The Stratford and Avon Canal

The Stratford and Avon Canal is a narrow canal that runs from the Worcester and Birmingham canal from the Kings Norton junction to the River Avon at Stratford-on-Avon, where it terminates at Bancroft Basin, a distance  of 25 miles with access to the Grand Union Canal at Lapworth Junction. It cuts through some delightful countryside, including through the Forest of Arden. It also passed through several small villages such as Preston Baggot, Wootton Wawen and Wilmcote, with interesting names and histories and often connection with Shakespeare himself.

 The Canal was first authorised by a Parliamentary Acts if 1793, with two more in 1795 and 1799. Work began with William Clowes, the appointed Engineer in 1793, but ran into financial problems by the time it had reached Hockley Heath in 1796 and did not recommence again until 1800, by which time Samual Porter had taken the post of Engineer ( a former assistant ) after Samual Porter’s death. Work then continued as far as Kings wood Junction before again halting, this time until 1812. The delay reflected the company’s priority of building a link to London rather than a link to Stratford. Renewed interest in the Stratford link being sparked by William James of Stratford , who owned the Upper Avon Navigation.

The canal finally reached Stratford in 1816, with a connection to the Avon authorised the year earlier.

1856 saw the canal purchased by the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, which became part of the Great Western Railway in 1863.

While the canal was never actually abandoned by the 1930’s it had fallen into a state of poor repair and was effectively only preserved as a water supply to the Engine Sheds at Stratford (steam engines) and at least one bridge was blocking the canal, to which Lord Methuen made objection in the House of Lords in 1947 and was given the assurance that the obstruction would be lifted if anyone required passage. The Inland Waterways Association duly gave notice that they required passage in May 1947 and the bridge was jacked up to let the boat through, though the passage was not an easy one due to the state of the canal. The right of passage was then demanded again the following year and by this means attention was draw to both the obstruction, which was eventually removed and the poor state of the canal.

1958 saw an attempt by Warwickshire County Council to have the canal officially abandoned ( it wanted to lower bridges ), but sufficient objection was raised by the Inland waterways Association to save the waterway.

The Waterway then passed into the hands of the National Trust, who initiated the process of restoration using volunteer labour including prisoners from Winson Green prison. The waterway was reopened in 1964 and run as a Toll charged private navigation until taken over by British Waterways in 1988.

The preservation of this waterway was an Iconic landmark for the campaign to restore the national canal system.