Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Canal

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WATERWAYS LICENCES

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Canal Licensing Information

Licence Required?

Yes - included in British Canoeing Membership

License Authority

Canal and River Trust

Further Information

The British Canoeing licence includes Brentford to Braunston and Napton to Birmingham. Paddlers should not paddle through the Blissworth tunnel without prior permission from the Canal and River Trust.

The 137-mile Grand Union Canal stretches from Birmingham to London. Along its length it has an impressive 158 locks.

Sprawling through impressive, lush countryside, the Grand Union is a great place for a multi-day adventure. It’s also a great place for those looking for more of a touring challenging.

Flowing through the towns of Solihull, Royal Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard, there are several arms to the Grand Union canal. These trail off from the main section, making interesting ‘mini-adventures’ for paddlers to explore. 

The arms which can be explored include the: Harborough Branch, Leicester Arm, Loughborough Navigation, Paddington Arm and Welford Arm to name just a few of the branches. That’s a lot of exploring on the canals! 

The Blisworth Tunnel is on this stretch of canal. Paddlers should not paddle through this tunnel without prior permission from the Canal & River Trust.