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Gayton Junction towpath


Big Bob W

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Something that's perplexed me for a while now. Having just cruised by again today, its got me thinking again.

In horse-drawn days, imagine a boat coming up the Northampton Arm to the junction and turning left to head south towards Stoke Bruerne. Towpath is on the right as you approach the junction. When turning left, onto the main line, its on the right again. As far as I can see, the horse would have had to leave the boat, turn right, go the quarter of a mile or so to the cross-over bridge then double back to the junction.

 A bridge to take the Northampton Arm towpath over the mainline at the junction would be the obvious solution, but there no trace. Has something changed there in more recent years?

Rob

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Bridge 47 also carries the road, so I guess also making it a turnover bridge, they killed two birds with one stone as it were. It's quite a way though.

I did wonder about detouring via the road from Bridge 2 on the arm. Only just noticed though, theres no bridge number 1 - but can see any evidence of one ever existing.

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http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/Canal/Arm/arm-map.htm

There apparently used to be a flimsy wooden swingbridge for the tollkeeper.

My comment about going back to the last bridge and past the cottages appears to be spot on though - there were stables right there, as well as a smithy.

Fascinating to read about the old horse railway that was in use 10 years before the arm was built though.

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