The Leicester Canal - Crick Tunnel section.

For anyone walking or cycling once you leave Watford Locks the towpath is much more grassy and gets increasingly muddy particularly as you approach Crick Tunnel. In some places it is quite difficult to get along due to semi-collapse and because of how narrow the towpath becomes. It's awkward enough to walk along this is part of the towpath so probably not the best place to take your bicycle especially if there has been recent wet weather.
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Kilsby Roadbridge no.8
Kilsby Roadbridge 8
Kilsby Roadbridge no.8 crossing The Leicester Canal, England.
Kilsby Roadbridge
Bridge no.9, Leicester Canal, England.
Bridge
9
The Leicester Canal being crossed by Bridge no.9
Bridge 9
Canal Bridge no.9a, Leicester Canal, England.
Bridge 9a
Leicester Canal Bridge no.9a
Bridge 9a
Bridge no.10 goes over The Leicester Canal, England.
Bridge
10
Leicester Canal Section Bridge 10
Bridge 10

Crick Tunnel and The Leicester Section of The Grand Union Canal.

Built in 1814 by engineers James Barnes and Benjamin Bevan, Crick Tunnel is 1528 yards long - the tunnel is just about wide enough for two narrow boats to pass. There is no towpath through the tunnel and it suffers from constant dripping inside making the trip through quite a damp experience for boaters. If you plan on continuing on to Crick leave the towpath by a steepish wide grassy path on the right to reach a track which soon arrives at Watford Road - go left along the road into Crick. Walkers can then turn right down Boat Horse Lane (no prizes for guessing why the lane has that name..) and where the lane bends sharply left take a path straight ahead marked "West Haddon" - follow this as it goes downhill and half left across a field to arrive a few hundred metres from the north end of Crick Tunnel. However Cyclists need to continue on into Crick along Watford Road - High Street - then turn right along Main Road and soon get back to the towpath at Canal Bridge 12.
South Portal of Crick Tunnel, Leicester Canal, England.
Crick Tunnel S
Crick Tunnel southern portal, The Leicester Canal, England.
Tunnel entrance
Crick Tunnel North Portal, The Leicester Canal.
N Portal Crick Tunnel
Northern Portal of Crick Tunnel - The Leicester Canal in England.
Crick Tunnel N
Leicester Canal Bridge no.11
Bridge 11
Bridge 11 crossing The Leicester Canal, England.
Bridge 10
Crick Wharf and The Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Bridge
Leicester Canal Bridge 12
Canal Bridge 12
Canal Bridge 12, Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Bridge 12
What was this for on a Leicester Canal Bridge
Something hanging off Bridge 12
Crick Marina, The Leicester Canal
Crick's Marina
Canal Syphon near Crick on The Leicester Canal
Canal Syphon
Crick Lodge Bridge no:13 crossing The Leicester Canal, England.
Crick Lodge Bridge 13
Leicester Canal - Crick Lodge Bridge 13
Crick Lodge Bridge 13
Canal footbridge no:14, Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Foot Bridge 14
Leicester Section - Canal Footbridge 14
Foot bridge 14

Apart from the nice bridges along this part of the Leicester Canal Section sometimes there are other bits and pieces to look at - for instance the picture two rows above - whatever this was on Bridge 12 by Crick Wharf - it seems to be a water outlet - surely not gas?. To say the Leicester Canal has some wondrous bends is an understatement - an example of it's contour following habit is the 4.5 mile route it takes between Crick Lodge Bridge and Elkington Bridge where it performs two huge bends (plus a couple of smaller bends within these). The average crow would probably fly for around 2.5 miles if travelling between these bridges.

Leicester Canal Bridge 15
Canal Bridge 15
Grassy towpath and Leicester Canal Bridge 15
Canal Bridge 15
Bridge 16 crosses The Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Bridge 16
Leicester Canal Bridge no:16
Canal Bridge 16
Leicester Canal Bridge 17.
Bridge 17
Bridge no:17 over The Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Bridge 17
Leicester Canal Bridge 18
Canal Bridge 18
Canal Bridge 18 on the Leicester Section
Canal Bridge 18
Skew Bridge no:19, Leicester Canal, England.
Skew Bridge
Leicester Canal Section and Skew Bridge
Skew Bridge - 19
Canal Bridge 20 crossing The Leicester Canal Section of The Grand Union Canal.
Canal Bridge 20
Leicester Canal Bridge 20
Canal Bridge 20
Leicester Section - Canal Bridge 21
Canal Bridge 21
Bridge 21 going over The Leicester Canal, England.
Canal Bridge 21
Haddon Roadbridge no:22, Leicester Canal, England.
Bridge 22
Leicester Canal and Haddon Roadbridge 22
Haddon Roadbridge 22
Darker's Bridge no:23 crosses The Leicester Canal, England.
Darker's Bridge 23
Leicester Section and Darker's Bridge going over the canal.
Darker's Bridge 23
Smart's Bridge 24 over The Leicester Canal, England.
Smart's Bridge 24
Leicester Canal Smart's Bridge no:24
Canal Bridge 24
Chester's Bridge 25 crosses The Leicester Canal, England.
Chester's Bridge 25
Towpath leading to Chester's Bridge on The Leicester Canal.
Chester's Bridge
Clay Barn Bridge over The Leicester Canal.
Clay Barn Bridge
Bridge 26 - Clay Barn Bridge crossing The Leicester Canal, England.
Clay Barn Bridge 26
The section of the Canal preceding the above can be found on our
The Leicester Canal - Norton Junction to Watford Staircase Locks
and the next part of the Canal is covered on our
The Leicester Canal - Mountain Barn Bridge to Welford Canal Junction
All of our items about The Leicester Canal Section (including Foxton Locks) as well as The Grand Union Canal and it's Arms can be found on our Grand Union Canal in England Home Page. Also find on the Home Page links to our topics on other Canals and Rivers in England i.e. The Stratford-on-Avon Canal, The Kennet and Avon Canal, The River Thames and Thames Path, The Regents Canal, River Stort and River Lee.
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