More canal bridge art

Lots of the bridges in the Rugby area have artworks on the sides - and I don’t mean the graffiti! Many of them feature the game of rugby, of course.

Incidentally, this bridge is less than 3 miles from the home of the friend who accompanied us. She’s able to tell her friends when asked where she’s been on holiday that she visited Rugby! I had the same experience a few years ago when we visited Aylesbury - by canal!


This is the remains of a railway bridge with some railway art.

Tunnel of Light

The 189 metre long Newbold Tunnel, on the Oxford Canal at Newbold on Avon, near Rugby, has been fitted with coloured lights. Originally installed in 2005 as part of the Rugby's celebration of the Hindu Festival of Light, Diwali, the lights still operate during the day and provide a fascinating background to what is usually a rather gloomy part of a canal cruise. Here by comparison is the Braunston tunnel – the light is an approaching boat (isn't there some saying about the light at the end of the tunnel?) This picture was taken about 20 minutes before we emerged from the tunnel. Braunston is longer, of course.

The lights are turned off at night for the bats. The tunnel is pretty well semicircular so the reflections form a full circle of light. 

Great – but is it art?

Bridges on the Canals

We've just spent a few days on the Oxford and Grand Union canals. The bridges on this stretch show a range of interesting engineering – and artistic – enterprise. I snapped lots of them: I'll post these bridges over the next few days.

Let's start with the classical accommodation bridge which, although fairly basic, was a significant engineering task in its day and has a simple elegance. There are dozens in this style – the minimum width to allow a boat to pass and a towpath for the horse.

The cast iron bridges – this one is over the branch to Rugby Wharf – are amongst the most beautiful constructions along the canal.

This bridge is listed – the details of the listing can be found here.

Car park signs at Church

Installed today