromised by
the sound of the busy traffic along
the adjoining A43 to Northampton.
The best views can be obtained at
the Northampton end of the Arm,
shortly before the Canal dips below
the M1, where there are attractive
views westwards over a wildlife
meadow, trees and some dense
woodland. There are virtually no
views eastwards because of the road
and mature trees. Views higher up
the arm have been compromised by
the development of large commercial
buildings along the south east
boundary of Northampton.
Figure 31: View westwards from the
Northampton Arm
ridge and furrow in the fields between
these buildings and the A43. Between
Blisworth Junction and Blisworth
Tunnel (Character Area 3), the Canal
again passes through an open, rural
landscape with rising land to the
south-west and stands of mature trees
constraining the views. When the
Canal reaches Blisworth, the sense
of landscape reduces, although to the
west of the village, and clearly visible
in relation to the Canal, is rising land
with a number of mature trees, which
provide a backdrop to the Canal and
the historic buildings which lie along it.
Above Blisworth Tunnel (Character
Area 4) the land rises quite steeply
then opens out to a plateau of open
fields and more enclosed areas of
woodland, some quite extensive.
Around most of the seven tunnel vents
are conical spoil heaps, often covered
in trees, which provide an interesting
interruption in the landscape. The
land then drops down to the South
Portal, through thick woodland which
prevents views outwards.
Figure 32: The Canal just to the north
of Blisworth
The junction of the Canal with the
Northampton Arm is marked by a
small collection of buildings and yards
(Blisworth Junction) which together
provide one of the best examples of a
former working wharf along the South
Northamptonshire length of the Grand
Union Canal. Of note is the remnant
Figure 33: View from Stoke Road
Figure 34: The River Tove runs alongside
part of the Canal
Stoke Bruerne (Character Area 5) sits
below the rising land to north, the fall
in levels being reflected in the long
line of locks to the immediate south of
the village. The village itself is inwardlooking towards the Canal, so the
landscape around the village is not
highly visible. The Conservation Plan
identifies historic hedgerows around
the village, with medieval ridge and
furrow, principally to the south-east of
the settlement. To the south-west of
the village is the ‘managed’ historic
landscape associated with Stoke
Park and Stoke Park Pavilions, both
grade II* listed buildings which are
the only standing remains of an early
Palladian mansion built in 1629-35.
The central part of the house was built
twice following destructive fires, so the
current neo-Jacobethan house dates
to the late 19th century.
Between Stoke Bruerne and Cosgrove
(Character Area 6), the Canal follows
a gently winding course, again just
below the 75 metre contour, of a low
line of hills which is crossed to the
west by Watling Street/A5. For much
of this length, the Canal runs almost
parallel to the River Tove, which lies
at a slightly lower level (between 60
and 65 metres) and forms the main
landscape feature. The Tove runs
south-eastwards and joins the Great
River Great Ouse just below Cosgrove
Leisure Park. This section of the Canal
is therefore notable for the long views
to the north-east over the valley of the
River Tove, particularly focusing on
the spire of Hanslope Church. Large
fields of wheat are a particular feature
– at least in the summer – with grazing
sheep in the fields to the west side of
the Canal.
Cosgrove to the River Great Ouse
(Character Area 7) sits within a
completely different landscape.
The village itself is quite inward
looking, with few views out apart
from the views towards the parkland
of Cosgrove hall (see below).
However, the section of the Canal
from the Cosgrove locks to the cast
iron aqueduct and bridge over the
Great River Great Ouse is on a
raised causeway with the land falling
dramatically on either side. On the
east side, lies the Cosgrove Leisure
Park, created from former gravel
workings and now a succession of
lakes with the views limited by thick
overgrown woodland on the slopes of
the causeway and in the immediate
locality. On the west side is more
woodland, concealing the remains of
the original locks which pre-date the
iron aqueduct. Views either way along
this straight stretch of Canal, and from
the iron bridge over the Great River
Great Ouse below, are of special note.
Figure 35: View over the River Great
Ouse from the Iron Trunk Aqueduct
Figure 36: The line of the Old Stratford
Arm near Cosgrove
The Old Stratford Arm (Character
Area 8) starts at Cosgrove locks with
a section of watered canal used for
permanent moorings. Trees enclose
this area but there are views to the
south over the wheat fields; the location
of a former Roman villa. To the west
this early part of the Canal is edged by
the parkland associated with Cosgrove
Park, a large house which can be seen
in the distance. This parkland provides
a ‘managed’ historic landscape and is
notable for the open grassland, used
for grazing cattle, the mature trees,
the remains of a listed icehouse, and
longer views across the Canal towards
the historic house in the distance.
The ‘watered’ part of the Canal is
relatively short and quickly changes to
a depression which is usually marked
by mature trees. In some locations,
water reeds and other vegetation make
it difficult to see this depression, but a
footpath (kept open by the Buckingham
Canal Society) has been provided
along the line of the former towpath
to the Canal as far as the A5 just
outside Old Stratford, and this makes a
pleasant walk. The landscape to either
side is gently undulating with fields of
cows as well as crops. Looking back
over the line of the Canal from the
last section of footpath which leads
over a pedestrian bridge over the very
busy main road, it is possible to see
the gently curving line of the Canal in
the middle distance leading towards
substantial groups of trees.
Further information about the
landscape setting to the Grand Union
Canal can be found in the very detailed
‘Landscape Evaluation’ for the Grand
Union Canal from Cosgrove to Crick,
prepared for British Waterways in 1994.
4.2 Settlement pattern
and activities
The Grand Union Canal in South
Northamptonshire largely passes
through countryside which is used for
farming, with traditional farmsteads
which appear to be practising mixed
farming methods. The area is relatively
tranquil, particularly along stretches of
the Canal where road and rail traffic
noise does not intrude. The location
of the Canal close to the railway line
for most of Character Area 1, between
Stowe Hill and Blisworth Junction,
does provide a certain amount of
noise pollution, as does the proximity
of the A43 to the Northampton Arm.
Further south, in parts of Character
Area 6, between Stoke Bruerne and
Cosgrove, there is further noise from
the A508 which connects Old Stratford
with Northampton.
The settlements close to, or on the
line of the Canal, are all historic
villages of modest size, most of them
containing a church, primary school,
public house and some small shops
or other minor businesses. Of the
three villages which the Canal passes
directly through, Blisworth, Stoke
Bruerne and Cosgrove, the impact
of the Canal is most marked in Stoke
Bruerne where the Canal Museum,
the various public houses and the
other visitor facilities all mean that this
is a very popular venue for tourists. In
Blisworth, the Canal is more discrete
in its impact although during the
summer a special ‘Canal’ event is
held over one weekend which is an
extremely well attended event with
stalls and brightly painted narrowboats
along the Canal-side (similar annual
events are held in Stoke Bruerne and
Cosgrove). In Cosgrove, the former
brewery buildings and other Canalrelated features are evident, but the
village is quite small and relatively
quiet, although some of the residents
Figure 37: The Canal Museum,
Stoke Bruerne
4.3 The character
of spaces within the
Conservation Area
Figure 38: Canal weekend in Blisworth August 2013
of Milton Keynes and Old Wolverton
use the carefully laid footpath along
the Canal to walk (or jog) to and from
the village. The other villages which
lie close to the Canal (Nether Heyford,
Bugbrooke, Gayton, Grafton Regis
and Yardley Gobion) are varied in
size – Bugbrooke is one of the largest
villages in the District and Nether
Heyford and Yardley Gobion are also
quite sizeable when compared to the
other villages in the area.
The Canal itself is largely used for
recreational purposes with some
freight, notably coal and diesel, being
carried by working narrowboats. The
Canal towpath is used by dog walkers,
anglers, families, hikers, cyclists and
tourists. There is also a fibre optic
cable (for communications) under
most of the towpath. There are six
modern marinas: Stowehill, Heyford
Fields, Gayton (at Blisworth Junction,
and the largest), Blisworth, Kingfisher
(near Yardley Gobion), and Thrupp
Wharf (near Cosgrove). In addition,
there are a number of small scale
boat-builders or repairers along the
Canal, most evident at Gayton Marina
and Yardley Wharf. Along much of
the Canal, narrowboats are allowed
to stay but for very limited periods, to
keep the spaces available for others.
Activity relating to the Canal is more
concentrated in a number of places,
particularly Stowehill Wharf, Blisworth
Junction, Yardley Wharf, Thrupp Wharf
and in the three villages – Blisworth,
Stoke Bruerne, and, to a lesser
degree, at Cosgrove.
The linear nature of the Conservation
Area means that its spatial qualities
relate more to the surrounding
landscape, or, where it passes through
a more built-up area, to the sense
of enclosure provided by the mainly
historic buildings. In some locations,
namely Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne
and Cosgrove, the size, detailing and
architectural merit of these buildings
add greatly to the special interest
of the Conservation Area. Stoke
Bruerne is additionally important
in that it provides a pleasant open
outside space next to the Canal and
Waterways Museum which is well
Figure 40: Boats near Heyford Wharf
Figure 39: Bridge No 58
used by visitors. Less in keeping is the
occasional domestication of the land
which immediately abuts the Canal,
where open green space has been
compromised by sheds, garages,
fences and other structures associated
with the adjoining residential properties.
The particular spatial character of
the Conservation Area is defined
by the narrow expanse of water,
snaking through the countryside,
and the hedges and trees which line
the side of the Canal. This linear
space is punctuated by the historic
bridges which cut across the Canal
at regular intervals and by the three
villages (as above) through which
the Canal passes. The Canal is a
beautiful space, largely tranquil, but
also sometimes busy with boats and
people. Many of the boat owners bring
their pets, mostly dogs, but also the
occasional cat, bird or even a weasel.
The atmosphere is relaxed and
noticeably friendly.
4.4 Public realm
Most of the Canal passes through
open countryside and the rural
character has been reinforced by
the minimal intervention of modern
surfacing, lighting, and signage. Of
note is the way in which the gently
curving Canal meanders through this
countryside with the towpath being
usually located on the north side. This
towpath is usually constrained by a
thick hawthorn hedge or by thicker and
taller planting which only stops once
a building or a settlement is reached.
In many places, there is evidence
that the hedging has been layered in
the traditional manner. The towpath
is often little more than an informal
path on grass, although occasionally
gravel or hoggin has been added for
safety, and on the well used section
Figure 41: Signs at the junction of the
Old Stratford Arm with the main Canal
near Cosgrove
from Cosgrove to Old Wolverton, an
unusually ‘formal’ path is provided.
In some locations the towpath is a
little overgrown although this adds
to the pleasant rural ambiance and
provides opportunities for groups of
wild flowers between the towpath
and the Canal. There are no street
lights, very few public seats (just the
occasional bench, like the ones at
Cosgrove) and very few litter bins.
Generally the canal-side is well cared
for with little evidence of damage or
abuse. Occasionally, there is graffiti on
some of the bridge abutments, such
as under the M1 at the Northampton
boundary. Signposts provided by
the British Waterways Board, and its
successor, the Canal and River Trust,
can be seen in several locations.
Further information boards are
provided by the Buckingham Canal
Society on the Old Stratford Arm.
4.5 Trees and planting
Trust (NWT) and there may be other
potential wildlife sites:
The Conservation Area is notable
for the stands of poplars and willows
which occur at regular intervals along
the Canal. In addition, there are
both small and much larger areas
of woodland, mostly deciduous. In
many places, the Canal is framed by
mature trees, providing particularly
attractive views along the Canal.
Hedging along the side of the towpath
is mainly hawthorn and in places has
been ‘laid’ in the traditional way to
create a thick boundary.
»» Grand Union Canal – Bugbrooke
4.6 Ecology and wildlife
The Canal and its immediate setting
has a high ecological potential with
large areas of woodland, river valleys
(the Nene, Tove and Great Ouse),
water meadows, and established
hedges, all of which contribute to a
rich diversity of animal and plant life.
The wildness of parts of the Cosgrove
Leisure Park, and the unimproved
former course of the Canal from
Cosgrove to Old Stratford, also
provide varied habitats. The ecology
of the River Nene Valley is amply
described in documents provided by
the River Nene Regional Park. The
following are designated Local Wildlife
Sites which have been identified
by the Northamptonshire Wildlife
This part of the canal is a
comparatively open stretch with a
good diversity of emergent plants and
thick hedge and towpath habitat. The
vegetation includes flowering rush
and purple loosestrife. Overall, this
is a valuable habitat in an intensively
farmed area.
»» Grand Union Canal –
Northampton Arm
This comprises a narrow stretch of
Canal which is little used and therefore
has better emergent vegetation than
most of the Grand Union in the county.
The insect life, particularly dragonflies,
is very good. As a whole this has the
best typical canal flora of all of the
canals in the country, as it contains
all of the emergent and submerged
species found in the Northamptonshire
canals (bar one rarity found in the
north canals only), at least two of
which are country rarities.
Figure 42: The Canal near Yardley Gobion
»» Grand Union Canal – Navigation
Inn, Thrupp Wharf
This is a fairly open stretch of canal
with a well kept, medium-height
hedge beside the towpath. The hedge
attracts butterflies and moths and
the margins of the water have bushy
vegetation with a good variety of
emergent species including loosestrife
and greater tussock sedge.
»» Stoke Bruerne Brickpits
The former brickworks provide a very
varied site with a mosaic of habitat
types including grassland, marsh,
hedges and pools. The wide plant
diversity attracts birds and insects
which both feed and breed on the
reserve (see the NWT reserve leaflet
for full details).
»» Grafton Regis meadow
This is a hay meadow on a ridge
and furrow field which is traditionally
managed by the NWT. There is a rich
diversity of meadow species present,
and the habitat is varied by a small
marsh and pool in one corner and
diverse hedgerows around part of the
site (see the NWT handbook for full
details).
»» Cosgrove Canal (usually called
the Old Stratford Arm)
Figure 43: Wildflowers next to the Canal near Yardley Gobion
This part of the Canal is now dry and
overgrown with scrub containing many
hedgerow species. The footpath past
the old canal is bordered by a hedge,
possibly of ancient origin. The north
end of the site is wettest and contains
a small area of reed sweet-grass
swamp with associated canalside
species. The diversity of scrub species
and the well-established hedgerow
provide excellent wildlife cover.
5. Architectural Analysis
5.1 Building age, type
and style
The majority of the buildings and
structures in the Conservation Area
date to the 19th century although there
is some more recent 20th century
development, either for residential
properties or for new buildings
associated with the modern marinas,
along its length. Generally these
modern buildings have a limited impact
on the character of the Conservation
Area, the principle exception being
around the Wharf Inn near Bugbrooke,
where new houses abut the Canal
edge are visually very prominent.
For most of its South Northamptonshire
length, the canal-side buildings are
scattered along the Canal forming
small groups within the surrounding
countryside. Many of these were
built in the early or mid-19th century
as a direct result of the new Canal
and were used as public houses,
farms, cottages for workers, and
warehouses. Facilities for repairing
and painting boats were also required
although today most of these are
provided in modern buildings. There
are several good historic farm
groups, some clearly developed in
the 19th century to provide provisions
to the passing barges. Within the
settlements of Blisworth, Stoke
Bruerne and Cosgrove, the canalrelated buildings are more integrated
into the existing townscape where
they once provided a range of uses
such as warehousing, a steam mill, a
brewery, and public houses.
Figure 44: Gayton Yard
Figure 45: Blisworth Mill
limestone rubble or from locally-made
bricks. The houses are generally
functional, relatively cheap buildings
of one or two storeys in height with
small, side-opening timber casement
windows, boarded doors and steeply
pitched thatched or slightly less
pitched slate roofs. The cast iron
windows in the former wharf buildings
at Blisworth Junction (Gayton Yard)
with their half-round heads are an
important survivor. Very few of the
buildings in the Conservation Area are
of any architectural pretension apart
from Grafton Farmhouse, Blisworth,
and Stone Works Farmhouse,
Blisworth. These were all part of the
Grafton Estate and were built between
1800 and the 1840s in regularly cut
and coursed ashlar limestone with
simple Georgian details including
multi-paned sash windows, shallow
hipped slate roofs, panelled front
doors, and symmetrical facades. A
complete ‘one-off’, Blisworth Mill is a
large five storey building which was
built in 1879 with red brick with blue
brick and stone dressings which would
be more at home in the industrial
Midlands. This contrasts with the three
storey mill in Stoke Bruerne, built
slightly earlier and constructed using
limestone with ironstone banding.
5.2Materials
Until the coming of the canals, the
predominant building material in
this part of Northamptonshire was
the local Oolitic limestone, usually
used in rubble form to create simple,
vernacular buildings suitable for
modest homes, agriculture or industry.
The same stone was dressed to
produce ashlar blocks more suitable
for the more prestigious buildings such
as the two detailed above. Stone slate
was used for the more prestigious
buildings, but for most of the cottages
and agricultural buildings, long straw
thatch was the norm, resulting in
very steeply pitched roofs. Buildings
constructed using these traditional
details and materials are found in
the three villages – Blisworth, Stoke
Bruerne and Cosgrove – and include
the Boat Inn in Stoke Bruerne and
the Barley Mow Public House in
Cosgrove. These both have the more
steeply pitched roofs associated
with thatch, as has Simon’s Cottage,
located on the Canal at Stowehill,
although the roof is now covered with
modern sheeting.
Almost all of the historic buildings (and
bridges) dating to the late 18th and
the 19th century are built from local
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS | page 23
Figure 46: The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne
arches over the windows and door
openings. Along the Canal are several
houses and cottages which reflect these
different building periods and the use of
varied materials. Some of these are
listed but others, particularly where they
are built from brick, are not. They all
retain a vernacular style, with simple
pitched roofs, axial chimney stacks, and
casement windows. Good examples
include Anchor Farmhouse and the
adjoining warehouse at Gayton,
unlisted but dating to the early 19th
century, and the Navigation Inn at
Thrupp Wharf, a stone building of a
similar age but again unlisted. Where
the buildings have not been protected
by listing, there has often been some
loss of original features such as
windows, front doors and roof materials.
5.3 Listed buildings
and structures
Figure 47: The Navigation Inn,
Thrupp Wharf
From the early 19th century, the Canal
brought in Welsh slate (which could be
used on much lower pitches) and led to
the development of a local brick industry
with a particularly large brickworks at
Stoke Bruerne. This supplied the
relatively soft red brick which is seen
throughout the Conservation Area
in the bridges, locks, associated
structures and buildings. Where the
brick is used for buildings, it is usually
laid in Flemish bond with simple brick
There are just over fifty listed building
entries within the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area which are set out
in Appendix 2, grouped according to
geographical location. All of these are
listed grade II, apart from Bridge No 65
in Cosgrove, which is listed grade II*.
These break down into the following
typologies:
»» Bridges
»» Locks
»» Buildings in varied uses which
were built before the Grand Union
Canal was built
»» Buildings or structures in varied
uses which relate directly to the
building of the Grand Union Canal
brick vaults. Where the bridges have
been heavily repaired, often in the
1920s with blue engineering bricks,
the bridges are not listed.
»» Farmhouses or farm groups, not
specifically relating to the Grand
Union Canal
Listed bridges
There are 11 listed bridges, nearly all
dating to between 1793 and 1800 and
built to a standard design (probably
provided by William Jessop) from
red brick or the local limestone.
Most of these bridges are of a very
similar design with a single elliptical
arch, edged in blocks of stone, with
half-round brick copings or square
limestone blocks to the parapets
above. Some of the bridges are totally
built in limestone, such as Bridges Nos
43 and 45 at Gayton. Most of these
bridges retain at least one original
iron rope fender, designed to protect
the sides of the arched opening from
damage. Underneath many of these
bridges, the original cobble pavement
to the towpath and the adjoining stone
edges to the Canal remain, although
elsewhere in less sensitive locations
the stone edges have been replaced
with steel reinforcement. Bridge No 33
at Nether Heyford is a more unusual
design, with five cast iron beams with
three wrought iron tie rods and arched
Figure 48: Bridge No 43 at Gayton
Figure 49: The Turnover Bridge near
Blisworth Junction
Figure 50: Bridge No 33 at Nether Heyford
Listed locks
There are 20 listed locks in two main
groups along the Northampton Arm
(dating to 1815) and in, or to the
immediate south of, Stoke Bruerne
(dating to around 1800-1801) – there
is also a single lock in Cosgrove which
is currently not listed. The locks in
Stoke Bruerne were all repaired and
upgraded in the 1860s and again in
the 1920s. All of these locks are in full
working order.
»» The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne
– an 18th century building of
coursed limestone rubble with a
thatched roof – despite its location
overlooking the Canal, stylistically it
predates it
»» The Barley Mow Public House, The
Stocks, Cosgrove – a 17th century
former farmhouse
The following buildings or features all
date to post 1793 when construction
of the Canal commenced. They are:
»» Top Lock Cottage, Northampton Arm
– a lock keeper’s cottage of c1815
»» A cast iron milepost at south end
of the Northampton Arm, Blisworth
Junction
The locks comprise a top and bottom
gate, the lock chamber in between,
and the splayed abutments at
either end of the lock. Some locks,
particularly along the Northampton
Arm, include brick bypass weirs.
Listed buildings in varied uses which
were built before the Grand Union
Canal was built.
Listed buildings or structures
in varied uses which relate
directly to the building of the
Grand Union Canal
»» The warehouse to the north of
Blisworth Mill, Blisworth – an early
19th century red brick building
Figure 51: Simon’s Cottage, Nether
Heyford
»» Blisworth Mill, a large five storey
building built in 1879 with red brick
enlivened by blue brick and stone
dressings
»» The Waterways Museum, Stoke
Bruerne, a former warehouse built
using coursed limestone rubble
»» Cottages 140 and 141, south
of Stoke Bruerne – these brick
cottages face the Canal and are
early 19th century in date
»» Lower Lock Farm buildings, a
range of farm buildings built in
c1840 for the 4th Duke of Grafton
– these form a group with Cottages
140 and 141 above
»» Old Wharf Farmhouse and
outbuildings, Yardley Gobion –
late 18th century and previously a
public house with varying names
– the Navigation Inn, the Grand
Junction and the Peace and Plenty
»» The Horse Tunnel, Cosgrove –
built in c1800 to allow horses and
people underneath the new Canal
»» The former Sun, Moon and Stars
Public House dated 1797 and built
from red brick
There are a number of buildings in
varied uses which relate physically
to the Canal although most of them
clearly pre-date it. These are:
»» Stone Works Farmhouse and
attached outbuilding – built in the
early 19th century close to the
north portal of the Blisworth Tunnel
and used to process stone before it
was barged along the Canal
»» Simon’s Cottage, Nether Heyford –
this must be earlier than the early
19th century date given in the list
description due to the very steeply
pitched roof which was presumably
originally thatched
Figure 52: The Barley Mow Public House,
Cosgrove
»» The south portal, Blisworth Tunnel
– completed in 1805
»» Canal House, Stoke Bruerne – an
early 19th century red brick cottage
Figure 53: Nos 140-141 and Lower Lock
Farm buildings, Stoke Bruerne
5.4 Locally listed
buildings
There are currently no locally listed
buildings in the Conservation Area.
Recommendations for new local listing
may be brought forward by the Council
from time to time.
5.5 Buildings or
structures which
make a positive
contribution
Figure 54: The Old Wharf Farmhouse,
Yardley Gobion
Figure 55: The Horse Tunnel, Cosgrove
Listed farmhouses or farm
groups, not specifically
relating to the Grand
Union Canal
»» Grafton Farmhouse, Blisworth,
early 19th century, once part of the
Grafton Estate but used later to
house the manager of the adjoining
Blisworth Mill
In addition to the buildings and
structures which are already statutorily
listed, there are a number of important
unlisted buildings or structures which
are considered to make a significant
contribution to the special interest
of the Conservation Area. Their
contribution to the character of the
Conservation Area is therefore positive
and they should be protected from
unsympathetic alterations or even
demolition. They are all marked on
the individual Character Area Maps.
Some may be suitable for local listing
or even for statutory listing.
A number of these buildings or
structures date to late 18th century
when the Canal was first constructed
and include all of the bridges which
have not been listed because they
have been altered by later repairs,
although their basic historic form and
many of their original details remain.
Several other bridges, dating to
the improvements of the early 20th
century, the 1920s and the 1930s, are
also considered to be positive. Of note
are the various bridges which were
built by an engineer called Mulliner,
who was responsible for a number
of new bridges in the period 1900 to
1912. A good example is Bridge No 57
at Bozenham Mill Lane, Grafton Regis.
at various points along the Canal.
Oddities include the drawbridge at
Lock 10 on the Northampton Arm,
which is similar to the grade II listed
bridge further south at Lock 5, and
Lock 21 at Cosgrove, which is also not
listed although similar locks at Stoke
Bruerne are. There are also several
former (or existing) public houses,
such as the Old Crown at Bugbrooke
and The Navigation Inn at Thrupp
Wharf. These are early 19th century
buildings but they are not listed
presumably because they have been
much altered. The seven air shafts to
the Tunnel, built from brick and mainly
dating to 1861, are also unlisted
structures of special merit.
Figure 56: Lock Cottages 1 and 2,
Cosgrove
A number of the early 19th century
cottages and farm buildings are also
identified, some of these unfortunately
rather altered, such as Lock Cottages
Nos 1 and 2 at Cosgrove. A further
number of more minor outbuildings
and working buildings have been
included, as although modest in
size, they assist in the interpretation
of the way in which the Canal once
functioned such as the leggers’ huts,
stables and forges which can be seen
Figure 57: Arched cast iron window at
Gayton Yard
»» Heyford Wharf, with its coal yard,
boat supplies, and farm
»» Anchor Farmhouse and adjoining
red brick warehouse, near Gayton,
which form a group with the
adjoining grade II listed Bridge No 43
»» Old Wharf Farm, Yardley Gobion,
and the complex of historic
buildings next to Kingfisher Marina,
some of which are listed, as well as
the unlisted weighbridge
Figure 58: The Old Toll House,
Blisworth Junction
The best preserved (and surprisingly
unlisted) group of canal-related
buildings still remains at Blisworth
Junction, where the former stables,
smithy, Canal offices and warehouses
can still be clearly seen around an
open courtyard facing the Canal. The
cast iron half-round arched windows
are of particular note. Now let to a
tenant by the owner, the Canal and
River Trust, this is the only surviving
historic ‘wharf’ within the Conservation
Area which still retains a more
industrial character. Close by, The Old
Toll House is an early 19th century red
brick house which was clearly a more
prestigious residence than the nearby
stone cottages. Although there are
similar groups at Blisworth and Stoke
Bruerne, these are more integrated
into the settlements they form part
of and have largely lost the industrial
character they once had. Other
surviving wharfs or canal-side groups
are also of interest:
»» Thrupp Wharf near Castlethorpe,
although the Navigation Inn is the
only historic building on the site
5.6 Canal features
In addition to the buildings and
structures along the Canal, there
are a number of features, mainly
concerned with engineering and
water management, which add to the
special interest of the Conservation
Area. Throughout the area, there is
evidence of the many features which
typically can be found such as wharfs,
basins, winding holes (where canal
boats could be turned around), swing
or lift bridges, locks and the towpath.
Allied to these features are the multitude
of engineering features needed to
supply or store water such as the
weirs, overflows, balancing ponds,
holding pounds, the spillways, and the
stop planks. Ash pits, which stored the
Figure 59: Stoke Bruerne locks
ash which was used to seal leaky lock
gates overnight, are also occasionally
evident. Most of these, where they
are obvious, are included in the list of
features within each of the Character
Areas. They include the following:
»» Stone edging to the Canal, mainly
close to or underneath the listed
bridges – otherwise the stone
has been replaced with steel
strengthening or timber
Figure 60: Weighbridge at Old Wharf
Farm, Yardley Gobion
»» Some sections of stone setted
towpath underneath the listed
bridges
»» Various sluices, operated by
turning handles, and overflows
Other notable features include the
attractive and in keeping cast iron
mileage posts, detailing the distance
from Braunston – these are mainly
historic although some were replaced
in the 1990s, the work being partly
paid for by the sponsorship of
individual posts. Where possible,
these are marked on the individual
maps but because the survey work
»» Small red brick tunnels built
underneath the Canal at several
locations to convey existing an
water course
»» The various water management
features which can be seen along
the Northampton Arm and at
Stoke Bruerne, which relate to the
functioning of the locks – the pair of
balancing ponds next to each lock,
the holding pounds (where water
was stored and boats waited to
pass through to the next lock), the
spillways, the mooring posts, and
the hoards of stop planks
»» The former brickworks site at Stoke Bruerne
Figure 61: Milepost near Gayton
Figure 64: The remains of the sluice gate,
Old Stratford Arm
»» The weirs, sluice gates and
overflows into the River Tove near
Grafton Regis
»» The weighbridge at Old Wharf
Farm, Yardley Gobion, marked ‘H
Pooley and Sons Ltd Liverpool
and London G No 11094’ on both
ends – this was used to weigh
coal as it came off the barges
and has recently been restored
to working order – it is operated
from a weighing room inside Old
Wharf Farm
»» The remains of a sluice gate on the
Old Stratford Arm, built from blue
brick, so probably dating to the
early 20th century
Figure 63: Sluice control equipment near
Stoke Bruerne
was carried out in high summer,
sometimes these features were hidden
by vegetation. Further mileposts,
recording a quarter, a half, and three
quarter miles, are also evident but not
marked on the individual maps.
Figure 62: Half mile post near Gayton
Figure 65: Detail of lock gates,
Northampton Arm
6. Character Areas
This chapter analyses the special
interest of the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area by dividing it up
into eight ‘Character Areas’, based
on a careful assessment of each
Area’s unique features relating to
landscape setting, building form, uses,
and historical development. These
Character Areas are considered to be:
»» Key positive features
Character Area 1:
Stowehill to Blisworth Junction
»» Other significant buildings and
features
Character Area 2:
Northampton Arm
»» Key negative features and issues
»» Location
»» History
»» Uses
»» Landscape setting and views
Character Area 5:
Stoke Bruerne
Character Area 6:
Stoke Bruerne to Cosgrove
Character Area 7:
Cosgrove to the River Great Ouse
Character Area 8:
Old Stratford Arm
Each Character Area is described and
its special features (both positive and
negative) noted, under the following
headings:
»» The activity provided by the
narrowboats
»» Parts of the Canal are very
peaceful and have a remote
character
»» Listed buildings
Character Area 3:
From Blisworth Junction to Blisworth
Character Area 4:
Blisworth Tunnel
»» The historic groups of Canal-side
buildings and sites
6.1 Character Area 1:
Stowehill to
Blisworth Junction
Key positive features
»» The attractive landscape setting
with mature trees and open fields
»» Long views out across this
countryside
»» The gentle curves of the Canal
through this landscape
»» The wild flowers and wild birds
»» The surviving listed and unlisted
historic bridges
History
This part of the Canal was constructed
in the last few years of the 18th
century. The section from Braunston
to Blisworth was begun in 1793 and
completed by 1796. A brickworks
was provided in Braunston in 1793
which supplied the whole length of the
Canal. Within a short period of time,
a variety of industries set up close
to or on the Canal including the lime
kilns at Blisworth which are shown
on an illustration of 1819 – the Canal
encouraged the burning of lime for
agricultural fertilisers by bringing in
coal to the kilns and carrying away the
lime for distribution.
Uses
Figure 66: The Canal between Stowehill
and Nether Heyford
Location
This section of the Canal stretches
through some six miles of open
countryside in a south-easterly direction
from just south of Weedon, where
it passes under Watling Street (the
modern A5) at Stowehill, to Blisworth
Junction, where the Northampton Arm
branches off. It passes close to, but
not through, the villages of Nether
Heyford, Bugbrooke and Gayton.
Although the Canal passes through
a rural landscape in agricultural use,
along the line of the Canal are working
boatyards, various businesses
associated with the Canal, modern
marinas, public houses (two), working
farms, and residential property; some
of it located in converted warehouses
or other Canal-related buildings. Of
special note are the many narrow
boats which use the Canal for
recreational purposes with, at least in
high summer, a fairly constant flow of
boats in either direction. Of note are:
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | CHARACTER AREAS | page 29
»» The two public houses - The
Narrowboat Public House at
Stowehill, and The Wharf Inn,
Bugbrooke, a much extended
historic building which is now a
very popular public house
»» The small moorings at Stowehill
including a boatyard (Stowehill
Workshop) and Rugbyboats,
selling logs and coal
»» A further moorings, slightly larger,
at High House Wharf, Stowehill
»» A caravan club certified site for five
pitches on the edge of the Canal at
Whitehall Farm
»» The various activities at High
House Wharf, Nether Heyford
including a boat painters and
signwriters (Spiderworks)
»» The very large Heyford Fields
Marina, between Nether Heyford
and Bugbrooke
Figure 67: Canal-related commercial
activities at Stowehill
Landscape setting and views
Listed buildings (all grade II)
The Canal follows the 90 metre
contour for most of this route, often on
an embankment which overlooks the
valley of the River Nene to the northeast, with rising land above the Canal
to the south and west, containing the
views. There is a cutting at Bugbrooke
where the land rises slightly. The
landscape is mainly open, with long
views to the north and east although
in the summer these are contained by
the thick hawthorn hedge which lines
most of the towpath which in this part
of the Canal runs along the north and
eastern sides. Of note are the various
footpaths which lead off the adjoining
fields from the towpath, which for most
of this length is a simple earth-beaten
grassy footway.
Full descriptions are included in
Appendix 2.
To the south and west, the
opportunities for views are more
varied, as sometimes they are
prevented by large groups of trees.
In some places along this side, the
fields come right down to the edge
of the Canal without any physical
boundaries, so there are very pleasant
longer views over the fields which
in this section are mainly used for
growing crops. The site of the former
Bugbrooke Gas Works lies to the north
of Bridge No 35 (Elliott’s Bridge), but
the buildings have been demolished
and no evidence of their past
presence remains.
»» Bridge No 27
»» Simon’s Cottage, Nether Heyford
»» Bridge No 33
»» Bridge No 42
»» Bridge No 43
»» Bridge No 45
»» Bridge No 47 – the ‘turnover’
bridge where horses could change
from one side of the Canal to
another
»» Milepost, junction of the Grand
Union Canal and the Northampton Arm
Figure 69: Detail of the Turnover Bridge
(Bridge No 47)
Other significant buildings
and features (from north
to south)
»» The Narrowboat Public House,
Stowehill
»» Sluices at Bridge No 27
»» Whitehall Farm Barn, Stowehill,
with its ‘stripy’ stone elevations
»» High House Wharf, Nether Heyford,
which still retains its character as a
19th century working wharf
Figure 58: Bridge No 27 at Flore Lane Wharf
»» Swingbridge House, Nether
Heyford, and the remains nearby
of the old abutments to the bridge
(now gone)
»» Cast iron mileage posts – some
provided by private sponsors with
plates recording this sponsorship
next to the posts
»» Heyford Wharf, with its collection
of Canal-related buildings and
surviving ‘working’ buildings
including a coal yard, boat
supplies, and farm
»» The adjoining buildings associated
with the railway, former brickyard
and former iron furnace
»» Bridge No 34 – Bugbrooke Bridge
– a c1800 red brick bridge with
later repairs*
»» Bridge No 41 – c1800 with modern repairs*
»» Views of dominant power lines in
the surrounding countryside
»» The farmhouse and adjoining red
brick warehouse at Anchor Farm*
- forms a group with the adjoining
grade II listed Bridge No 43 (the
remains of the tunnel used to
roll the barrels of beer from the
Canal to the pub cellar can still be
seen – the beer came from Phipps
Brewery in Northampton)
»» The loss of architectural features
and traditional roofing materials
*suggestions for local listing – see
Appendix 3
»» Graffiti on the road bridge (Banbury
Lane) next to Anchor Farm, just
north of Gayton
»» The need to repair and maintain
bridges, such as Bridge No 33
which is listed grade II
»» Some of the very large modern
buildings associated with the
modern marinas
Figure 72: Swanleigh House, Bugbrooke
»» Bridge No 35 – Elliotts Bridge – a similar red brick bridge in poor condition
Northampton Arm
»» The Old Crown, Bugbrooke,
next to Bridge No 35, now in residential use
»» The group of buildings around
The Wharf Inn, Bugbrooke, and
the Inn itself - although most of
the buildings are modern, some
historic features remain
Figure 70: High House Wharf, Nether Heyford
Unsympathetic features
and issues
»» Swanleigh House, next to The
Wharf Inn, Bugbrooke*
»» A certain amount of modern
development in the Stowehill area
»» Bridge No 38 – red brick and
limestone – c1800 in very poor condition*
»» Bridge No 40 – c1800 stone
and brick with probably 1930s
engineering brick repairs
Figure 73: Warehouse at Anchor Farm
Figure 71: Former farm buildings, now a
house, at Heyford Wharf
»» Some of the Canal-side buildings
date to the 19th century but
residential conversion has meant
that they have lost much of their
original character
»» Impressive line of working locks, all
grade II listed, in good condition
»» The two drawbridges, although
only one of them is currently listed
»» The other archaeological features
around the Canal which relate to
the functioning of the locks – the
balancing ponds next to each lock,
the holding pounds (where water
was stored and boats waited to
pass through to the next lock), the
spillways, the mooring posts, and
the hoards of stop planks
»» The falling topography as the
Canal drops slowly down towards
Northampton
its 17th century Manor House to the
north, and the village of Milton Malsor
to the south.
»» The long views out to the west over
fields and groups of mature trees
History
»» The wild meadow and bulrushes
close to Locks 10 and 11
The Leicestershire and
Northamptonshire Union received its
Act of Parliament on 1793, the same
day as the Grand Union Canal but work
to build the new Canal from Leicester
down into Northampton progressed
spasmodically and then stopped. This
resulted in pressure to extend the Grand
Union Canal northwards into the town,
but by 1800 the Blisworth Tunnel was
still not complete and communications
limited to the Blisworth Hill railway.
Meanwhile the River Nene Navigation
had improved communications to the
sea. As a temporary measure, rails
and sleepers from the now redundant
Blisworth Railway were used to build a
horse railway between Blisworth and
Northampton. This was opened in 1805.
Eventually this was replaced with a
proper canal, built between 1812 and
1815, but it was built as a ‘narrow’ canal
and never widened.
»» The attractive towpath and public
seating area close to Northampton
with its public art
»» Fishermen and people walking
their dogs
Figure 74: The Northampton Arm
Location
This section of the Canal
stretches from Blisworth Junction
to Northampton, a distance of
around two miles, passing under
the M1 motorway where South
Northamptonshire District ends.
It passes the medieval village of
Rothersthorpe, with its 13th century
Church of St Peter and St Paul and
Uses
The Northampton Arm of the Canal
passes through a rural landscape
although this is heavily compromised
by the close proximity of two very
busy roads, the A43 and the M1. This
causes considerable noise pollution.
The Canal commences at Blisworth
Junction, which retains one of the
best preserved group of Canal-side
buildings in South Northamptonshire
(Gayton Yard). This is owned by the
Canals and Rivers Trust and is leased
to a business which uses some of the
buildings, although some are vacant.
It passes underneath a minor road
where it is immediately somewhat
over-whelmed by Gayton Marina,
the largest marina in the District.
Otherwise, the land on either side is
used for agriculture.
Figure 76: The Canal where it passes
underneath the slip road to the M1 motorway
Figure 75: Gayton Marina
The many locks along this section of
the Canal, and its location, mean that
it is not used as frequently for boating
as the main section of the Grand Union
Canal. Apart from one very extended
canal-side cottage, this section of the
Canal is not close to farm groups or
other buildings. Closer to Northampton,
there is evidence of leisure-related
activities with public art and places to
sit, although the cavenous ‘tunnel’,
where the Canal passes underneath
the M1, is covered in graffiti and is not
very people-friendly.
Figure 77: View along the Canal showing
the large groups of trees
The Canal drops from around
90 metres to around 70 metres,
necessitating the provision of 13 locks,
most of which lie within the South
Northamptonshire section. For most
of this length, there are long views
westwards across the Canal towards
open country and large stands of
trees, particularly closer to the M1.
To the immediate east, there is little
sense of space as the A43 follows the
line of the Canal towards Northampton
and is located on an embankment
which effectively cuts off any views.
to south)
»» The medieval ridge and furrow
field system between the lane in
Blisworth Junction and the A43
These listed locks form a dramatic
group of closely-related locks which
cascade down the hill towards the
town of Northampton. They were all
completed by 1815. Full descriptions
are included in Appendix 2.
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Lock 1
Top Lock Cottage
Lock 2
Lock 3
Lock 4
Lock 5
Bridge No 5 – drawbridge
Lock 6
Lock 7
Lock 8
Lock 9
Lock 10
Lock 11
Lock 12
»» The group of buildings, all probably
built in the early 19th century, at
Blisworth Junction, particularly the
following:
• The Old Toll House – an early
19th century red brick house
built in Flemish bond, three
bays wide, axial stacks, and
slate roof, which may have been
built for the yard manager*
• The buildings of Gayton
Yard – the former stables,
‘The Cottage’ and the other
outbuildings around the
courtyard – a good collection
of single storey workshops,
smithy and stables with notable
cast iron windows – all probably
early 19th century*
• Bridge No 3 c1815 with
engineering brick repairs*
• Bridge No 4 c1815 – well
preserved red brick bridge*
• Drawbridge next to Lock 10
• The activity generated by the
narrowboats and boat-related
businesses at Blisworth Junction
Appendix 3
Figure 81: The Canal passes underneath
the M1 motorway
and issues
»» Noise from the traffic on the A43
and the M1
»» Unsympathetic extensions to listed
buildings
»» Damage to Bridge No 3 due to
large lorries passing over it
Figure 79: Gayton Yard
»» Graffiti on the walls of the
underpass to the M1
»» A rather intimidating atmosphere in
this part of the Conservation Area
• Arm Farm, Arm Farm Cottage,
and Navigation Cottage –
somewhat altered but probably
early 19th century*
• Bridge No 2 c1815 with
engineering brick repairs of 1912*
Figure 78: The Drawbridge (Bridge No 5)
• Small outbuilding next to Lock 1
with chimney – possibly a lockkeeper’s hut
From Blisworth
Junction to
Blisworth
railway line is a notable intrusion in
this part of the Conservation Area,
crossing the Canal just to the east
of Blisworth Junction at Bridge No
48b. This railway line is a busy main
line with frequent high-speed trains
whipping past.
»» Attractive stretches of gently
undulating Canal, some of it
contained by dense woodland
»» The boats and other canal-related
activities along the Canal
History
Figure 82: The Canal between Blisworth
Junction and Blisworth
»» Tranquil stretches of water with
varied wildlife
»» The thriving village of Blisworth,
part of which is a designated
Conservation Area
»» The group of canal-related
buildings at the western end
of the High Street, particularly
Blisworth Mill, the largest and most
impressive building of its type in
»» The other historic buildings which
make up the core of the historic
village of Blisworth
»» The dramatic entrance into
Blisworth Tunnel – the north portal
Figure 83: Blisworth Mill on ‘Canal
Weekend’ In August 2013
Location
This relatively small Character Area
lies to the south-west of Northampton
and continues the line of the Stowehill
to Blisworth section of the Canal
through open countryside between
Blisworth Junction, on through
Blisworth village, and as far as the
north portal of Blisworth Tunnel, a
distance of about two miles. The
The section of the Canal from Braunston
to Blisworth was begun in 1793 and
completed by 1796. Various industries
developed along the line of the Canal
with Blisworth becoming an important
focal point for activity, particularly after
the Canal to Northampton was opened
in 1815. A large station also operated
from Blisworth Junction after the mid19th century. The former Sun Moon and
Stars Inn was built on land purchased
by J Linnett from the Grafton Estate and
was initially used to house labourers
who worked on building the Canal. The
side elevation retains a date plaque ‘JL
1793’. It appears to lie on the site of
the former Chequer Inn, a 17th century
building destroyed by fire in the early
18th century. The large brick warehouse
(Blisworth Mill) on the opposite side of
the Canal was built in 1879, and used
as a bonded warehouse, a storage
centre for the Canal company, and
eventually as a spice mill. Past Canalusers remember how they would
realise that they were drawing close to
Blisworth by the smell of cloves, nutmeg
and other spices. It has now been
converted into apartments.
Uses
Blisworth is one of the District’s larger
villages which retains a number of
facilities including a public house, a
primary school, several shops, and
a church. A small marina (Blisworth
Marina) lies close to the junction with
the Northampton Arm. The Canal is
much used by walkers and boat users
with several permitted areas for boat
mooring. Illustrated boards entitled
‘Blisworth Heritage Walks’ provide
useful information about the locality.
On leaving Blisworth Junction, views
from the Canal are constrained by
the more modern built-up area on the
south side of the Junction, as well
as by areas of trees and shrubbery.
After this, the land rises to the south
of the Canal, providing long views
across open fields and around areas
of woodland. Views northwards are
constrained by a continuous hedge
along the back of the towpath. Within
Blisworth village, the land rises gently
up the High Street from the Canal,
past The Old Rectory and St John
the Baptist Church, and there are
pleasant but limited views along this
street, which are framed by the stone
and brick properties on either side of
the road. To the south of Blisworth,
the Canal follows the contour around
the hillside and enters a long, gently
curving cut into the rising land to the
south-east from where it eventually
»» Bridge No 50* Candle Bridge – an
original bridge somewhat altered
disappears into the Blisworth Tunnel
north portal about half a mile from
the village. This section of Canal,
with its dense enclosure of mature
trees, is described as one of the most
picturesque parts of the Grand Union
Canal throughout its whole length.
Two cast iron property boundary
markers for the Grand Junction Canal
Company lie in the adjoining field.
»» Nos 66, 68 and 72 High Street,
which form a group with No 64 –
modest cottages which probably
date to the mid-19th century
»» Bridge No 51 in Blisworth – an
older bridge and has been doubled
in size in the 20th century*
Figure 86: The former Sun, Moon and
Stars Public House, Blisworth
Figure 89: Boundary marker south
of Blisworth
Appendix 2.
»» Warehouse next to Blisworth Mill
»» Blisworth Mill, including the former
Engine Room and Office
Figure 84: TThe Canal between Blisworth
village and the north portal of the Tunnel
»» Grafton House (and its farm
buildings)
»» No 64 High Street, the former Sun,
Moon and Stars Public House
to south)
»» The former ‘leggers’ hut’ at the
north portal into the Blisworth
Tunnel – a plain functional brick
box with a pitched tiled roof
Appendix 3
and issues
»» The poor condition of key buildings
in the Conservation Area
»» Noise from the A43 and the
adjoining railway line
»» New development on the side of
the Canal in Blisworth
»» Bridge No 48 dated 1912*
»» The abutments of the old railway
line close to Bridge No 48a
Figure 85: Blisworth Mill and
Pickfords Wharf
Figure 88: Former ‘leggers’ hut’ at
entrance to Blisworth Tunnel
»» Bridge No 49 (possibly 1912)*
Blisworth Tunnel
number of features, such as air shafts,
spoil heaps and buildings which are
considered to have special historic
interest because of their relationship
with the Tunnel below.
History
»» The north and south portals into
Blisworth Tunnel
»» Historic landscape with features
relating to the Tunnel below – spoil
heaps and air shafts
»» A notable historic farm group at
Stone Works Farm, which dates
to 1821 and was used to prepare
stone from local quarries to ship
down the Canal
Figure 91: Stoke Road and one of the
ventilation shafts
»» The line of the former tramway
through the woods which drops
down the hill towards Stoke
Bruerne
Figure 92: One of the spoil heaps on the
west side of Stoke Road
Location
Figure 90: View up towards Stoke Road
This part of the Conservation Area lies
between Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne.
The Conservation Area boundary has
been drawn to include features and
buildings of architectural or historic
interest which are associated with
the Canal. Whilst the Canal itself is
hidden by the Tunnel, which is nearly
two miles long, above ground are a
Much of the land between Blisworth
and Cosgrove forms part of the
Northampton Estates of the Dukes of
Grafton which included the manor at
Grafton Regis, one of the favourite
hunting grounds of Henry VIII. The
Manor, along with a new title, was
given by Charles II to his illegitimate
son in 1675. Three of the adjoining
farmsteads are definitely linked to
the expansion of agriculture under
the various Dukes of Grafton in the
early and mid-19th century which
encompassed around 20 of the local
parishes including Blisworth and
Cosgrove.
The Tunnel was built between 1802
and 1805 after delays caused by the
geology which resulted in the tunnel
being flooded. To the north, close to
the north portal into the Tunnel, Stone
Works Farm was opened in 1821
and was also in the ownership of the
Grafton Estate. It processed locally
quarried limestone which could then
be transported along the Canal to
other sites.
Uses
The area is in agricultural and
residential uses, with some
commercial uses, primarily at
Blisworth Hill Farm (just outside the
Conservation Area), where some of
the former agricultural buildings have
been converted into offices.
The most notable feature of this area
is the gently undulating topography
forming a plateau on a small hill (height
around 130 metres above sea level)
through which the Tunnel was cut.
The land is in mixed use – grazing,
woodland and arable crops. The
modern road (Stoke Road) which
crosses the hill, and links Blisworth
to Stoke Bruerne, follows in part the
line of the old tramway which was
the temporary connection before the
Tunnel was completed, apart from
in the south, where it cuts through
woodland. There are short views
from this road across the fields but in
many places the road is contained by
woodland or thick hedging, so these
views are relatively limited. The most
notable features along the road are the
‘hillocks’ created by the spoil heaps
from the Tunnel workings, and the
seven remaining air shafts, six of which
were added to the existing single air
shaft in 1861. Of these shafts, the first
shaft on leaving Blisworth is particularly
prominent as it lies immediately
adjacent to the road in an open field.
to south)
»» The footpaths and other public
spaces which allow access to the
Canal
»» The activity generated by the
Waterways Museum and the two
public houses
»» The north portal into the Tunnel
close to Blisworth*
»» The seven air shafts to the Tunnel,
built from brick and mainly dating
to 1861*
Figure 93: Stoke Road ventilation shaft
»» Buttermilk Hall Farm, a long row
of limestone barns, probably
19th century (just outside the
Conservation Area)
»» The line of the former tramway
through the woods (now a public
footpath) into Stoke Bruerne
»» The abutments to the former
railway bridge, visible from the
public footpath through the woods
Figure 94: South portal to Blisworth
Tunnel and former stables
Appendix 3
and issues
»» The poor condition of some of the
air shafts
Stoke Bruerne
»» The wooded hillside and the
dramatic south portal to the
Blisworth Tunnel
Appendix 2.
»» The attractive village setting to the
Canal, including the designated
Stoke Bruerne Conservation Area
»» Stone Works Farmhouse and
attached outbuilding, Blisworth
Stoke Road c1821
»» The south portal to the Tunnel is grade II listed, but not the north portal
Figure 96: Public footpath to Stoke Bruerne
»» The many historic buildings which
surround the Canal
Figure 95: Buttermilk Hall Farm barns
»» The out-standing group of locks
which commence in the village and
run southwards towards Cosgrove
Figure 97: Locks to the south of
Stoke Bruerne
Location
Stoke Bruerne is located about five
miles to the east of Towcester close to
the A508 which connects Old Stratford
to the north of Milton Keynes with
Northampton.
History
Stoke Bruerne is mentioned in
the Domesday Survey and was
a medieval village of some size.
Agriculture remained the principal
activity for centuries although lace
making was also important in the
18th century. The Canal was built
through the village between 1796 and
1800 when the connection through
to Brentford in London was made.
The locks on the south side of Stoke
Bruerne were built soon afterwards,
and the new Tunnel through the hill
between the village and Blisworth
was opened in 1805. There was once
a large brickworks to the south-west
of the village but this is now an open
green space which is a designated
wildlife reserve, and has been left
to overgrow to encourage wildlife,
particularly the barn owls which can
be seen hunting in this area. Lower
Lock Farm on the south side of Stoke
Bruerne, next to the Canal, was
formerly part of the Grafton Estate
– the layout of the farm buildings is
similar, on a lesser scale, to that of the
model farm buildings built between
1839 and 1844 for the 4th Duke of
Grafton, as part of a large programme
of agricultural improvements. The
locks were duplicated in 1835 in an
attempt to reduce journey times with
the onset of competition from the
railways; repaired and altered in the
1860s, and then again upgraded in the
early 20th century, hence the dates
which can be seen on many of them.
Figure 99: The Canal between the south
portal and Stoke Bruerne
Uses
Stoke Bruerne is a very small
village with two public houses (The
Boat Inn and The Navigation, both
by the Canal) and some tourismrelated businesses, particularly The
Waterways Museum, located in a
former corn mill on the north-east side
of the Canal. The medieval Church
of St Mary’s is a little distance from
the busy ‘hub’ which is created by
the Canal with its locks, museum,
inns, pleasant views and boat-related
activities. The most striking feature of
the area is the long line of locks which
stretches southwards from Stoke
Bruerne towards Cosgrove, all of
which are grade II listed.
Figure 98: Historic buildings face the
Canal in Stoke Bruerne
The land rises quite steeply from the
village to the north, and is heavily
wooded, containing views. To the
south, their aspect is more open and
there are longer views from the Canal
towpath but only once the village
envelope is left behind. The field on
the north side of the Canal where it
leaves the village marks the location
of the original tunnel entrance, which
failed and was started further west,
and the Rectory fishponds, which
were cut off when the Canal was
constructed necessitating a bridge to
be provided for the rector, now gone
but marked by a narrowing of the
Canal cut. Here the land suddenly
rises very sharply to the north, so the
views up this field are constrained by
the rising topography.
»» Lock No 18
»» Lock No 19
»» Lock No 20 Stoke Bottom Lock
»» Lower Lock Farm and associated
farm buildings
»» Cottages Nos 140 and 141
Full descriptions are included at
Appendix 2.
»» The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne
»» Hoperidge Cottage, Stoke Bruerne
»» Canal House, Stoke Bruerne
»» Bridge No 53, Stoke Bruerne
»» Waterways Museum, Stoke
Bruerne
»» Lock No 14, Stoke Top Lock
»» Lock No 15
»» Lock No 16
Figure 101: Cottages Nos 140 and 141
»» Lock No 17
to south)
»» The various historical engineering
features around the Canal which
relate to the functioning of the locks
– the pair of balancing ponds next
to each lock, the holding pounds
(where water was stored and boats
waited to pass through to the next
lock), the spillways, the straping
posts by the locks, the bollards,
and the sets of stop planks
»» The evidence for the 1830s
dualling of all of the locks, with
the lost locks being indicated by
the wider pounds and wide grass
verges on the north east side of the
Canal
»» The former brickworks site
»» A former blacksmith’s forge and
stables near the tunnel, the
Leggers’ Hut in the centre of the
village and the two Canal-related
buildings below Bottom Lock 20 – a
small pump-house and a general
purpose building used for Canal
maintenance
»» The group of cottages next to the
Waterways Museum (Nos 1, 2, 3,
4 and 5), which are built from red
brick or limestone with shallow
slate roofs*
»» The Navigation Inn, a substantial
two storey building constructed
from local limestone with concrete
tiled roof*
Stoke Bruerne
»» Canal Cottage, a red brick Gothicstyle cottage dating to 1897 with a
concrete tiled roof*
»» The small single storey red brick
building next to Lock 20, probably
dating to the 1920s
»» The side ponds are being managed
to encourage wildlife
Appendix 3
»» The gently winding Canal,
meandering along the contour
through a largely rural setting
»» Tranquil character with little
outside noise
»» Attractive landscape of trees and
fields, mostly used for growing wheat
»» The River Tove valley, which is
overlooked by the Canal for much
of this Character Area
»» Cottage No 142 next to Lock 16,
which is dated 1869, which is the
same time the lock was repaired*
»» The brick outbuilding, called The
Old Stables, next to the south
portal of the Tunnel
»» Wharf Cottage, Stoke Bruerne –
early 19th century brick and stone
cottage with slate roofs*
Stoke Bruerne to
Cosgrove
»» The open green space to the north
of the Waterways Museum, the
location of a former wharf
»» Notable bridges, mostly c1800
although only one (Bridge No 63)
is listed
Figure 104: Side ponds information board
and issues
»» Some unused or underused
historic buildings
»» Two 1920s bridges, also of interest
(Nos 61 and 62)
»» The best preserved group of
historic buildings are at Old Wharf
Farm, near Yardley Gobion
»» The future of the Dry Lock
Figure 102: Cottages Nos1-5 next to
the Museum
Otherwise, it is considered that there
are no obvious negative features or
issues in this Character Area. For
further information please refer to
the Stoke Bruerne Conservation
Management Plan.
Figure 105: The Canal between Stoke
Bruerne and Yardley Gobion
where there are also storage ponds
and a pumping station.
History
This stretch of the Canal was
completed in c1800 and the locks to
Stoke Bruerne were opened soon
afterwards. The completion of the
Blisworth Tunnel to the north in 1805
provided the final link between London
and Coventry. Of note is the close
proximity of Grafton Regis, home of
the ‘White Queen’ and later part of the
extensive Northamptonshire estates
of the various Dukes of Grafton who
were based at Wakefield Lawn,
Potterspury..
Figure 106: A weir to the south of Stoke
Bruerne overflows into the River Tove below
Location
This is the longest Character Area
and stretches some seven miles from
south of Stoke Bruerne to the village
of Cosgrove. Whilst the immediate
setting to the Canal is rural, the Canal
passes close to the villages of Grafton
Regis and Yardley Gobion, its tall
church spire providing an important
focal point in views across the Tove
valley. The proximity of the Tove was
useful as it provided a much-needed
source of water for the Canal, and a
feeder stream from the Tove into the
Canal is still evident at Lower Lock
Farm (Lock 20) in Stoke Bruerne,
Uses
This Character Area sits within open
countryside used for mixed farming,
particularly the growing of arable
crops. There are two modern marinas,
neither of any great size – the
Kingfisher Marina, close to Yardley
Gobion, and Thrupp Wharf Marina,
next to the Navigation Inn.
This part of the Canal lies within the
River Tove valley. The Canal largely
follows the 75 metre contour, so it
curves gently around the undulating
hillside which drops from the southwest to the north-east towards the
valley of the River Tove. The Canal
crosses the River Tove close to Lower
Lock Farm near Stoke Bruerne, and
then continues on an embankment
just above the Tove for nearly one
mile, after which the Tove bends away
from the Canal for a while. The Canal
then continues on a slightly higher
level than the river into Cosgrove.
The slightly elevated position of the
Canal means that there are many long
views over the River Tove valley as
well as shorter views in the opposite
direction up the slope to the southwest. Of interest is the noticeable
widening of the Canal to the west of
Thrupp Wharf. Hawthorn hedging
and large areas of mature woodland
in many locations tend to frame or
constrain views, but this is a positive
feature. Within this section are two
under Canal culverts, built of brick with
fine elliptical tunnels – one just to the
north of Yardley Wharf and the other
to the south of Isworth Farm.
Appendix 2.
»» Bridge No 58, Grafton Regis
»» Bridge No 63, next to Isworth Farm
»» Old Wharf Farm and adjoining
stables (the former Navigation Inn)
Figure 107: Side Bridge No 58,
Grafton Regis
Figure 108: Old Wharf Farm and Bridge
No 60
to south)
»» The elevated embankment to
the immediate south of Stoke
Bruerne locks which contains the
towpath overlooking the River Tove
immediately below
»» Weirs, sluice gates and overflows
into the River Tove
»» Bridge No 61 – blue brick
abutments with steel deck –
‘accommodation’ bridge for farming
– dated 1926*
»» Bridge No 56 – c1800 – red brick
with stone dressings*
»» Bridge No 57 – c1800 red brick
with blue engineering brick arches
and parapets*
Cosgrove, parts of which are already
designated as conservation areas
»» The 18th century grade II listed
Cosgrove Hall and its parkland
setting, which the Canal abuts
»» Bridge No 62 – blue brick with steel
deck (similar to Bridge No 61) –
dated 1924*
»» Just past the lane to Grafton
Regis, there is a weir and other
water management equipment
connecting to the River Tove, with
a brick wall dated 1900
with stone to arch, repaired using
blue brick and dated 1924*
»» The complex of historic buildings at
Old Wharf Farm, next to Kingfisher
Marina, some of which are listed
»» Weighbridge at Old Wharf Farm,
Yardley Gobion, marked ‘H
and in the 1980s was restored to
working order – it is operated from
a weighing room inside Old Wharf
Farm*
»» The collection of historic buildings,
mostly early 19th century but also
some which pre-date the canal, in
the village centre
»» Isworth Farm, next to Bridge No
63 – stone with red brick dressings
and pitched slate roofs – all
restored and upgraded – could be
19th century?
Thrupp Wharf
»» The Navigation Inn at Thrupp
Wharf, probably early 19th century
but very altered and extended
and issues
Appendix 3
historic bridges
»» The quality and scale of modern
buildings are out of context with the
character of the area
»» The generally rundown appearance
of some of the historic buildings
and structures in the area
»» Bridge No 60 at Old Wharf Farm,
Yardley Gobion – c1800 but heavily
rebuilt using blue bricks in 1936
(dated)*
»» Single storey outbuilding next to
Bridge No 60 – stone and brick –
probably a store (in curtilage of Old
Wharf Farm)
»» Some fine mature trees in
Cosgrove village, in the parkland
for Cosgrove Hall, and to either
side of the high embankment
leading down to the River Great
Ouse
»» The dramatic line of the Canal
between Cosgrove and the Iron
Trunk Aqueduct of 1811
»» The Aqueduct and its elevated
position overlooking the River
Great Ouse
»» A pair of ‘cattle creeps’ under the
Canal, either side of the Iron Trunk
Aqueduct
Cosgrove to the
River Great Ouse
»» Attractive curving line of the Canal
passing through the historic village of
Figure 112: The Canal at Cosgrove
Figure 113: The western entrance to the
Horse Tunnel, Cosgrove
Location
Cosgrove is a small village located to
the north of Old Wolverton, now part
of the modern town of Milton Keynes.
The village lies in a rural setting close
to the junction of the Rivers Tove and
Great Ouse. The Canal passes right
through the village, following the 75ft
contour as it curves around rising land
to the north.
History
Cosgrove retains an early 13th
century church dedicated to St Peter
and St Paul. The largest house in the
area is Cosgrove Hall, which dates to
the early 18th century. This looks out
over a picturesque parkland of open
grazing and mature trees towards
the Canal which winds around its
south-eastern boundary. The owner of
another significant house, The Priory,
paid for the stunning Gothic bridge,
which he could see from his land.
Cosgrove became quite industrialised
when the two arms of the Canal,
from Braunston in the north, and
Brentford in the south, were finally
joined up just outside the village in
1800. This required the blocking-up
of the existing historic route through
the centre of the village (The Stocks)
and the construction of a new road
(Bridge Road) and bridge (Bridge No
65) on the north edge of the village.
A small horse tunnel was provided
under the Canal on the line of The
Stocks to enable some movement
of animals and people in the village
centre. Initially, the Canal dropped
down the slope from Cosgrove over
the River Great Ouse via a series of
locks, but these proved to be too slow
and difficult, so eventually in 1811
a cast iron aqueduct was built over
the river at high level, with the Canal
being brought down from Cosgrove
on a high embankment. By 1827 brick
kilns and a paper mill had been built in
the village and a large brewery soon
followed which can still be seen next
to the Canal.
Uses
Cosgrove is a small village which
has been extended in the 20th
century. At the centre of the village,
which is already a designated
Conservation Area, is St Peter and
St Paul’s Church with Cosgrove Hall
close by. The village also retains
a public house, the Barley Mow,
a 17th century former farmhouse,
and a modern primary school. The
extensive former gravel works
below the village have now been
landscaped with large open lakes and
smaller ponds to form the Cosgrove
Leisure Park, and there is also a large
hotel (the Cosgrove Lodge Hotel) in
the east part of the village.
reaching the River Great Ouse, where
it passes over the river at high level
via the iron aqueduct. These changes
in level allow long views along the
Canal and particularly fine views from
the aqueduct itself, which is accessed
via the towpath. These views take
in the heavily wooded Cosgrove
Leisure Park below the towpath on the
north side, and the equally wooded
embankment to the south, concealing
the remains of the earlier locks which
were made redundant once the
aqueduct was built.
Listed buildings
Appendix 2.
Figure 114: Cosgrove village with
Cosgrove Hall parkland beyond
Within the village, views are
constrained by the buildings and the
relatively flat topography. Towards the
south, as the Canal passes by the
parkland of Cosgrove Hall, there are
very good views across the parkland
to the Hall and also to the listed, but
ruinous, former ice house. The very
fine parkland trees in this area are of
note. The Canal then carries on into
the Old Stratford Arm or turns and
runs in a straight line in a south-east
direction on a high embankment until
»» Cosgrove contains the only
grade II* listed building in the
Conservation Area – the very
finely detailed Gothic bridge over
the Canal (Bridge No 65, also
called Solmon’s Bridge) which
dates to 1800
»» The Horse Tunnel, underneath the
Grand Union Canal – an unusual
late 18th century aqueduct carrying
the Canal over a horseshoeshaped tunnel – grade II
»» The Barley Mow Public House,
grade II
and features
»» Bridge House, No 40 Bridge
Road – a two storey stone house
located close to the Canal and
presumably built as part of the road
improvements of c1800 – it retains
a date plaque of 1804*
»» The various stone and brick
buildings which are close to the
Canal in the centre of Cosgrove,
most of which appear to date to
the construction of the Canal in
c1800, although they have been
somewhat altered
Figure 115: View from Cosgrove to
Old Wolverton
»» The former brewery next to the
Canal, Cosgrove – a substantial
stone and red brick range of
buildings which have been
converted into residential use*
Figure 116: Solmon’s Bridge (Bridge No 65)
Scheduled monuments
Cosgrove contains two scheduled
monuments – the site of a Roman villa,
which straddles the Old Stratford Arm
of the Canal close to Cosgrove Hall,
and the Wolverton iron trunk aqueduct,
built in 1811 as the fourth attempt by
the canal company to cross the River
Great Ouse. This is the oldest iron
trough aqueduct in the country.
»» Nos 1 and 2 Lock Cottages,
Cosgrove, although somewhat
altered – note the roof slates laid in
diminishing courses
»» The adjoining Lock 21, which is not
listed*
»» The public area around Lock 21
with seating and direction posts
Appendix 3
Figure 117: Bridge House, Cosgrove
Figure 118: Old Stratford Arm
and issues
Location
historic buildings including Bridge
No 65
»» The various pipe lines which
straddle the Canal at Cosgrove
Hall park
Old Stratford Arm
»» Secluded peaceful stretch of
watered and dried-up Canal
»» The gently curving line of the old
Canal, passing through wooded
and more open countryside
»» Long views out over fields of corn
and maize
The Old Stratford Arm joins the Grand
Union Canal at Cosgrove to Old
Stratford, which lies on the old Roman
road of Watling Street. Old Stratford
is an historic settlement, although
now surrounded by 20th century
housing, and despite being separated
from Stony Stratford (now part of
Milton Keynes) by some open green
space, the River Great Ouse, and the
Stony Stratford Nature Reserve, Old
Stratford retains few distinguishing
features. The Canal, which is only
just over one mile long, reaches Old
Stratford and is truncated at the A5.
This is the end of the Conservation
Area. Beyond this point, through the
settlement, the route of the Canal can
barely be traced due to 20th century
house building and other interventions.
History
The Old Stratford Arm is just over one
mile long and was built in1800. The
second section, a further ten miles
from Old Stratford to Buckingham
(the Buckingham Arm) was built
immediately after this and opened
in 1801. The funding for the second
section came from the Duke of
Buckingham, although it was only
sufficient to provide a narrow canal
capable of taking a single narrowboat
at a time. This lack of capacity always
impeded trade and the last full load
was carried to Buckingham in 1888.
By 1900 all trade to Buckingham
had ceased although trade as far as
Maids Moreton Mill, halfway between
Leckhampstead and Buckingham,
carried on in a somewhat desultory
way until the 1930s. The Arm was
officially abandoned in 1964. In 1992
the Buckingham Canal Society was
formed, its principal aims being to reopen the Canal between Cosgrove and
Buckingham, and to encourage public
use and appreciation of the Canal.
a suitable environment for a wide
variety of animals and invertebrates.
This land on either side is used for
mixed farming or for woodland. There
are no buildings of any note on or near
this part of the Canal.
Figure 119: The view south-east from
the Canal
almost parallel to the line of the
River Great Ouse which lies a little
distance to the south. For much of the
route, the Canal is contained by thick
woodland or stands of trees on either
one or sometimes both sides, but it
opens up periodically to allow long
views over the surrounding fields.
Uses
Only part of this section of Canal is
navigable, namely the first 100 yards
or so closest to the junction at Lock
21 at Cosgrove. This is used for
permanent moorings and is relatively
full with a variety of boats. Beyond
this, the water has dried up and the
route of the Canal through open
countryside is marked by lines of
trees and a deep usually overgrown
depression, some of which has water
in it, promoting the growth of reeds
and other aquatic plants and providing
Figure 121: The line of the dry Canal towards Old Stratford
Listed buildings
Figure 120: The Old Stratford Arm
There are no listed buildings.
and features
The Canal follows a gently curving
route from Cosgrove along the 75ft
contour towards Old Stratford, running
»» The only built feature is the
remains of a sluice gate built from
blue brick, so probably dating
to the early 20th century, about
halfway along the Canal pathway
»» Various information boards
provided by the Buckingham
Canal Society
and issues
»» The possible restoration of the
Canal as far as Old Stratford,
or beyond
»» Domestic paraphernalia
associated with moored boats.
7. Boundary Justification
7.1Boundary
justification
Section 69 of the Planning (Listed
Buildings and Conservation Areas)
Act 1990 places a duty on Local
Planning Authorities to designate
as conservation areas any ‘areas of
special architectural or historic interest
the character and appearance of which
it is desirable to preserve or enhance’.
It is the quality of the area rather
than the individual buildings which
should be the prime consideration in
identifying conservation areas. It is
also important that the concept is not
devalued by designating areas lacking
any special interest.
7.2 Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area
boundary
Whilst conservation areas are more
usually associated with historic towns
or villages, in more recent years
there has been growing interest
in designating areas of industrial
heritage such as the tin-mining
villages of Cornwall or the cotton mill
towns of Lancashire. Canals are also
being reassessed and in many parts
of Great Britain, have already been
designated as conservation areas
including stretches of the Grand
Union Canal in Daventry District
and Leicestershire. The designation
of the Grand Union Canal in South
Northamptonshire is therefore
considered to be long overdue and
will help complete the designation
of the majority of the canal network
throughout the country.
»» The boundary will include land
which was formerly in use for
a canal-related activity such as
wharfs, brickyards, quarries, and
other industrial sites, where these
remain in a recognisable form
A small part of the Grand Union
Canal in South Northamptonshire
was initially surveyed and based on
the outcomes of this survey work
the following criteria were developed
to enable a new conservation area
boundary to be suggested which is
both consistent and accurate in its
inclusion of buildings, landscape and
other features of ‘special interest’.
These criteria are:
»» Where possible, the boundary will
follow existing physical boundaries
»» Where the canal passes through
open countryside, the boundary will
encompass the hedge or boundary
on the side of the towpath, or, on
the opposite side, one metre in
from the edge of the canal
Figure 122: Late 18th century cottages
in Cosgrove
»» The boundary will encompass
historic buildings which were
built specifically to service the
Canal users such as farms, public
houses, cottages, warehouses and
other minor outbuildings
»» The boundary will encompass
landscape features, such as
escarpments, cuttings, and
spoil heaps, associated with the
construction of the Canal
Figure 123: The Canal locks at Stoke Bruerne
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION | page 45
It was decided to specifically exclude:
»» Modern marinas
»» Archaeological features where they
pre-date the Canal, such as the
Roman Villa site at Cosgrove or
the ridge and furrow field system
at Blisworth Junction and which
do not contribute to the current
character of the Canal
»» Modern housing even where the
gardens reach down to the edge of
the Canal
Figure 124: The Canal near Isworth Farm, Yardley Gobion
For the three settlements (Blisworth,
Stoke Bruerne and Cosgrove) where
existing conservation areas already
exist, it was agreed that the new
Grand Union Canal Conservation
Area boundary would only include
Canal-related buildings. Whilst this
will result in some areas being ‘double
designated’, this is not perceived as a
problem from the management point
of view, and there are precedents
in other local authority conservation
areas. Elsewhere, the village
conservation area boundaries will be
reassessed in light of this designation.
Figure 125: The Canal at Heyford Wharf
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION | page 46
8. Management Plan
8.1 Policy context
The Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990 places
a duty on Local Planning Authorities to
formulate and publish proposals for the
preservation and enhancement of their
conservation areas on a regular basis.
Conservation area management
proposals should be published as part
of the process of area designation and
review. Their aim is to provide guidance
through policy statements to assist in
the preservation and enhancement of
the conservation area.
8.2 The role of the
Canal and River
Trust (CRT)
The CRT own and manage the
Grand Union Canal and has its own
dedicated team of engineers, heritage
advisors, planners, urban designers
and ecologists to ensure that the Canal,
and a much wider network of canals
nationally, are appropriately cared
for and protected. The CRT works
with local authorities, land owners,
community groups and volunteers
to further its objectives, one of which
is to ensure that the canal network
generally is available for public use and
enjoyment. The CRT is also committed
to protecting the many features of
heritage value, the natural environment,
and in promoting sustainable new
development in the vicinity of any inland
waterway for the benefit of the public.
For example, the CRT has established
a series of ‘Waterways Partnerships’,
which bring together communities,
businesses and organisations to
work closely with the CRT’s local
management and influence what the
CRT does in each waterway region.
Similar initiatives have been very
effective in the past in Stoke Bruerne,
Blisworth, the Northampton Arm (with
the Northampton Inland Waterways
Association) and the Buckingham Arm
(with the Buckingham Canal Society).
8.3 Key Issues for the
Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area
Recently the CRT has requested
that a more frequent dialogue
is established with South
Northamptonshire Council to ensure
that the two organisations work closely
together to achieve the protection
and enhancement of the Grand Union
Canal Conservation Area as set
out in the recommendations in 8.4
Management proposals.
»» The protection and enhancement of
the landscape setting to the Canal
For more information about the
CRT, contact customer.services@
canalrivertrust.org.uk or look on their
website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
The Grand Union Canal Conservation
Area encompasses the canal and its
buildings, features and landscape
setting which are considered to make
a positive contribution to its special
character. However, a number of
issues and opportunities have been
identified as a result of the survey
work for the Character Appraisal which
if addressed constructively has the
potential to incrementally enhance this
special character.
The key issues and opportunities are
considered to be:
»» Ensuring that all new development
is of the highest possible quality
»» The protection and enhancement
of the buildings, structures
and other features within the
Conservation Area
»» The engagement of the local
community
8.4Management
proposals
8.4.1
The protection and
enhancement of the
landscape setting to
the Canal
The Grand Union Canal passes
through some of the most attractive
and unspoilt landscape in central
England, close to or overlooking the
valleys of the River Nene, Tove and
Great Ouse. Because it is a ‘contour’
canal, following the 75 metre contour
for many miles, it has a winding and
gently curving route which provides
ample opportunities for long views
across the adjoining countryside.
None of this rural area has any
specific statutory protection (such as
being an Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty or a National Park) although
the River Nene Regional Park is close
by. Measures to protect or enhance
the landscape setting could include:
»» Protect the surrounding
countryside from inappropriate new
development which could affect the
setting of the Canal
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | MANAGEMENT PLAN | page 47
»» Encourage appropriate new
tree planting along or close to
the Canal, whilst at the same
time managing existing trees,
hedgerows and boundary
treatments
»» Give careful consideration to the
justification for, and proposed
locations and scale, of, any new
marinas along the Canal, including
the extension of any existing
facilities
»» Ensure that a balance is achieved
between the demands of the many
and varied canal-users and the
need to maintain the tranquility
and beauty of the Canal and its
landscape setting
»» Protect the important views into
and out of the Conservation Area
»» Ensure that any new development
in the villages through which the
Canal passes (Blisworth, Stoke
Bruerne, and Cosgrove) either
preserves or preferably enhances
the character of the Canal and
its corridor
Action 1:
The landscape setting
to the Canal must be
protected and enhanced.
8.4.2 Ensuring that all new
development is of the
highest possible quality
It has been noted that some new
buildings and extensions have not
been sympathetically designed and
have had a detrimental effect on
the immediate setting of the Canal,
including some of the new buildings
which have been provided as part of
a new marina. The impact of domestic
curtilages along the Canal is another
issue, caused by poorly detailed or
over-dominant modern boundary
treatments, garden buildings or
unsympathetic forms of planting or
hard landscaping.
To be successful, any future
development within the Conservation
Area, or within its setting, needs to
be mindful of the local character as
set out in the Character Appraisal. It
should also be appropriate to the 21st
century and should take issues such
as sustainability into account.
Successful new development in
historic areas should:
»» Relate well to the geography and
history of the place, and the lie of
the land
»» Sit happily in the pattern of existing
development and routes through
and around it
»» Respect the neighbouring buildings
»» Use materials and building
methods which are of a similar high
quality as those used in existing
buildings
»» Respect existing important views,
and, or, create new views and
juxtapositions which add to the
variety and texture of their setting
(Source: CABE, 2001)
Action 2:
New development must
respond sensitively and
creatively to the historic
environment.
8.4.3
The protection and
enhancement of the
buildings, structures and
other features within
The Conservation Area already
contains around 50 statutorily listed
buildings, and the Character Appraisal
has also identified a high number of
unlisted historic buildings of ‘special
interest’, particularly the unlisted
Canal bridges and some mainly
early or mid-19th century buildings
which are Canal-related. These
include farmsteads, barns, former
warehouses, cottages and various
outbuildings. In addition, there are a
number of features along the Canal
which are purely functional and
were, or still are, used as part of the
management of the Canal.
Despite a programme of repairs
previously carried out by British
Waterways (now the Canal and River
Trust), and the current five-year cycle
of inspection for the many historic
bridges over the Grand Union Canal,
some of these bridges (both listed
and unlisted) still require attention.
In places, they are being regularly
damaged by farm vehicles or large
lorries, such as Bridge No 60 at Old
Wharf Farm, Yardley Gobion; Bridge
No 63 near to Isworth Farm, near
Grafton Regis; and Bridge No 3 on
the Northampton Arm. In addition, a
number of the Canal-side buildings
in private ownership are in a poor
state of repair. The character of some
of the unlisted residential properties
has also been compromised by the
use of modern materials and details,
particularly the use of UPVC windows
and doors, and the loss of original
details such as slate or tiled roofs and
their replacement with concrete tiles or
metal sheeting.
To assist in the identification of the
scale of some of these problems,
»» Monitor the condition of the
buildings and structures and take
action where necessary through
the use of existing legal powers
a number of initiatives could be
considered:
»» Encourage the Canal and River
Trust to continue their regular
inspections of the bridges,
both listed and unlisted, and to
prioritise work and seek funding
or professional volunteer help
to undertake the necessary
repairs. Traffic restrictions may be
necessary to minimise the risk of
on-going damage.
Action 3:
»» Carry out a condition survey of
all of the listed buildings within
the Conservation Area and
encourage the owners to undertake
routine maintenance and repair,
particularly where the buildings are
considered to be ‘at risk’
»» Carry out a survey of all of the
unlisted structures and consider
establishing a new ‘local list’ for the
Grand Union Canal Conservation
Area, to raise public awareness of
the significance of these unlisted
buildings or structures
»» Put forward further buildings or
structures for statutory listing as
considered appropriate
»» Encourage the preservation and
maintenance of surviving historic
details and materials, possibly
through the use of Article 4 Directions
to protect the unlisted dwellings
within the Conservation Area
South Northamptonshire
Council, together with
other responsible
organisations, should
consider a number of
initiatives to identify,
protect and enhance the
historic built heritage of
the Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area.
Conservation Area encompasses
several villages and passes close to
several more, all of which have an
active local community. Past initiatives
include the formation (for seven
years) of the Northamptonshire Canal
Partnership which included both local
stakeholders as well as established
local and national organisations. In
1997 the Partnership produced a
Strategic Report followed in 1998
by an Action Plan. This covered
the whole of the Northamptonshire
area, but did result in a number of
improvements along the line of the
Grand Union Canal, namely:
»» The protection of the Canal banks
by the use of gabion caging and
sheet piling
»» Various improvements to the
towpath
»» Improving access to the towpath by
creating new steps
8.4.4 Past initiatives and
community engagement
Where a canal passes through a
village or parish, the local community
often has a particular relationship
with that canal which is in addition
to the usual village or parish
concerns, particularly where specific
groups have been set up to actively
engage with the canal and its other
stakeholders. The Grand Union Canal
»» Installing mooring rings and
bollards, to a standard design
based on historic precedent
»» Installing new finger posts,
picnic tables (Cosgrove only)
and benches (two styles – a
reproduction park bench or a
simple bench made from old lock
gate wood)
»» The provision of information boards
»» The planting of new trees and
hedging
»» Public art projects
Public realm improvements
in Cosgrove
In addition, the engagement of the
local community was encouraged
by the use of public meetings, the
production of leaflets for local walks,
and the distribution of a regular
newsletter.
Stoke Bruerne Waterways Museum
is owned and run by the Canal and
River Trust, assisted by the ‘Friends
of the Waterways Museum’; a group
of local volunteers. The Museum
provides an important focal point for
visitors and raises awareness of the
Grand Union Canal both locally and
nationally. The Museum publishes a
number of informative leaflets about
the Canal and holds a large archive
of historic maps, photographs and
other information about the Canal and
its development. The Stoke Bruerne
Partnership is a long established
group of stakeholders who regularly
meet to discuss ways of improving
the village and the Canal. In 2008
the Partnership commissioned a
Conservation Plan for the village
and are currently working on a
Development Plan for the parish.
The Blisworth Canal Partnership has
been established more recently and
comprises mainly local residents
– they have written a number of
educational leaflets about the Canal,
and have also produced a series
of leaflets titled ‘Blisworth Heritage
Walks’. South Northamptonshire
Council also provides similar
documents for visitors to the Canal.
Action 4:
There are a number of ways in which
South Northamptonshire Council
can continue to promote community
involvement in the management of
the Conservation Area. Ensuring
the adoption of a co-ordinated
approach to the management of the
Grand Union Canal, by including
stakeholders as well as private
landowners and outside organisations
such as the Canal and River Trust, is
also crucial. It is also important, where
funds and other commitments allow,
that the Grand Union Conservation
Area Character Appraisal and the
accompanying Management Plan are
reviewed and brought up to date as
considered necessary.
Council will actively
encourage local
community involvement
in the on-going
management and
enhancement of the
Grand Union Canal
Conservation Area.
Figure 126: Knot display, Blisworth Canal Day August 2013
9. Community Involvement and Adoption
9.1 Public consultation
9.2Copyright
9.3Disclaimer
9.4 Contact details
A draft version of this appraisal has
been subject to public consultation.
This consultation included public
meetings, letters to key stakeholders
and advertisement in the local press
and the Council’s website.
All Ordnance Survey maps are
reproduced under licence. Ordnance
Survey maps may not be copied or
reproduced without the permission of
Ordnance Survey.
Please note that the information
contained within this Appraisal is
correct at the time of publication. South
Northamptonshire Council cannot be
held liable for any changes that may
have occurred since that time.
Heritage Team
Springfields
Towcester
NN12 6AE
Following the consultation all
comments received were considered
and where appropriate, changes
made. The amended appraisal and
management plan was considered
by the Council’s Planning Policy
and Regeneration Strategy
Committee who recommended
adoption. The document has now
been formally adopted under the
Council’s scheme of delegation and
constitutes a material consideration
in the planning process to be used
in the determination of development
management applications and
other decisions which affect the
conservation area and its setting.
The text and photographs in this
report may not be reproduced for profit
and must be appropriately referenced
if reproduced.
Email:
[email protected]
Telephone:
01327 322265
Grand UnionGrand
Canal Union
Character
Canal
Appraisal
Character
andAppraisal
Management
and Management
Plan | COMMUNITY
Plan | MANAGEMENT
INVOLVEMENTPLAN
AND |ADOPTION
page 51 | page 51
10. Sources of Further Information
References
For further information
Blagrove, David
Waterways of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire Libraries and
Information Service 1990
Further information on the historic
environment can be found at:
Wilson, Ian J
Grand Union Canal from Brentford to
Braunston
The History Press 2009
Yorke, Stan
English Canals explained
Countryside Books 2012
Society for the Protection of Ancient
buildings (SPAB)
www.spab.org.uk
The following websites are a useful
source of local history information:
http://www.britishhistory.ac.uk/
»» Northamptonshire Records Office
A good source of practical information
about looking after buildings of all
periods.
»» Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire
Libraries
Ancient Monuments Society
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
www.ams.org.uk
Historic public records online.
has also produced a guidance
note on conservation areas which
provides further information on what
designation means. This can be found
at the following address:
Devoted to the study and conservation
of ancient monuments, historic
buildings and fine old craftsmanship,
with a particular interest in church
buildings.
Blagrove, David
The Canal at Stoke Bruerne
Omni Print Ltd 1971
www.southnorthants.gov.uk/
3891.htm
Pevsner, N
The Buildings of Northamptonshire
Penguin Books1990
Canal and River Trust
www.georgiangroup.org.uk
For details about the Canal and River
Trust, contact: customer.services@
canalrivertrust.org.uk or look on their
website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Interested in the study and
conservation of 18th and early 19th
century buildings.
The Conservation Studio
Stoke Bruerne Conservation Plan
Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership 2009
British Waterways
Landscape Evaluation Grand Union
Canal Cosgrove to Crick
1994
Digital library of local history sources.
Georgian Group
There are also a wide range of
national societies devoted to the study
and conservation of historic buildings,
a few of which are listed below:
Victorian Society
www.victoriansociety.org.uk
Interested in the appreciation and
conservation of 19th and early 20th
century buildings of all types.
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION | page 52
Appendix 1 - Mapping
Appendix 1a
Character Area Map
Appendix 1b
Detailed maps for each
Character Area
These maps have been
provided separately.
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | APPENDIX 1 - MAPPING | page 53
Appendix 2 - Schedule of existing listed buildings
Character Area 1:
Stowehill to Blisworth
Junction
Bridge No 27, Nether Heyford
Grade II
Public road bridge over canal. 17931800 with later alterations. Standard
design, probably by William Jessop.
Skew-built. Brick and stone. Stone
arch rings. Single elliptical arch, band,
slightly cambered solid parapet and
solid piers. Parapet has half-round
brick coping. Piers have stone copings
except at SE corner where brickwork
runs into that of adjoining house.
Single iron rope fender remains as
arch protection. Towpath retaining wall
beneath arch has stone coping and
some cobble pavement remaining.
Simons Cottage, Nether Heyford
Grade II
Canalside building, now house. Early
C19. Red brick in English bond,
corrugated asbestos roof, brick end
stacks. 2-unit central-staircase plan.
3-storey, 2-window range. Main front
to garden has central 3-panel door
with overlight, moulded wood surround
and gabled hood on brackets and
is flanked by canted bay windows.
20-pane sash windows to 1st floor
with wood lintels, 2-light casement
windows to 2nd floor with wood lintel.
2-storey extension to right. Probably
‘High House’ of former High-House
Wharf on site. (Earlier editions of
Ordnance Survey map).
Bridge No 33, Nether Heyford
Grade II
Bridge. Early C19. 5 cast-iron beams
with 3 wrought-iron tie rods, arched
brick vaults between beams and
timber handrail. Red brick abutments
with stone springers for beams, string
course and brick parapets.
Bridge No 42, Bugbrooke
Grade II
Bridge. Early C19. 5 chamfered timber
beams; red brick abutments patched with
blue brick timber deck and handrails.
Bridge No 43, Gayton
Grade II
Bridge. Early C19. Ironstone patched with
red brick. Elliptical arch on slight skew.
Bridge No 45, Gayton
Grade II
Bridge. Early C19. Limestone with
arch-stones, string-course and coping
of ironstone. Elliptical arch.
Bridge No 47, Blisworth
Grade II
Northampton Top Lock Cottage
Grade II
Bridge. Early C19. Painted brick with
brick and stone coping, patched with
blue brick. Elliptical arches. A twin
bridge, ie road bridge doubled to south
by turnover bridge for towpath.
Lock-keepers cottage. c1815. Painted
brick, hipped slate roof, C20 brick
lateral stacks. 2-unit plan. 2 storeys,
3-window range. Central C20 partglazed door with segmental-arched
head, flanked by canted bay windows.
2-light sliding casement windows to
1st floor. Central bay breaks forward
slightly. Deep overhanging eaves.
Single-storey extension to left. Interior
not inspected. Stands at head of a
flight of locks on Northampton Arm of
Grand Union Canal.
Character Area 2:
Northampton Arm
Milepost beside towpath of Grand
Union Canal near junction with
Northampton Arm
Grade II
Milepost. C19. Cast-iron. Inscribed
G.U.C.C/BRAUNSTON/163/4 MILES/
NORTHAMPTON/5 MILES.
Lock No 1 on Northampton Arm
Grade II
Lock. c1815, restored 1868 and C20.
Red and blue brick, with timber and
metal swing gates. Single-width lock
with single upper gate and double
lower gates. Top lock of a flight of 12
locks on the Northampton Arm of the
Grand Union Canal.
Grade II
metal swing gates. Single-width lock
with single upper gate and double lower
gates. Part of a flight of 12 locks on
Northampton Arm of Grand Union Canal.
Grade II
metal swing rates. Single-width lock:
gates. Has overflow channel. Part of a
flight of 12 locks on Northampton Arm of
Grand Union Canal.
Grand Union Canal Character Appraisal and Management Plan | APPENDIX 2 - SCHEDULE OF LISTED BUILDINGS | page 54
Grade II
Grade II
Lock No ll on Northampton Arm
Grade II
Red and blue brick, with metal swing
gates. Single-width lock with single
upper gate and double lower gates.
Has overflow channel. Part of a flight
of 12 locks on Northampton Arm of
Grand Union Canal.
Red brick with timber and metal gates.
Single-width lock with single metal
upper gate and double timber lower
flight of 12 locks on Northampton Arm
of Grand Union Canal.
Lock. c1815 restored 1891 and C20.
Red brick, with timber and metal
gates. Single-width lock with single
metal upper gate and double timber
lower gates. Part of a flight of 12 locks on
Northampton arm of Grand Union Canal.
Grade II
Grade II
Red brick with metal gates. Single width
lock with single upper gate and double
lower gates. Has overflow channel. Part
of a flight of 12 locks on Northampton
Arm of Grand Union Canal.
Lock. cI815, restored 1882 and 20. Red
brick with metal gates. Single-width lock
flight of 12 locks on Northampton Arm of
Grand Union Canal.
Bridge No 5 on Northampton Arm
Grade II
Grade II
Drawbridge. c1815 restored C19 and
C20. Timber construction with iron
chains. Part of a group with a flight of
12 locks on the Northampton Arm of
the Grand Union Canal.
Red brick, with metal gates. Singlewidth lock with single upper and double
of a flight of 12 locks on Northampton
Arm of Grand Union Canal.
Grade II
Lock. c1815, restored late C19 and C20.
metal gates. Single-width lock with single
metal upper gate and double timber
of a flight of 12 locks on the Northampton
Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Grade II
Red and blue brick with metal gates.
Single-width lock with single upper
and double lower gates. Has overflow
channel. Part of a flight of 12 locks on
Northampton Arm of Grand Union Canal.
(underneath M1 Motorway)
Grade II
Lock. c1815 restored 1882 and C20.
Red brick lined with concrete C20,
with metal gates. Single-width lock
with single upper gate and double
lower gates. Bottom lock of a flight
of 12 locks on Northampton Arm of
Grand Union canal.
Lock No 13 and drawbridge which
are both listed grade II are not in
Grade II
Character Area 3:
Blisworth Junction
and Blisworth
Warehouse adjoining north of
Blisworth Mill, Blisworth
Grade II
Canal warehouse. Circa early C19
for the Grand Junction (later Union)
Canal Company. Red brick in English
garden wall bond. Low-pitched Welsh
slate half-hipped roof with lead roll
hips and ridge; the roof on east front
carried down over deep eaves forming
canopy over canal, the canopy
supported on cantilevered timber ties.
PLAN: Rectangular plan with loading
door onto canal. EXTERIOR: Single
storey. The east front facing canal is
blind except for wide loading doorway
to right of centre with C20 door and
small C20 window to right. Stone wing
at rear with gable end onto Gayton
Road. INTERIOR: Tie beam roof with
king-posts and struts. NOTE: The
Grand Junction Canal was authorised
in 1793 to shorten the route between
London and the Midlands. The
engineers were James Barnes and
William Jessop. Because of difficulties
building Blisworth Tunnel (the longest
still open) a toll road was built in 1797
over Blisworth Hill which was replaced
in 1800 by a double-track horse tramroad constructed by Benjamin Outram.
This warehouse on Blisworth Wharf
may have been built in association
with the tunnel and tram-road.
Blisworth Mill, including
Engine Room and Office
Grade II
Steam mill. Dated 1879. Orange
colour Flemish bond brick with blue
engineering brick and stone dressings.
Welsh slate roof with coped gable
ends with moulded stone kneelers and
moulded brick eaves cornice. PLAN:
Large rectangular mill with east side
onto canal, west side facing yard,
engine house and chimney on north
west corner and office on west side of
yard. EXTERIOR: 4 storey attic and
basement. 8-bay east elevation facing
canal with giant pilasters and saw-tooth
segmental arches over top windows,
25 and 20-pane cast-iron windows
in segmental arch openings; some
blind or blocked. Blocked basement
and ground floor doorway at centre.
Originally a canopy over ground floor
overhanging the canal. Similar west
elevation but with truncated chimney
and engine house in bays 1,2 and 3,
the truncated chimney with later tank
on top; the engine house with similar
windows, those in end gables with
round arches. Similar 3-bay north and
south ends, the centre bay rises into
gable with round arch to left and right
of which are tablets with inscription
‘J Westley 1879’. Small single storey
office on west side of yard with brick
pilastered window bays, the doorway
with pediment and C20 porch.
INTERIOR: No machinery. Boarded
floors and large pine beams supported
on cast-iron posts which diminish
in size with each ascending storey.
Queen-strut roof.
Grafton House,
Gayton Road, Blisworth
Grade II
House. Circa early C19, altered in late
C19. Dressed limestone. Hipped plain
tile roof, the lower 2 courses slate,
and partly slate at rear. Red brick axial
stacks. PLAN: the original house is
L-shaped on plan with principal room
on either side of front entrance and
wing to rear left; the single storey and
attic flanking wing may be additions
but the 2-storey block in the angle
at the back is a later C19 addition.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic.
Symmetrical 1:3:1 bay north east front.
Ground floor 2 later C19 canted bays
and stone pilastered and pedimented
doorway at centre with fielded panel
door and rectangular overlight with
margin panes. First floor 2 tripartite
4:12:4 pane C19 sashes and central 4
pane sash, 2 late C19 gabled halfdormers with 9-pane sashes. Low
flanking wings, set back slightly, with
4-pane sashes. Rear (SW): hipped
wing on right with 12-pane sash;
main roof carried down over late
C19 addition in angle on left, with
casement windows, and glazed doors
with overlights. Flanking wing on right
with hipped dormer. INTERIOR: only
ground floor seen, some Georgian
doors but mostly Victorian joinery and
chimneypieces. NOTE: Said to have
been a farmhouse on the Grafton
Estate. It then became Blisworth Mill
owner’s house and John Westley is
listed in Kelly’s Directory 1898, as
living at Grafton House. SOURCE:
Kelly’s Directory 1898.
The Sun, Moon and Stars Public
House, High Street, Blisworth
Grade II
Former restaurant and inn. Dated
1797, altered C20. Red brick,
painted, hipped slate roof, brick
lateral stacks. L plan. 2 and 3 storeys.
Central 6-panel door with pilastered
wood surround and straight hood
on brackets, flanked by canted
bay windows with 16-pale sashes
to front, 8-pane sashes to sides,
and sash windows to 1st and 2nd
floors with flat-arched brick lintels.
2-storey, 1-window range to left of
centre has gabled roof and brick end
stack, 3-storey main range to right
of centre extends to rear right and
has datestone to right side elevation
of ironstone. Interior not inspected.
Believed to have been built in
conjunction with Grand Union
Canal nearby.
Character Area 4:
Blisworth Tunnel
Stone Works Farmhouse and
attached outbuilding, Stoke Road,
Blisworth
Grade II
Farmhouse. Early C19. Limestone
ashlar, hipped slate roofs, brick
rear lateral stacks. L plan. 2-storey,
3-window range. Central 4-panel
door with fanlight in rusticated stone
surround. 16-pane sash windows to
ground and 1st floors with stone lintels
and keyblocks. Plinth, storey band,
moulded stone eaves and blocking
cornice. Central bay breaks forward
and has pediment with inscription
BLISWORTH/STONE WORKS.
Single-storey, 5-bay wing to right
with central C20 door in porch with
Tuscan columns and plain entablature.
Windows are flanked by plain pilasters
and have segmental-arched heads
and raised keyblocks. Imposts band
and moulded stone eaves. 2-storey
wing to rear left, possibly extension
has sash window and C20 door and
other C20 windows. Attached singlestorey L-plan outbuilding has hipped
slate roof and is open to yard to rear
of house on Greek Doric columns.
Interior not inspected. Blisworth stone
quarry was opened in 1821 and
formed part of the Northamptonshire
estates of the Dukes of Grafton.
Barn at Stone Works Farm
Grade II
Barn. Early C19, altered C20. Coursed
limestone rubble, hipped slate roof.
Tall, with double opposed doors, that
to rear blocked, that to front raised
to eaves level; wood eaves. Rear
door has blank round-arched head.
Included for group value.
South portal of Blisworth Tunnel
Grade II
The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne
Grade II
Canal tunnel portal. c1800, restored
1980. Red brick, patched with blue
brick. Elliptical-arched portal, brickcoped parapet and band at base of
parapet. Tunnel begun 1797 and
opened 1805. One of the longest
canal tunnels built and still in use
(3,076 yards or 2,820 metres).
Public house and shop. C18 with C20
alterations and additions. Coursed
limestone rubble, straw thatch roof,
brick ridge and end stacks. 4-unit
plan. 1-storey and attic; 9-bay range.
4-panel door to left with moulded
wood surround and straight head on
brackets. Plank door to left of centre
and part-blocked door to right of
centre, both with wood lintels. Pair of
C20 doors to far right with concrete
lintels. Bay window to far left, 3-light
casement window to right of left door
and other 2-light casements, all with
wood lintels. Large C20 extensions
to right and to rear are not of special
architectural interest. Interior has
chamfered spine beams. Originally
known as the Navigation Inn. An alehouse since the C18.
Character Area 5:
Stoke Bruerne
Waterways Museum, Stoke Bruerne
Grade II
Warehouse, now museum. Early
C19, altered C20. Coursed squared
limestone, C20 ridged tile roof.
3-storey, 2-window range. Doorway to
left of centre with segmental-arched
head, similar openings above to 1st
and 2nd floors. 2-light casement
windows with wood lintels and iron
bars. C20 single-storey extension for
museum shop to left. Formerly part of
a mill complex. The mill engine house
and tall chimney stood on site now
partly occupied by museum shop;
demolished before 1st World War.
Hoperidge Cottage, Stoke Bruerne
Grade II
A mid C17th stone built cottage with
C18th additions.
Canal House, Bridge Road,
Stoke Bruerne
Grade II
Canal cottage. Early C19, altered
C20. Red brick in Flemish bond,
hipped slate roof, brick internal stack.
2-unit plan. 2 storeys and basement;
2-window range. Main front faces
canal and has blocked door to left of
centre, C20 door to far left; probably
replacing window. Continuous
wood lintel over door, blocked door
and 2-light casement window to
right. Similar casement to 1st floor
with wood lintels. Rear elevation
to garden and facing Bridge Road
has full basement on this side with
part-glazed door to right and 2-light
casement windows to ground floor, all
with brick segmental-arched heads.
Small square staircase window to
ground floor far right with chamfered
wood surround and 1-light window
to 1st floor left below eaves. Interior:
basement has beamed ceiling.
Bridge No 53 over Grand Union
Canal, Stoke Bruerne
Grade II
Bridge. Late C18, doubled 1835.
Coursed squared limestone, with red
brick arches and brick parapet to east
half. Double-span bridge with elliptical
arches. That to older, west half has
narrower span and is somewhat lower.
Wide at the ends, the bridge narrows
and then curves outwards again at
the centre, the two halves meeting in
the form of a cutwater. String course
at base of parapet which dips at the
centre. Channel under west span is
not in use.
Lock No 14, Stoke Top Lock
Grade II
and blue brick with timber swing gates.
Double-width and single-width locks,
the latter now dry with double cast-iron
lower gates from Welshpool on the
Montgomery Canal and a boat weighing
machine from the Glamorganshire
Canal at Cardiff. Double lock has double
upper and lower gates. Top lock of a
flight of 7 locks.
Lock No 15
Grade II
Lock. Early C19 restored 1879 and
C20. Red and blue with timber swing
gates. Double-width lock with double
upper and lower gates and side
pounds. Gear dated 1867. Part of a
flight of 7 locks.
Lock No 16
Grade II
Lock. Early C19 restored 1869, 1879
and C20. Red and blue brick with
timber swing gates. Double-width lock
with double upper and lower gates and
side pounds. Part of a flight of 7 locks.
Lock No 17
Grade II
Lock. Early C19 restored 1869 and
C20. Red and blue brick with timber
swing gates. double-width lock with
double upper and lower gates. Part of
a flight of 7 locks.
Pair of locks. Late C18/early C19
restored 1868 and 1881 and C20. Red
Lock No 18
Grade II
Lock. Early C19 restored 1866, 1870
and 1913. Red and blue brick with
timber swing gates. Double-width lock
with double upper and lower gates
and side pounds. Part of a flight of 7
locks.
Lock No 19
Grade II
Lock. Early C19, restored 1876 and
swing gates. Double-width lock with
double upper and lower gates and
side pounds. Part of a flight of 7 locks.
Lock No 20 Stoke Bottom Lock
Grade II
Lock. Early C19, restored 1870 and
swing gates. Double-width lock with
double upper and lower gates and
side pounds. Bottom lock of a flight of
7 locks.
Cottages Nos 140 and 141,
Grand Union Canal
Grade II
Pair of canal cottages. Early C19,
altered C20. Red brick in Flemish
bond, painted, slate roof, brick end
stacks. Double-depth plan. 2-storey,
2-window range. C20 doors to left
and right of centre with flat-arched
heads, 2-light casement windows to
ground floor with flat-arched heads
and limestone keyblocks and similar
3-light casements to first floor.
Cogged brick storey band and eaves.
Interiors not inspected.
Character Area 6:
Stoke Bruerne
to Cosgrove
Farm buildings at Lower Lock Farm
Grade II
Bridge No 58, Grafton Regis
Grade II
Range of farm buildings, including
barn. c1840. Coursed squared
limestone, hipped slate roofs. U plan.
Principal range contains central 3-bay
barn with opposed double-leaf doors
with wood lintels, that to front with
elliptical-arched head. Barn is flanked
by single-storey 1-bay wings, each
with stable door; doors have stone
lintels and keyblocks. Single-storey
return wings, each with 3-bay shelter
sheds open to yard on segmentalarched brick arcades. Left wing has
stabling at one end. Right wing has
small 2-bay cart-standing open to
field to right with timber post and
lintels. Barn is brick-lined. Lower
Lock Farm was formerly part of the
Grafton Estate. The layout of the farm
buildings is similar, on a lesser scale,
to that of the model farm buildings
built 1839-44 for the 4th Duke of
Grafton, as part of a large programme
of agricultural improvements.
Accommodation bridge. 1793-1880
with late C19/early C20 alterations.
Standard design, probably by William
Jessop. Brick, with stone arch rings.
Single elliptical arch, slightly cambered
solid parapet and solid piers. Blue
brick dogtooth band, half round blue
brick parapet copings and pyramidal
concrete caps to piers. Arch protected
by 2 iron rope fenders.
Old Wharf Farmhouse and attached
outbuilding, Yardley Gobion
Grade II
House, formerly farmhouse. Late
C18, with C19 and C20 alterations.
Rendered brick, wood shingle roof,
rendered brick end stacks. 2 storeys
and attic; 3-window range. 3-unit plan.
Central part-glazed plank door with
stop-chamfered wood lintel. 5-light
C20 casement windows to ground
floor left and right with wood lintels.
Old 3-light casement windows to 1st
floor left and right and similar 2-light
casement to 1st floor centre, all with
stop-chamfered wood lintels. Lintels
to 3-light casements to 1st floor
and to ground floor left have wood
“keyblocks”. Single-storey former
outbuilding to left originally consisting
of 2-bay cart standing and granary
above and small single-storey weighhouse to right with lean-to slate roof.
Interior: stop-chamfered spine beams
and open fireplace with bressumer.
Old quarry tile floors. The building
is said to have also been a public
house serving the wharf on the Grand
Union Canal near which it stands. The
weigh-bridge of 1884 by Pooleys of
Liverpool still exists.
Bridge No 63
Grade II
Accommodation bridge. 1793-1800
with later alterations. Standard Grand
Junction Canal Co design, probably by
William Jessop. Brick. Single elliptical
arch, band, slightly cambered solid
parapet and solid piers. Parapets
have saddleback brick copings. Arch
protected by 2 iron rope fenders.
Character Area 7:
Cosgrove to the
River Great Ouse
Bridge No 65 (formerly listed
as Solmon’s Bridge)
Grade II*
Canal bridge. c1800. Dressed
limestone. Gothick style. Single-span
bridge with wide slightly pointed
arch and curved feet. Arch has blank
cusped panels and keyblock. Semioctagonal buttresses either side of
arch have quatrefoil frieze to base and
ogee half-cupolas and are flanked
by ogee-headed niches. Panelled
parapets with circular piers either end.
In 1800 the two halves of the Grand
Junction Canal met here. Construction
began at Brentford in Middlesex and
Braunston, Northamptonshire. It is
said that a certain Colonel Solmons,
‘Lord of the Manor’, agreed to the
cutting of the canal on condition that
he was allowed to erect the necessary
bridge. However the Lord of the Manor
at this time was George Biggin Esq,
whose residence, Cosgrove Priory, is
in sight of the bridge. The proximity
may explain the bridge’s unusually
ornamental appearance.
corrugated iron roof replacing thatch,
stone ridge stack with brick flues. 2
storeys and attic; 3-window range.
2-unit lobby-entry plan. Main front
faces street and has central blocked
door with flat-arched head. 3-light
casement windows to ground and
1st floors left and right, and blocked
central 1st floor window all with flatarched stone heads. Quoins and
stone-coped gables with kneelers.
Central gabled stair turret to rear.
C20 extensions and present entrance
to rear. C19 2-storey, 3-window
extension to right with slate roof.
Interior has ogee-stop-chamfered
spine beams and open fireplace with
cambered bressumer.
The Horse Tunnel, Cosgrove
Grade II
Aqueduct. Late C18. Coursed squared
limestone and red brick. Singlearched aqueduct conveying canal over
pedestrian right-of-way. Horseshoeshaped tunnel vault and entrances.
The latter have key blocks and curved
stone retaining walls, curving forward
either side.
The Barley Mow Public House,
The Stocks, Cosgrove
Grade II
Public house, originally probably
farmhouse. Late C17, altered C19
and C20. Coursed limestone rubble,
Appendix 3 - Schedule of proposed locally listed buildings
*Proposed Article 4 Direction
(residential buildings only)
Character Area 1:
Stowehill to
Blisworth Junction
Character Area 2:
Northampton Arm
»» The group of buildings, all
probably built in the early 19th
century, at Blisworth Junction,
particularly the following:
»» *The Old Toll House
»» Bridge No 34
»» Bridge No 35 though in poor
condition
»» The former stables, ‘The Cottage’
and the other outbuildings around
the courtyard
»» Swanleigh House, next to The
Wharf Inn, Bugbrooke
»» *Arm Farm, *Arm Farm Cottage,
and *Navigation Cottage
condition
»» Bridge No 2
condition and engineering brick
repairs
»» Bridge No 4
»» Bridge No 41 with modern repairs
»» *The farmhouse and adjoining red
brick warehouse at Anchor Farm
(the warehouse a BAR) - forms a
group with the adjoining grade II
listed Bridge No 43
»» Bridge No 3
»» Bridge No 51 in Blisworth which
is an older bridge and has been
doubled in size in the 20th century
»» The former ‘leggers’ hut’ at the
north portal into the Blisworth
Tunnel
Character Area 4:
Blisworth Tunnel
»» The north portal into the Tunnel
close to Blisworth
»» The seven air shafts to the Tunnel,
built from brick and mainly dating
to 1861
»» Buttermilk Hall Farm, a long row of
limestone barns, probably C19th
»» Drawbridge next to Lock No 10
Character Area 3:
Blisworth Junction
and Blisworth
»» Bridge No 48 dated 1912
»» Bridge No 49 (?also 1912)
»» Bridge No 50 Candle Bridge
(including Article 4 Direction recommendations)
»» The group of cottages next to the
Waterways Museum (Nos 1, 2, 3, 4
and 5 – all *), which are built from
red brick or limestone with shallow
slated roofs
»» The Navigation Inn, a substantial two
storey building constructed from local
limestone with concrete tiled roof
»» *Canal Cottage, a red brick Gothicstyle cottage dating to 1897 with a
concrete tiled roof
»» *Cottage No 142 next to Lock No
16, which is dated 1869, which
is the same time the lock was
repaired
»» The small single storey red brick
building next to Lock No 20,
probably dating to the 1920s
Character Area 5:
Stoke Bruerne
Character Area 6:
Stoke Bruerne
to Cosgrove
»» The brick outbuilding, called The
Old Stables, next to the south
portal of the Tunnel
»» Bridge No 56 – c1800 – red brick
with stone dressings
»» *Wharf Cottage, Stoke Bruerne –
early C19th brick and stone cottage
with slate roof
with blue engineering brick arches
and parapets
with stone to arch, repaired using
blue brick and dated 1924
»» Weighbridge at Old Wharf Farm,
Yardley Gobion, marked ‘H
and has recently been restored
to working order – it is operated
from a weighing room inside Old
Wharf Farm
»» The former brewery next to the
Canal, Cosgrove – a substantial
stone and red brick range of
buildings which have been
converted into residential use
»» Lock No 21 at the junction with the
Old Stratford Arm, which is not listed
»» Bridge No 60 at Old Wharf Farm,
Yardley Gobion – c1800 but heavily
rebuilt using blue bricks in 1936 (dated)
»» Bridge No 61 – blue brick
abutments with steel deck –
‘accommodation’ bridge for farming
– dated 1926
»» Bridge No 62 – blue brick with steel
deck (similar to Bridge No 61) –
dated 1924
Character Area 7:
Cosgrove to the
River Great Ouse
»» *Bridge House, No 40 Bridge
Road – a two storey stone house
located close to the Canal and
presumably built as part of the road
improvements of c1800 – it retains
a date plaque of 1804
Published in April 2014 by South Northamptonshire Council | Council Offices, Springfields, Towcester NN12 6AE
01327 322 262 | [email protected] | www.southnorthants.gov.uk

Grand Union Canal - South Northamptonshire Council

Transcription

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