Grand Union Canal has 346 locks and 691 recorded mooring sites (177 with a published Canal & River Trust time limit), plus 82 water points. There are currently 35 active navigation closures on this waterway.
Locks
346
Mooring sites
691
Timed moorings
177
Water points
82
Active navigation closures
Fallen tree south of Bridge 156
Mon, Jul 6
Lock 23 Stoke Hammond
Mon, Jul 13
Fallen tree at Water Eaton winding hole
Mon, Sep 21
Calcutt Locks
Mon, Aug 24
Bank Damage at Lock 36 Seabrook, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard
Fri, Mar 13
Sunken vessel at Horseshoe Weir
Thu, Jan 29
Sunken vessel at Bridge 200, Station Road
Wed, Nov 26
Relocation of Refuse Site – Knowle Locks
Mon, Nov 10
Between Bulls Bridge and Lock 97 on the Hanwell Flight
Wed, Oct 22
Cattle Creepy 10K - 29 October - Grand Union Canal
Thu, Oct 29 → Thu, Oct 29
Navigation Closure – Grand Union Canal: Lock 46 (Cowroast Lock) to Lock 39, Including Lock 45 (Marsworth Flight)
Mon, Oct 5
Blisworth Tunnel
Tue, Oct 6 → Tue, Oct 6
Apsley elsan
Thu, May 14
Stoke Bruerne Lock Flight
Tue, Jul 28
Relocation of Refuse Site - Hatton Top Lock Refuse Disposal
Mon, Nov 10
200 metres south of the M42 bridge, Knowle, Solihull
Thu, May 1
Navigation Restriction - Grand Union Canal, Norwood Top Lock 90 to Hanwell Flight 97, Hanwell
Mon, Aug 3
Advice 3rd Party Works - Between Bridge 176, Springwell Lane & Bridge 176E, Copper Mill Footbridge , Maple Cross
Tue, Jul 28 → Fri, Nov 6
Fosse top lock 20
Sat, Oct 3
Lock 23 Stoke Hammond
Wed, Jul 15
Bike in the water near lock 29 Church Lock
Fri, May 29
Bridge 24 Warwickshire Fly Boats, Long Itchington, Grand Union Canal
Sun, May 1
Lock 76, Cassiobury Park to Lock 77, Ironbridge Lock
Wed, Oct 21 → Mon, Oct 26
Braunston Lock Flight
Tue, Jul 28
Hatton Lock Flight (Locks 46 to 37)
Mon, Aug 3
Sunken vessel between Bridge 69 and Bridge 70
Wed, Sep 23
Giffard Park Customer Service Facilities
Wed, Sep 30 → Fri, Oct 16
Navigation Closure - Lock 86, Widewater Lock, Grand Union Canal,
Mon, Sep 28
Long Buckby Lock Flight
Tue, Jul 28
Bridge 163, Lady Capels to Bridge 151, Two Waters Road
Sun, Oct 18 → Sun, Oct 18
Sunken vessel Bridge 115C, Tiddenfoot Park Footbridge
Fri, Nov 28
Lock 21, Cosgrove Lock to Aqueduct, Iron Trunk
Wed, Oct 21 → Mon, Oct 26
Bridge 89, Golden Hillock Road to Aqueduct 2, Hay Mills
Sun, Oct 4 → Sun, Oct 4
Lock 84, Copper Mill Lock
Fri, Apr 24
Between Springwell Lock (83) and Coppermill Lock
Sat, Aug 22
What size boat fits?
Canal & River Trust publish these maxima for the Grand Union Canal. Treat them as a rough guide rather than a guarantee — an individual bridge hole, lock chamber or shallow pound can be tighter than the headline figure, and draught in particular varies with rainfall and silting.
Max length
72ft (21.95m)
Max beam
14ft (4.27m)
Max draught
4ft 3in (1.3m)
Headroom
8ft 9in (2.67m)
Source: Canal & River Trust waterway dimensions (rough guide).
Frequently asked questions
How many locks are on the Grand Union Canal?
There are 346 locks recorded on the Grand Union Canal, based on Canal & River Trust reference data.
Where can I moor on the Grand Union Canal?
691 mooring sites are recorded on the Grand Union Canal, of which 177 have a published time limit — usually 14 days, but shorter in busy spots. Visitor moorings and their time limits are shown on the Itchy Tiller map.
Is the Grand Union Canal open at the moment?
There are currently 35 active navigation closures affecting the Grand Union Canal. Details and dates are listed on this page.
What size boat can navigate the Grand Union Canal?
Maximum length 72ft (21.95m), maximum beam 14ft (4.27m), maximum draught 4ft 3in (1.3m), minimum headroom 8ft 9in (2.67m). These are Canal & River Trust's published figures for the Grand Union Canal and are a rough guide — check individual structures before committing to a passage.
Are there water points on the Grand Union Canal?
Yes — 82 water points are recorded on the Grand Union Canal. Their locations are shown on the Itchy Tiller map alongside rubbish disposal and Elsan points.
Plan a route or track your stay on the Grand Union Canal
Itchy Tiller shows this canal's locks, moorings and live closures on an interactive map, with route planning and mooring time-limit tracking built in.
Open the map