Avon Ring facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avon Ring
Kings Norton Junction and roving bridge over the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The start of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is at the top right.
Specifications
Length	109 miles (175 km)
Locks	129
Status	Canal ring
Navigation authority	Canal & River Trust

The Avon Ring is a fun canal ring located southwest of Birmingham in England. It's like a big watery loop that connects important towns. These towns include Stratford-upon-Avon, Evesham, Tewkesbury, and Worcester. It also reaches the southern edges of Birmingham.

This special route uses parts of four different waterways. It has many locks, which are like water elevators for boats. There are 129 locks in total along its 109 miles (175 km) journey.

Exploring the Avon Ring Route

A canal ring is a route designed for people who enjoy boating holidays. It lets them travel in a big circle without having to go back the same way. The idea of canal rings started in 1965. The Avon Ring journey usually takes about two weeks to complete.

The Avon Ring is made up of four main waterways:

• River Avon
• River Severn
• Worcester and Birmingham Canal
• Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

Starting at Stratford-upon-Avon

If you start your journey from Stratford-upon-Avon and travel clockwise, you'll first follow the River Avon. You'll pass through Evesham and eventually reach Tewkesbury. Here, the River Avon joins the mighty River Severn.

This part of the journey is about 42.2 miles (67.9 km) long. It has 17 locks. Ten of these locks are before Evesham, and seven are after. The River Avon is a "navigation," which means it's set up for boats. Each lock on a river has a weir next to it. A weir helps control the river's flow.

Cruising the River Severn

From Tewkesbury, the ring follows the River Severn upstream towards Worcester. This section is about 16 miles (26 km) long. It's mostly flat, which means there's only one lock. This single lock is at Diglis, just before you reach the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Journey on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal

When you join the Worcester and Birmingham Canal from the River Severn, you'll go through two locks to reach Diglis Basin. Then, eight more locks will lift you as the canal leaves Worcester.

Next, you'll find the Offerton flight of six locks. Soon after, the canal goes under the M5 motorway. You'll then enter the 230 yd (210 m) Dunhampstead tunnel.

After the tunnel, you'll see a connection to the Droitwich Canal. This canal was reopened for boats in 2011. Then come the Astwood flight with six locks, followed by another six locks at Stoke. Almost immediately after, you'll reach the famous Tardebigge Locks. This flight has 30 locks! They raise the canal's level by 217 ft (66 m).

The top lock of the Tardebigge flight means you've worked through 58 locks in just 15.5 miles (24.9 km)! The rest of this section is level. Two short tunnels follow: Tardebigge tunnel is 580 yd (530 m) long, and Shortwood tunnel is 613 yd (561 m) long.

The canal winds through the countryside of Worcestershire. It passes under the M42 motorway north of Alvechurch. Then, it enters the Wast Hills Tunnel. This tunnel is 2,726 yd (2,493 m) long. Its northern end is in Warwickshire, near the edge of Birmingham. Within a mile, you'll reach Kings Norton Junction. This is where the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal begins, and your 24.5 miles (39.4 km) journey up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal ends.

Navigating the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

Yarningdale aqueduct on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

The start of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal has a special guillotine lock. This lock used to stop water from flowing between the canals. Now, it's kept open.

The first eleven miles (18 km) of this canal is level. This includes a five-mile (8 km) section through a town with the 352 yd (322 m) Brandwood tunnel. There's also a six-mile (9.6 km) rural part that goes under the M42 motorway.

The Lapworth flight of 26 locks begins the descent towards Stratford-upon-Avon. The last lock is right near the M40 motorway bridge. Near locks 20 and 21, the Lapworth Link turns off. This link connects to the Grand Union Canal. You only need to use one of these two locks, as they are on parallel routes.

Another 27 locks complete the trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. Eleven of these are grouped together in the Wilmcote flight. The total length of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is 25.5 miles (41.0 km). It officially has 54 locks, but you only need to go through 52 of them.

Points of interest