Braunston

Not to be confused with Braunston-in-Rutland

Braunston
Northamptonshire
All Saints' Church and Braunston Manor
Location
Grid reference:	SP5366
Location:	52°17’31"N, 1°12’32"W
Data
Population:	1,675  (2001)
Post town:	Daventry
Postcode:	NN11
Dialling code:	01788
Local Government
Council:	Daventry DC
Parliamentary constituency:	Daventry

Braunston is a village in Northamptonshire and lies between the towns of Rugby and Daventry.

The main village of Braunston is situated on a hill above the road and the canals, and formerly had a windmill, the building of which still stands but without any sails. The village contains several pubs, a selection of shops and a primary school. There is also a hotel, the Braunston Manor Hotel.

Canals and railways

Braunston's main claim to fame is its canal junction between the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union Canal, which was once an important part of the national transport system. Many former boating families have links to Braunston, the churchyard in the village having many graves of boatmen and women.

The unique triangular junction between the two canals has two bridges made at Horseley Ironworks carrying the towpath over the canal. This was not the original meeting point of the Grand Junction and Oxford Canals: the junction was moved in the course of improvements to the Oxford Canal.

The canals are no longer used for carrying freight, but are now used mostly by pleasure boats. Braunston has a marina filled with these pleasure boats and is usually quite busy.

From the marina, six locks carry the Grand Union Canal up to Braunston Tunnel, some 2,049 yards long.

Despite its small size, Braunston was once served by two railway stations, both now closed. The first, on the former LNWR Weedon to Leamington Spa branch line, via Daventry, was located near the marina and closed in September 1958. A couple of miles north-west of Braunston was Braunston and Willoughby station on the former Great Central Main Line, which served Braunston and the village of Willoughby, to which it was closer. This was the last main line to be constructed from the north of England to London and opened in March 1899. Braunston and Willoughby station closed in April 1957 and the line itself in September 1966. To the south of the station was the 13-arch Willoughby viaduct crossing the River Leam: the viaduct was demolished in about 1980.

Gallery

• 
  The marina at Braunston
• 
  The former windmill in Braunston

Surrounding villages

Close to the village one small hamlet called Little Braunston, and the sites of three lost villages, namely Braunston Cleves or Fawcliff, Braunstonbury and Wolfhampcote.

Further reading

• At the Heart of the Waterways: The story of the canals in the village of Braunston, Northamptonshire, by David Blagrove, third edition, Buchebroc Press, 2003, ISBN 1 871918 05 7.
• Images of Old Braunston, Braunston History Society, Beaublade Limited, 2006.

Outside links

• Village website
• Gazetteer entry from 1870–72