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Isis Lock on the Oxford Canal

Oxford

The South Oxford Canal – various visit locations

The picturesque South Oxford Canal stretches from Oxford city centre north, alongside Jericho, Summertown, Wolvercote and out into the lovely countryside to Banbury - providing many lovely spots for exploration and curriculum enrichment. Book your free Guided Walk Now!

Our guided walks are well established and are a fantastic way to discover our waterways. Children will learn how to keep safe by water, compare rivers to canals, find out how a lock works, learn about the local history and spot a variety of water birds. During most of our walks, children have spotter booklets to help guide them and remind them of the visit.

Depending on the location of your school/group, we have many options for the best spots to access the canal towpath – ideally we’ll get you near a lock for the full experience. Get in touch to discuss travel or meeting us on the towpath near you.

  • Workshops

    Build a Canal Using models, costume and storytelling, we take your children through the major themes of the industrial revolution in an inclusive and interactive classroom workshop. The subject links in well with topics such as Rivers, Transport, Local & British History, Human & Physical Features and more!

  • Learning Resources

    Build a Canal

  • Facilities

    Most routes are step free and have plenty of public green space for eating lunches or continuing the learning. Unfortunately, most locations lack toilet facilities, so tours are limited to 90 minutes.

    Site visits are limited to one class of children at a time (max. 35), due to guide numbers and space limitations. On most occasions we can host two visits in one day.

    All Oxford Canal site visits are outdoors with very few shelter options. Please ensure participants are appropriately dressed. All visits are weather dependent and are rearranged if bad weather interrupts a visit.

    We usually only accept bookings up to three months in advance, when we can guarantee availability. Unfortunately, we cannot offer activities in the evenings or at weekends.

    There are some independent organisations that can host boat trips or paddling – an internet search may help you find an extra special experience.

  • Price

    Visits to Oxford are FREE!

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