Our 1 day river trip starting at Mortimer Park in Stony Stratford should take no longer that 8 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. 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.
Just under the Wolverton Viaduct if the water levels are low, it may be necessary to get out of the canoe to negotiate Wolverton Viaduct weir, this is offten to shallow to pass over in the summer with a very small drop over some rocks. But after some rain you would not notice this weir as you would simply canoe over it with the raised water level. From there you will canoe under the Haversham to Wolverton road bridge, just sit back, relax and enjoy the tranquil country side, views and wildlife passing by. Kingfishers are offten spotted in this section of the river after New Bradwell. There are no further weirs to negotiate until arriving at Haversham weir
At Haversham weir it is nessasary to get out of the canoe to navigate this weir and continue canoeing on the other side. From here to the finish in Newport pagnell most of the land is private. where the river forks keep left and under little Linford road bridge is a weir. For canoeist wanting some excitement and fun this can be run, otherwise it would be wise for a non thrill seekers to navigate the weir by getting out of the canoe and crossing the country road. Canoe left at the next 2 forks in the river and pass under the M1 bridge. Shortly after the Mi bridge is a weir which will need to be negotiated before reaching Newport Pagnel weir. This is the finishing point for this trip.
Free car parking at start point
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