Canal walk 3 – A38 to The Ocean

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Heading further south-east from the A38 roundabout we cover the ‘Missing Mile’ and then reach a section under heavy repair, and finally a section that is actually navigable. Read about it in this third article.

In the previous article we reached the short, new section of canal inside the A38 roundabout. (Hint: Click the map icons for larger, draggable and scalable versions. Click the photos for full size, too.)

From the A38 to the M5

This time. we begin from the gate between the field and the centre of the roundabout; the map marker points to your initial position on the roundabout. Facing the roundabout, turn right and cross the exit and entrance of Fromebridge Mill, then follow the footpath along the right-hand carriageway of the A38. This is not a pleasant walk, but fortunately it’s not long.

Look out for the point where the road crosses the river, and 50 m beyond that you need to cross both carriageways (with great care, one carriageway at a time, the traffic can be fast). Find the footpath through the gate on the other side of the road. The map marker points to the path and the photo below will help you identify the gate you need.

This footpath runs along the south-east bank of the River Frome and gradually approaches the M5 motorway which you’ll soon see and hear ahead of you. If you spot any markers for the Thames and Severn Way you can safely follow them for now.

The Stroudwater Navigation canal is filled in at this point and was some distance beyond the river but running roughly parallel. This is part of the section called the ‘Missing Mile’, the remainder of it is the other side of the M5. The river runs under the motorway, while the footpath passes through a tunnel alongside the river. Sometimes water and mud collects just inside the tunnel entrance; hopefully your footwear will be up to the task of passing this point and you’ll emerge on the eastern side of the M5.

Taking the canal under the M5

You’ve just walked beneath the M5, but how will the canal manage it? The original canal passed some distance north-east of the footpath tunnel and it would very expensive indeed to build a new route under the motorway. However, the River Frome passes under the M5 and it was decided that the best solution is to divert the canal from its old route and share the channel used by the river. A barrier will be built under the road to separate the river and canal from one another.

The Missing Mile will need to be re-dug, but along a slightly different route to take the canal from the A38 roundabout to the M5 crossing, and then joining up with the remaining canal by another new section returning to its original route again.

Meanwhile our walk takes us along the river bank until we reach a road called Springhill in the village of Churchend. Turn left on to the road and in a short distance, take the gravelled track on the left (see photo).

At the far end of the short track you will come out near to a brick bridge. This is Westfield Bridge, part of the original canal and it marks the other end of the missing mile.

The map marker is centred on the middle of the bridge. Standing on the bridge and looking left you will see the course of the new section and work ongoing in preparation for excavating the channel. Looking right you will will see restoration under way on the original canal as it continues eastwards. The brickwork for Westfield Lock (aka John Robinson Lock) is under reconstruction right by the bridge (photo below). The Missing Mile is all behind you now!

At the bridge, look for any temporary signs for the towpath (a public footpath at this point). The path might be before or after crossing the bridge; if possible, you need to turn right (east) from the bridge along the canal. Note: if the footpath is closed because of the ongoing work, the alternative is to return down the track back to the road and turn left up the hill to Pike Bridge. But assuming the footpath is open, along the way you’ll see a lot of work ongoing to restore the old canal to a working state. Several locks are being actively worked on. The footpath takes you up to Pike Bride where you can look back to get an excellent view of the ongoing work. Cross the bridge and you’ll see the continuing canal in water and in good condition.

Onward to The Ocean

Follow the towpath east from Pike Bridge, after passing Pike Lock on your right, the first thing to note is the riveted, iron narrowboat ‘Leviathan’, used until the 1990s as a workboat by restoration volunteers. Another 150 m brings you to Blunder Lock, very close to the A419 road and the second in a ladder of locks – Pike, Blunder and Newtown. Blunder Lock probably got its name because it was dug to the wrong depth by the engineer, despite clear and detailed instructions.

Another 90 m brings us to Newtown Lock and we start to get away from the A419; the tow path takes us through an idyllic, wooded area with a peaceful canal full of water as it would have been as a working waterway. Bond’s Mill is the next landmark and the unusual two-storey World War II pillbox is notable. It’s worth stopping for a while if you have time. Sometimes the pill box is open, but if not there are useful information boards on the outside.

Soon after Bond’s Mill comes a major achievement, the Ocean Jubilee Bridge. The canal was here before the railway, of course, and when the railway was built, they simply constructed a bridge to cross the canal, just as they would to cross a river or a road. The canal went out of use, largely due to competition from the much faster and more efficient railways; over time the bridge needed replacement. When the time came to do this, the railway engineers decided that a culvert would suffice, with the embankment extended over it. This left the disused canal in a state where it could not be restored without building a new bridge. Network Rail engineers did exactly that, and the result is what you see today.

And, finally for this part of our canal journey, walk under the bridge and take a look at the widening of the canal at this point. This body of water, a haven for wildlife of all kinds, has been known for a very long time as ‘The Ocean’. Nobody knows for sure how or why it acquired that name, but it might have been the largest body of open water known to the local people.

That’s it for Canal walk 3, thanks for travelling with me.

See also:

• Historic maps online – National Library of Scotland
• Map images © OpenStreetMap – OpenStreetMap
• More about the Stroudwater Canal – Cotswold Canals Trust*
  • Recent events – The Restoration Blog
• Photos, history and more – Cotswold Canals in Pictures

*This is a great source of canal images, history and all sorts of detail. Highly recommended and well worth exploring!

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