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Braunston Marina to Stoke Bruerne by narrowboat

It is 20 miles and 13 locks from Braunston Marina to Stoke Bruerne, about 9 hours 1 minutes of cruising, comfortably done in 2 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 8 active stoppages on its waterways (last checked 28 Aug 2026).

20 miles
13 locks
9 h 1 min cruising
2 days at 6 h/day

Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.

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A short, satisfying hop down the Grand Union main line: up the Braunston flight, through Braunston Tunnel, and along the wooded summit to Norton Junction before descending the Buckby flight at Whilton. The finale is the mile-and-three-quarter Blisworth Tunnel, one of the longest navigable tunnels in Britain, which emerges right beside the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, arguably the prettiest canal village on the network.

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)

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
    10.58 mi 0 locks 3 h 1 min arrive ~11:01

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 Stoke Bruerne to Braunston Marina covers the same water, the same 20 miles and 13 locks, again over about 2 days - only the overnight moorings shift.

Reverse day-by-day plan
  1. Day 1: 15.71 mi, 6 locks - overnight Weltonfield Narrowboats
  2. Day 2: 4.48 mi, 7 locks
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Start and finish

Braunston Marina

Where this cruise sets off.

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Stoke Bruerne

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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