Distance Markers: Oxford Canal

The Oxford canal is in two sections. The North Oxford canal runs from Hawkesbury down to Braunston where it shares the waterway with the Grand Union canal until Napton where it becomes the South Oxford canal until meeting the River Thames at Oxford.

The South Oxford canal is 49 ¼ miles long; the stretch shared with the Grand Union is 5 miles long; the North Oxford canal 27 ¾ miles long.

There are seven locks on the North Oxford and 36 on the South Oxford with none on the stretch shared with the Grand Union.

The Hawkesbury to Banbury stretch was opened in 1778 and from Banbury to Oxford in 1790.

As an early canal the Oxford was built as a contour canal but due to competition from the Grand Union many sections at the northern end were straightened in the 1820s. This meant building embankments and digging cuttings reducing the original length of the North Oxford canal by 14 miles to its current day length.

We have only found distance markers at the southern end.  These are made of stone but the cast iron plates that showed distances are no longer present.

This is two miles from the terminus in Oxford

This is three miles from the terminus in Oxford

I have included this stone as I don't know where else to put it - it could be a boundary stone or something to do with the canal.  It's by Dukes Cut lock.

Not sure what this is at Duke's junction (OCC = Oxford Canal Company or Oxford County Council?)