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Braunston Marina to Little Venice by narrowboat

It is 100 miles and 90 locks from Braunston Marina to Little Venice, about 51 hours 6 minutes of cruising, comfortably done in 9 days at 6 hours a day. The route is checked against live closure notices - 10 active stoppages currently affect its waterways, and the plan below works around or waits out what it can (last checked 28 Aug 2026).

100 miles
90 locks
51 h 6 min cruising
9 days at 6 h/day

Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.

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The Grand Union main line from Braunston to London is the great trunk route of the southern network, climbing through Braunston Tunnel then dropping steadily off the summit through the Buckby and Stoke Bruerne flights and the long Blisworth Tunnel. Beyond Milton Keynes and the Chiltern summit at Tring the canal winds down into west London, joining the lock-free Paddington Arm for the final glide into Little Venice. A hundred miles and roughly ninety locks, it is a genuine expedition with pubs, marinas and mooring rings the whole way.

The route in words

Waterways on this route, in order:

  • Braunston Tunnel (tunnel, 1.17 miles in)
  • Blisworth Tunnel (tunnel, 18.08 miles in)
  • Braunston flight (lock flight, 6 locks)
  • Buckby flight (lock flight, 7 locks)
  • Stoke Bruerne flight (lock flight, 7 locks)
  • Stoke Hammond flight (lock flight, 3 locks)
  • Great Gap flight (lock flight, 3 locks)
  • Marsworth flight (lock flight, 7 locks)
  • Cow Roast flight (lock flight, 3 locks)
  • Winkwell flight (lock flight, 15 locks)
  • Moorend flight (lock flight, 6 locks)
  • Primrosehill flight (lock flight, 3 locks)
  • Hunton Bridge flight (lock flight, 3 locks)
  • Holywell Estate flight (lock flight, 3 locks)

Junctions along the way: Norton Junction, Gayton Junction.

Day by day

  1. Day 1
    9.61 mi 13 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Stowe Hill Marine
  2. Day 2
    14.84 mi 7 locks 5 h 59 min arrive ~13:59
    Overnight: Yardley Wharf
  3. Day 3
    17.89 mi 3 locks 5 h 52 min arrive ~13:52
  4. Day 4
    9.84 mi 12 locks 5 h 49 min arrive ~13:49
    Overnight: Marina
  5. Day 5
    7.83 mi 15 locks 5 h 59 min arrive ~13:59
  6. Day 6
    6.12 mi 17 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Apsley Marina
  7. Day 7
    8.27 mi 14 locks 5 h 52 min arrive ~13:52
    Overnight: Bury Lake Young Mariners (BLYM)
  8. Day 8
    13.11 mi 9 locks 6 h 0 min arrive ~14:00
    Overnight: Spikes Bridge Mooring
  9. Day 9
    12.61 mi 0 locks 3 h 36 min arrive ~11:36

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 Little Venice to Braunston Marina covers the same water, the same 100 miles and 90 locks, again over about 9 days - only the overnight moorings shift.

Reverse day-by-day plan
  1. Day 1: 19.24 mi, 2 locks - overnight Denham Marina
  2. Day 2: 10.08 mi, 12 locks
  3. Day 3: 7.5 mi, 15 locks
  4. Day 4: 6.98 mi, 16 locks - overnight Cow Roast Marina
  5. Day 5: 6.99 mi, 16 locks - overnight Grove Lock Marina
  6. Day 6: 13.98 mi, 8 locks - overnight Campbell Wharf Marina
  7. Day 7: 15.01 mi, 6 locks - overnight Mooring
  8. Day 8: 15.38 mi, 6 locks - overnight Whilton Marina
  9. Day 9: 4.95 mi, 9 locks
Plan the return on the live map

Start and finish

Braunston Marina

Where this cruise sets off.

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Little Venice

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

  • 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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