Wootton Wawen Aqueduct

From the footpath below; the road is the A3400.

Heading south.

Heading north, on the return trip.

The approach into the Wootton Wawen basin, the base for Anglo Welsh Boats.

The Wootton Wawen Aqueduct was built in 1813 by the Stratford Canal Company, and is now a Grade II* listed structure. For those interested -- and why wouldn't we be?! -- its description from "British Listed Buildings" is as follows: "Aqueduct. 1813 with later additions and restorations of 1960. By William Whitmore for the Stratford Canal Company. Cast-iron trough with integral towpath with cast-iron railings to north, brick piers and retaining walls in English bond with ashlar copings. Railings have stick balusters and moulded handrail and brackets. All carried on 3 piers, those 2 to east are splayed, that to west restored. South side of aqueduct has an attached oval plate with inscription: `This Aqueduct was erected by The Stratford Canal company in October 1813, Bernard Dewes Esqr Chairman, W James Esqr Dept Chairman, W Whitmore Engineer.' Crosses Stratford Road, A34 [renumbered A3400 in 1991]. The Southern Stratford Canal was constructed between 1793-1816 at a cost of »500,000. 13.5 miles of the canal from Kingswood Junction, Lapworth to Stratford-upon-Avon was leased by the National Trust in 1960 from the British Waterways Board for restoration. The National Trust acquired the freehold c1964. Wootton Wawen Aqueduct is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, County number 132."

Unusually, the three aqueducts on the Stratford Canal -- Yarningale, Wootton Wawen, and Edstone -- all have their towpaths at the level of the canal bottom, instead of at the water level as usual. One of us will have to walk this next time, as the view of the boats at eye-level must be very strange!