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Braunston Marina to Foxton by narrowboat

It is 27 miles and 22 locks from Braunston Marina to Foxton, about 13 hours 31 minutes of cruising, comfortably done in 3 days at 6 hours a day. The route is checked against live closure notices from the Canal & River Trust and the other navigation authorities, and is currently planned around the 7 active stoppages on its waterways (last checked 28 Aug 2026).

27 miles
22 locks
13 h 31 min cruising
3 days at 6 h/day

Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.

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This is the classic Leicester line cruise: out of Braunston past the historic boatyards, up the Braunston flight and through Braunston Tunnel to Norton Junction, then north onto the quiet summit pound of the Grand Union’s Leicester line. The route works through the narrow Watford flight, slips through Crick and Husbands Bosworth tunnels, and finishes at the top of the famous staircase locks at Foxton, the longest flight of staircases in the country.

The route in words

Waterways on this route, in order:

  • Braunston Tunnel (tunnel, 1.17 miles in)
  • Crick Tunnel (tunnel, 7.88 miles in)
  • Husbands Bosworth Tunnel (tunnel, 21.18 miles in)
  • Braunston flight (lock flight, 6 locks)
  • Watford flight (lock flight, 7 locks)
  • Foxton Locks (lock flight, 9 locks)
  • Watford Locks (staircase locks)
  • Foxton Locks (staircase locks)

Junctions along the way: Norton Junction, Welford Junction.

The route works 1 movable (swing or lift) bridge.

Day by day

  1. Day 1
    9.6 mi 13 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Crick Marina
  2. Day 2
    17.47 mi 4 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Mooring
  3. Day 3
    0.13 mi 5 locks 1 h 32 min arrive ~09:32

Live closures on this route

Most planners list stoppages and leave you to plot around them. Canal Nav checks every live notice and plans this route around anything blocking - automatically, each time it is recalculated.

20 live notices on this route's waterways (last checked 28 Aug 2026, 04:15). The live map routes around anything blocking.

Coming back the other way

The return from Foxton to Braunston Marina covers the same water, the same 27 miles and 22 locks, again over about 3 days - only the overnight moorings shift.

Reverse day-by-day plan
  1. Day 1: 12.24 mi, 8 locks - overnight Mooring
  2. Day 2: 14.09 mi, 6 locks - overnight Mooring
  3. Day 3: 0.88 mi, 6 locks
Plan the return on the live map

Start and finish

Braunston Marina

Where this cruise sets off.

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Foxton

Journey's end.

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More routes to plan

More routes from Braunston Marina

Routes sharing this water

Cruising rings touching this route

  • Warwickshire Ring 104 miles, 118 locks - a signposted circuit you can join from this route
  • Leicester Ring 150 miles, 101 locks - a signposted circuit you can join from this route

Plan it properly

Distances and times are planning estimates (last computed 6 Aug 2026). Always check live closures on the map before setting off.

Cruising Braunston Marina way? Plan it in minutes.

Turn-by-turn routing with live closures, lock counts and day planning - free.

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