RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandWest Midlands RegionWarwickshireStratford-On-AvonLong Itchington CP
Radford Skew Viaduct loop from Long Itchington CP
RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandWest Midlands RegionWarwickshireStratford-On-AvonLong Itchington CP
Radford Skew Viaduct loop from Long Itchington CP
Moderate
5
hikers
Radford Skew Viaduct loop from Long Itchington CP
03:51
14.9km
80m
Hiking
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: April 23, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Bus stop
Get Directions
1
344 m
Holy Trinity Church, Long Itchington
Highlight • Religious Site
Holy Trinity Church has its origins in the 1100s, undergoing modifications over the following years, with notable improvements undertaken during the 1400s.
The Millennium route runs alongside this church, which we can follow if we want to enjoy a pleasant run in the area.
The Millennium route runs alongside this church, which we can follow if we want to enjoy a pleasant run in the area.
Tip by
2
7.35 km
Radford Skew Viaduct
Highlight • Structure
This impressive railway viaduct crosses diagonally over the canal, positioned above the lock, and it currently has as a very nice section of a footpath and cycling route. This stands as a remarkable demonstration of Victorian engineering excellence and constitutes a significant component of the landscape corridor.
Tip by
3
8.07 km
Fosse Bottom Lock (Grand Union Canal Lock 22)
Highlight • Structure
This is the bottom of the three Fosse locks. The bottom Lock, 22, originally had a house and stabling until demolished.
Tip by
4
11.9 km
Bascote Lock No. 16 (Grand Union Canal)
Highlight • Bridge
Bascote locks form a flight of four locks on the Grand Union Canal, which is part of the British canal system and connects London and Birmingham. The lock flight has a staircase, and at the highest lock the remains of older narrow locks can be seen.
The locks are on a section of canal which was originally part of the Warwick and Napton Canal. When authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1794, it was intended to be a 17.8-mile (28.6 km) canal from a junction with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal at Warwick to the Grand Junction Canal at Braunston, and was called the Warwick and Braunston Canal. Construction began in 1795, but in August a yeoman from Barford called Charles Handley suggested that £50,000 could be saved if the canal terminated at Napton on the Oxford Canal instead of Braunston. A second act was obtained in 1796, authorising a new route from near Offchurch, where the canal crossed the Fosse Way Roman road, and the company became the Warwick and Napton Canal company. Bascote Locks are on this revised route, and would not have been built had the original route been followed.
The Grand Junction Canal were building their route from London to Braunston as a broad canal, and tried to persuade the Warwick and Napton Canal to do the same, but they were convinced that most traffic would come from the Birmingham system and the Dudley Canal, and built the locks suitable for 7-foot (2.1 m) boats. The canal opened on 19 March 1800, and the Grand Junction opened to Braunston later that year. The four Bascote locks are numbers 14 to 17 out of a total of 23 locks which descend from Napton, the final one of which is called Radford Bottom Lock, and is close to where the route as built left the planned route to Braunston. Two more locks raised the level again just before the junction with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal.
The Warwick and Napton Canal and the Birmingham and Warwick Canal both faced stiff competition from the railways, and declared themselves bankrupt in the early 1850s. The companies were reconstituted by the receiver, and continued to trade. From 1917, they were managed jointly, and on 1 January 1929, were sold to the Regent's Canal, and with the Grand Junction Canal, became part of the Grand Union Canal. In order to effectively compete, the new company wanted to upgrade the canals so that wide barges could be used between London and Birmingham. Their aim was to accommodate barges 12.5 feet (3.8 m) wide immediately, and ultimately to make the route suitable for 14-foot (4.3 m) barges. 52 locks on the two Warwick canals were converted into weirs, and 51 new locks, each 83.5 by 15 feet (25.5 by 4.6 m) were built. There was one less because the flight of six at Knowle was replaced by five. In order to give a depth of 5.5 feet (1.7 m), the height of weirs were raised or lock sills were lowered. As part of the work, the top two locks at Bascote were made into a staircase pair. Although the Duke of Kent performed an opening ceremony on 30 October 1934 at the top lock of the Hatton flight, to mark the completion of the project, work continued until 1937. One 12.5 feet (3.8 m) boat was built, but without widening the bottom of the canal, there were many places where two such boats could not pass, and the new locks were used by pairs of narrow boats.
In common with many of the locks on this section of the canal, the remains of the original locks can still be seen beside the newer ones. The four locks raise the level of the canal by 26.75 feet (8.15 m). Below the bottom lock, the canal is level for 0.4 miles (0.64 km) to Welsh Road Lock, and above the top lock, it is level for 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to Itchington Bottom Lock. The paddles on the locks reflect the style of the Warwick and Napton Canal, and are different from those further south, where the canal was built by the Grand Junction company.
The locks are on a section of canal which was originally part of the Warwick and Napton Canal. When authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1794, it was intended to be a 17.8-mile (28.6 km) canal from a junction with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal at Warwick to the Grand Junction Canal at Braunston, and was called the Warwick and Braunston Canal. Construction began in 1795, but in August a yeoman from Barford called Charles Handley suggested that £50,000 could be saved if the canal terminated at Napton on the Oxford Canal instead of Braunston. A second act was obtained in 1796, authorising a new route from near Offchurch, where the canal crossed the Fosse Way Roman road, and the company became the Warwick and Napton Canal company. Bascote Locks are on this revised route, and would not have been built had the original route been followed.
The Grand Junction Canal were building their route from London to Braunston as a broad canal, and tried to persuade the Warwick and Napton Canal to do the same, but they were convinced that most traffic would come from the Birmingham system and the Dudley Canal, and built the locks suitable for 7-foot (2.1 m) boats. The canal opened on 19 March 1800, and the Grand Junction opened to Braunston later that year. The four Bascote locks are numbers 14 to 17 out of a total of 23 locks which descend from Napton, the final one of which is called Radford Bottom Lock, and is close to where the route as built left the planned route to Braunston. Two more locks raised the level again just before the junction with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal.
The Warwick and Napton Canal and the Birmingham and Warwick Canal both faced stiff competition from the railways, and declared themselves bankrupt in the early 1850s. The companies were reconstituted by the receiver, and continued to trade. From 1917, they were managed jointly, and on 1 January 1929, were sold to the Regent's Canal, and with the Grand Junction Canal, became part of the Grand Union Canal. In order to effectively compete, the new company wanted to upgrade the canals so that wide barges could be used between London and Birmingham. Their aim was to accommodate barges 12.5 feet (3.8 m) wide immediately, and ultimately to make the route suitable for 14-foot (4.3 m) barges. 52 locks on the two Warwick canals were converted into weirs, and 51 new locks, each 83.5 by 15 feet (25.5 by 4.6 m) were built. There was one less because the flight of six at Knowle was replaced by five. In order to give a depth of 5.5 feet (1.7 m), the height of weirs were raised or lock sills were lowered. As part of the work, the top two locks at Bascote were made into a staircase pair. Although the Duke of Kent performed an opening ceremony on 30 October 1934 at the top lock of the Hatton flight, to mark the completion of the project, work continued until 1937. One 12.5 feet (3.8 m) boat was built, but without widening the bottom of the canal, there were many places where two such boats could not pass, and the new locks were used by pairs of narrow boats.
In common with many of the locks on this section of the canal, the remains of the original locks can still be seen beside the newer ones. The four locks raise the level of the canal by 26.75 feet (8.15 m). Below the bottom lock, the canal is level for 0.4 miles (0.64 km) to Welsh Road Lock, and above the top lock, it is level for 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to Itchington Bottom Lock. The paddles on the locks reflect the style of the Warwick and Napton Canal, and are different from those further south, where the canal was built by the Grand Junction company.
Tip by
5
13.1 km
Bascote Bridge No. 27 (Grand Union Canal)
Highlight • Bridge
Bascote Bridge No 27 is a minor waterways place on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) between Napton Junction (Junction of Grand Union and Oxford Canals) (4 miles and 7¾ furlongs and 13 locks to the east) and Budbrooke Junction (Junction of Saltisford Arm and Grand Union Main Line) (9 miles and 1¼ furlongs and 12 locks to the west).
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bascote Railway Viaduct No 26A (disused); 2¾ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Toll House Bridge No 28; 5 furlongs away.
There is access (via steps) to the towpath here.
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bascote Railway Viaduct No 26A (disused); 2¾ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Toll House Bridge No 28; 5 furlongs away.
There is access (via steps) to the towpath here.
Tip by
6
13.6 km
Bascote Railway Viaduct No. 26A (Disused), Grand Union Canal
Highlight • Bridge
Bascote Railway Viaduct No 26A (disused) is a minor waterways place on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) between Napton Junction (Junction of Grand Union and Oxford Canals) (4 miles and 5 furlongs and 13 locks to the east) and Budbrooke Junction (Junction of Saltisford Arm and Grand Union Main Line) (9 miles and 3¾ furlongs and 12 locks to the west).
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bascote Aqueduct; 1½ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Bridge No 27; 2¾ furlongs away.
There is access (via steps) to the towpath here.
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bascote Aqueduct; 1½ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Bridge No 27; 2¾ furlongs away.
There is access (via steps) to the towpath here.
Tip by
7
14.0 km
Bascote Aqueduct, Grand Union Canal
Highlight • River
Bascote Aqueduct is a minor waterways place on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) between Napton Junction (Junction of Grand Union and Oxford Canals) (4 miles and 3½ furlongs and 13 locks to the east) and Budbrooke Junction (Junction of Saltisford Arm and Grand Union Main Line) (9 miles and 5½ furlongs and 12 locks to the west).
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bickley's Bridge No 26; ¾ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Railway Viaduct No 26A (disused); 1½ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Bickley's Bridge No 26; ¾ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Railway Viaduct No 26A (disused); 1½ furlongs away.
Tip by
8
14.1 km
Bickley's Bridge No. 26 (Grand Union Canal)
Highlight • Bridge
Bickley's Bridge No 26 is a minor waterways place on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) between Napton Junction (Junction of Grand Union and Oxford Canals) (4 miles and 2½ furlongs and 13 locks to the east) and Budbrooke Junction (Junction of Saltisford Arm and Grand Union Main Line) (9 miles and 6¼ furlongs and 12 locks to the west).
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Cuttle Bridge No 25 (Long Itchington); 1 furlong away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Aqueduct; ¾ furlongs away.
The nearest place in the direction of Napton Junction is Cuttle Bridge No 25 (Long Itchington); 1 furlong away.
The nearest place in the direction of Budbrooke Junction is Bascote Aqueduct; ¾ furlongs away.
Tip by
B
14.9 km
End point
Bus stop
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
7.82 km
3.89 km
2.21 km
957 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
3.59 km
3.54 km
2.25 km
2.24 km
1.92 km
1.36 km
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Monday 18 May
17°C
9°C
98 %
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Max wind speed: 26.0 km/h
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