trip boat at Blunder Lock Stroudwater
Navigation Guide

The map gives an indication of the available lengths covered by the navigation license available from the Cotswold Canals Trust.

The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and the first part of the Stroudwater Navigation as far as Whitminster Lock belong to British Waterways. BW Licenses are available from Gloucester Lock.

It is expected that the River Frome will be used to carry the navigation upstream of Whitminster Lock eventually but there is no right to use the river at present and its use is not covered by the CCT License.

Use of the length of original canal from the point where it leaves the Frome to the A38 (Section 1 ) is covered by the CCT license and can be used by craft which can be portaged.

The canal is infilled between the A38 and Oldbury Brook which crosses the canal near the bottom of the Eastington Flight of Locks.

Section 2 commences above the site if Westfield Lock and extends to Ryeford Lock, a distance of almost 3 miles. From the head of Pike Lock to the culverted railway crossing, the navigation has been restored for larger canal craft (section 2b ). Access is via the slipway just upstream of Pike Lock.

It should be noted that the length east of Bonds Mill Bridge can be particularly weedy and that operation of the lift bridge requires plenty of notice and may not be possible at times.

For shallow draughted craft of less than 1.5m beam and capable of passing structures with low headrooms, it is possible to navigate to Ryeford Lock without portaging.

Section 2 currently ends at Ryeford Double Lock. The length upstream of here is dry and there is currently a significant infilled length.

Section 3 is probably only suitable for canoes and similar craft. In this length canal , the water level has been lowered and channelled into the centre of the canal bed. There can be a significant flow of water here as 3 local streams discharge into the canal. Portaging is necessary around the two locks at Dudbridge. Because of the lowered level of water, headroom under the fixed swing bridges in the section is not usually a problem.

Towards the end of the Stroudwater Navigation, there is a shallow weir across the canal bed.

Boat Licensing Navigation Status Safety Back to Stroudwater Index Page