Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are extensive views over the Tove valley. In particular, on the skyline 4km away is
the Norman church of St James in Hanslope, which boasts the finest spire in Northampton-
shire.
A sign warning visitors of elderly ducks crossing is the introduction to Yardley Gobion al-
though it could equally be making reference to herons. The church dates from 1864 but there
are older buildings of note. A 14-15th century pottery has become a public house, confus-
ingly called the Coffee Pot.
North-east of the Navigation Inn at Thrupp Wharf is Castlethorpe, its motte and bailey to
be found behind the Norman church of Sts Simon & Jude. The church tower collapsed in
1700, to be replaced with a Georgian one. Again, there are fine views over the Tove valley.
The long arched weir feeding the River Tove
.
At Cosgrove Priory the story goes that the daughter of the house fell in love with a shep-
herd. Her parents did not approve and had him deported on a false charge of sheep stealing.
The daughter drowned herself in the millrace but her ghost may still be seen at the full moon.
Entry to Cosgrove, another village split by the canal, is under Solomon's Ornamental
Bridge. Dating from 1800, in Gothic style, the bridge is the most elaborate on the canal. St
Vincent's Well has a high iron content, good for eye problems, and is protected by Act of
Parliament. The canal passes the Victorian rebuilt church with its 14th century weathercock
and loops round the Barley Mow and the bay-fronted 18th century Cosgrove Hall, in front of
which a Roman bath house has been excavated.
The canal runs straight across the valley of the River Great Ouse on a 1.4km long embank-
ment, originally crossing the river on a stone aqueduct of 1805, although this collapsed three
years later. While reconstruction work took place a flight of locks was built down to the river
and up again on the west side although this was problematical when the river was in flood.
The remains of the locks and the old aqueduct remain in the bushes. In 1811 they were su-
perseded by the Iron Trunk aqueduct, which has less than 200mm of upstand on the west side
and which locals called the Tank or Pig Trough. A scheduled ancient monument, it was one
of the first of its kind in the world. Beneath the canal there is a narrow oval pedestrian tunnel.
