Looking from a bridge, moored boats on the left of the canal on a sunny day

Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal is a truly beautiful waterway, winding through quaint villages and a stunning stretch of countryside.

This 77.5 mile canal spans both our London & South East and West Midlands regions, and takes you from the beautiful university city of Oxford to the three spires of Coventry. The southern part of the canal remains largely unaltered, its winding course untouched by mid-19th century straightening programmes. This section is dotted with simple black-and-white lift bridges.

Flowers over the Oxford Canal at Banbury

Boating the Oxford Canal

All you need to know about boating the Oxford Canal

Things to do on the Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal offers some great destinations for a family day out. Download free fun-packed local maps and activity sheets for these areas and make the most of your trip to the canal.

Canal walk in Oxford

Enjoy a level walk along the Oxford Canal from Isis Lock to Duke's Cut.

A water vole sits in the opening of a round pipe that hangs over the water. The water vole is reflected in the water.

Spot a water vole

The canal is home to a rich variety of wildlife, with special measures for water voles

Walk along the Oxford Canal from Pigeons Lock

Oxford Canal walk from Pigeons Lock

This quiet walk from Pigeons Bridge to Lower Heyford makes the perfect leisurely amble

Father and two children walking on a towpath

Oxford Canal walk to Dashwood Lock

This 2km walk takes you for a country stroll along a quiet section of the rural Oxford Canal.

Places to visit near the Oxford Canal

A mural on a bridge wall of a traditional working boat surrounded by an industrial building and two people in period clothing.

History of the Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal is among the earliest of cuts in the canal age

Where does the water come from?
South Oxford Canal
The South Oxford Canal, from Napton Locks south to Oxford has multiple water sources. Its summit pound is prodominently reservoir fed and its lower reaches are river fed. North of Cropredy the water come primarily from reservoirs on the canal summit (Clattercote, Boddington and Wormleighton), supplimented by water being pumped up Napton Locks from the Braunston Pound and its Reservoirs near Daventry.
For over 20 miles, from Cropredy, through Banbury, to Thrupp, just north of Kidlington the South Oxford Canal runs alongside the River Cherwell, which provies multiple feeds to it.
From south Kidlington to its end in Oxford the canal runs alongside the Rier Thames. Water feeds the canal from several channels of the Thames and the canal drops down to the Castle Mill Stream channel at Isis Lock.
Flow in many of these feeders is uncontrolled, but at the Cropredy an adjustable titling steel river weir raises the level of the River Cherwell to divert water into the canal when needed.
Claydon Locks
Claydon Locks are a flight of 5 Locks descending south from the Oxford Canal Summit, the highest part of the canal. The water in Claydon Locks comes from the summit pound, which in turn is fed by three reservoirs, Beddington, Clattercote and Wormleighton. The summit pound is also fed by Napton pumps which recirculate lockage from the summit and also take water from the Braunston Pound.
The Oxford Summit is a 16.2km lock free stretch between Napton Locks and Claydon Locks.
Hillmorton
The River Swift supplies water to the three pairs of locks, about five miles away at Hillmorton on the Oxford Canal, near Rugby. River water is transferred along the disused Brownsover Arm to the lower canal level. Pumps lift water to the top of the locks when needed. Water also feeds the Top Lock from reservoirs further south, and small feeders (diverted streams).
The River Swift supplies water to the lower section of the canal via the Brownsover Arm. Daventry and Drayton Reservirs are the nearest reservoirs are the nearest reservoirs supplying Hillmorton Top Lock from the south. Reservoirs on the South Oxford Summit also contribute to the water supply.
Hillmorton Locks is one of the busiest places on the canal network, with the locks typlically being used over 8,500 times a year. Each lock uses about 100,000 litres every time it fills and empties.
Napton Locks
Napton Locks are a flight of 9 locks descending from the Oxford Summit to the Braunston Pound on the Oxford Canal. The main source of water here comes from the three summit reservoirs: Beddington, Clattercote and Wormleighton. There are also back pumps at Napton which recirculate lockage water from the Braunston Pound back up to the summit.
Napton Reservoir is a balancing reservoir located three miles downstream of Napton Locks on the Grand Union Canal. Napton Reservoir is used to store and reuse lockage water pumped back up the Calcutt Lock Flight onto the Brauston Pound.