LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

I drove to Braunston and parked in the car park of the 'Boat House' public house alongside the Grand Union Canal. I met Larry in the car park, then we walked the short distance to the A45 bridge so we could cross the canal to the towpath on the south side. We continued west along the towpath, passing the pub on the north bank and numerous moored narrow boats locked up because the occupants were refreshing themselves in the pub. We reached the canal fork where the Grand Union Canal meets the northern arm of the 'Oxford Canal' towards Coventry. We crossed the canal at the junction to the northern bank of the Grand Union Canal, using two very attractive, ornate, white humpback bridges, as a narrow boat passed, heading towards Braunston. It was a steady walk along the canal, passing the River Leam over an aqueduct (near its source) and the bridge ramparts of the old 'Great Central' railway. We followed the canal further, along the 100 metre contour of Bush Hill, crossing more old bridge ramparts, this time of the old Leamington-Rugby loop line. There the canal formed an 'S' bend, but before the bends were completed we left the canal at Bridge No. 101 to follow the lane up Bush Hill to Nethercote. It was a steady climb up the hill to the road junction at Nethercote where we turned right to Flecknoe. Continuing through the village, we passed the 'Olive Bush' public house and Boundary Farm where we passed several 'British Saddleback' pigs lazing around on straw. We then passed the old vicarage plot of the medieval village of Wolfhampcote by the intersection of the two old railways, the LNER 'Great Central' and the LMS 'Rugby-Leamington-Coventry-Nuneaton loop line'. Because the lines were run by different companies there was never any interconnection between the lines at this point. It was a short distance to the old village church of St Peter which was locked so we couldn't explore the interior. Soon after we continued, passing lambs on the road near the River Leam stream, then the site of the old medieval village of Braunstonbury (nothing visible) before returning back to the A45 main road, the canal bridge and the car park to the Boat House pub. a great walk with Larry, very varies and most enjoyable.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk
'Boat House public House car park.

Hazards: None.