Our 1/2 day river trip starting at Mortimer Park in Stony Stratford should take no longer that 4 hours to complete. Canoing gently down river you will firstly have to negotiate Stratford weir before passing under Long Plank footbridge which links the footpath between Passenham and Stony Stratford. Evidence of this passage has been found linking this route since the Iron Age. The next bridge is called Bridge Meadow which links Old Stratford to Stony Stratford and was constructed in 1833 and was opened to traffic in 1835. It was built following the collapse of the much older wooden bridge under the weight of a load of machinery bound for Birmingham. The original bridge was built to cross the Ouse Marshes and was the first major river crossing on the route to and from London. Famously on 6th November 1830, the Crown Prince Coach was caught by the flooded river. The occupants clung to the stage coach in fear of their lives and had to be rescued. Continuing down river you will pass under the A5 duel carriage bridge before having to negotiate Wolverton weir. Once back in the canoe the river shallows before passing directly under the Iron Trunk aquaduct which carries the Grand Union Canal 40 feet above you. Why not stop off for a break here and learn all about the history on how the Victorians built this magnificant structure over 200 years ago. Explore the iconic Grand Union Canal Iron Trunk Aqueduct opened in 1811 as it is one of the oldest iron structures on Britain’s canals and was a triumph of engineering, cutting out a tricky river crossing for the boatmen on the canal. Learn how they built it by hand and how they navigated the Grand Union Canal before it was built. See if you can find 1 of the 8 original locks used before the iron trunk aqueduct was opened in 1811. Continuing down river you will pass Cosgrove lodge country park before arriving at Wolverton viaduct which is the finishing point for this trip. This structure was built in 1838 at a cost of 30,000 and in 1878 – 82 the width was doubled, this carries the first main train lines to and from London.

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Free car parking at start point