Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Canal

LaunchesPublic RoutesKnown HazardsParking
34
16
0
41
X

WATERWAYS LICENCES

Many waterways in England and Wales require a licence to paddle. Check the licence section below to see if this is one. Save money on your licence and secure paddling insurance by joining British Canoeing. Use our easy step RapidJoin process. Open the slider to join.

Welcome to PaddlePoints Waterways. These pages focus on individual bodies of water across the UK. On this page you'll find a map, launches, routes, licensing information, paddle trail downloads, services, and more about one particular river or canal. For the full PaddlePoints with search bar follow this link.

PaddlePoints can be accessed without creating a free account, but registering will allow you to map your own public and private routes on this waterway. You will also be able to comment on others' points, upload images, and create Personal Information Markers to receive updates about new routes and points.

You can use the buttons above to access map information on other waterways. Simply toggle the waterway to display it. If you do, note that the content surrounding the map area will remain the same. Use the green file icon next to the toggle if you want to open another dedicated river or canal page with relevant licensing information.

Use the icon above to access the legend. All map points, rivers, and canals information will appear in this section here. Click or tap a point on the map to display the information. Actual routes will appear on the map.

Canal Licensing Information

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.