Blisworth

Less than half a mile from yesterday's busy scene at Stoke Bruerne, the Grand Union Canal disappears through the wooded hillside into Blisworth Tunnel. At 2794 metres long, it is the 7th longest canal tunnel built in the UK and the 3rd longest currently navigable.

There are stories of boaters seeing another tunnel that is lit up, branching off in the middle of Blisworth Tunnel. What is spooky is that these sightings seem to be at a point where the present tunnel crossed the original line, which collapsed with the loss of 14 lives. The original route had to be abandoned because of the unstable ground.

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Stoke Bruerne

There is always a busy canalside scene at Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire. The Canal Museum and a cluster of pubs at the top of the flight of 7 locks makes the village a popular destination for visitors and a popular overnight mooring for boaters.

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Stoke Bruerne

The top of the six locks at Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire. The disused
parallel lock chamber here was later used to house a boat weighing cradle.
Just beyond the lock is the Waterways Museum. Blisworth Tunnel is just half
a mile ahead.

See Google Aerial View of this
location.

Blisworth

A misty September morning on the Grand Union Canal at Blisworth, half a mile north of the tunnel. [Contributed by Phil Irons, Nova Scotia]

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