Saxon Way Winding Hole
Saxon Way Winding Hole is on the Grand Union Canal (Grand Junction Canal - Wendover Arm - unrestored section) a few kilometres from Bracknell.
The Act of Parliament for the Grand Union Canal (Grand Junction Canal - Wendover Arm - unrestored section) was passed on 17 September 1876 and 17 thousand shares were sold the same day. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Northchester to Polstan canal at Reigate, the difficulty of tunneling through the Westhampton Hills caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Middlesbrough instead. The canal between Sunderland and Liverington was obliterated by the building of the Nottingham bypass in 1972. In Nicholas Yates's "By Handcuff Key and Piling Hook Across The Pennines" he describes his experiences passing through Slough Aqueduct during the war.

You can wind here.
| The Narrows | 1 mile, ½ furlongs | |
| Wellonhead Bridge No 7 | 6 furlongs | |
| Buckland Wharf Bridge No 6 | 1¾ furlongs | |
| Buckland Wharf | 1¾ furlongs | |
| Buckland Wharf Footbridge No 5B | 1½ furlongs | |
| Saxon Way Winding Hole | ||
| Saxon Way Bridge No 5A | 1 furlong | |
| Drayton Beauchamp Bridge No 5 | 2¾ furlongs | |
| The Sump | 3 furlongs | |
| Drayton Beauchamp 2nd Visitor Moorings | 3¾ furlongs | |
| Drayton Beauchamp 1st Visitor Moorings | 5¾ furlongs | |
Amenities nearby at Saxon Way Bridge No 5A
- Grand Union Canal Walk — associated with Grand Union Canal
- An illustrated walk along the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham
- THE GRAND JUNCTION CANAL - a highway laid with water. — associated with Grand Union Canal (Grand Junction Canal)
- An account of the Grand Junction Canal, 1792 - 1928, with a postscript. By Ian Petticrew and Wendy Austin.
- Wendover Arm Trust — associated with Grand Union Canal (Grand Junction Canal - Wendover Arm)
Mouseover for more information or show routes to facility
Nearest water point
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
Nearest rubbish disposal
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
Nearest chemical toilet disposal
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
Nearest place to turn
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
Nearest self-operated pump-out
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
Nearest boatyard pump-out
In the direction of Little Tring Winding Hole
There is no page on Wikipedia called “Saxon Way Winding Hole”

![Wendover Arm - bifurcation. This is quite an interesting part of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union canal between Bucklandwharf and Drayton Beauchamp. When the A41 bypass was built in the first decade of the C21st it had to cross this disused canal. Had the new road cut across it without sufficient headroom it would have been impossible (or financially unreasonable) to reopen the canal on this side of the road. But the developers were persuaded by the Wendover Arm Trust to provide a bridge. I think to facilitate this, the canal's course was altered slightly, such that it now swoops round to the right in a new cutting, the original course of the canal ending at the straight line seen ahead. The former course of the canal can be seen in this photo [[[4396807]]]However, the above is my reading of the situation, it is possible that the](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/39/68/4396800_ba1f4971_120x120.jpg)
![Reeds and sluice mechanism, Wendover Arm. As discussed in [[[4396800]]] and [[[4396807]]] I believe that the reedbed seen ahead is part of the original course of the Wendover Arm, though it is possible that it was (or is) some kind of overflow channel. See the other two images for more explanation.The mechanism in the left foreground almost certainly operates a sluice to allow water to flow into this channel. by Rob Farrow – 22 March 2015](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/39/68/4396819_97fe0539_120x120.jpg)

![Probable former course of Wendover Arm. I believe that this boggy, reedy tranche of land was the original course of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal between Bucklandwharf and Drayton Beauchamp, which I think got diverted around 2000-2003. See [[[4396800]]] for more of an explanation.See also [[[4396819]]] by Rob Farrow – 22 March 2015](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/39/68/4396807_b1299de3_120x120.jpg)







![Plaque on Saxon Way Bridge. Saxon Way Bridge (see [[[4396839]]] & [[[4396844]]]) carries the A41](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/39/89/4398996_2c7b86ca_120x120.jpg)






![Accommodation bridge at Bucklandwharf. This little bridge allows access from Buckland Road to a small row of houses on the eastern side of the canal at Bucklandwharf. The canal is the Wendover arm of the Grand Union Canal and has been closed to canal traffic since 1897, though there are plans to re-open it. If they do, this bridge (which post-dates the closure) will have either to be raised, or else replaced by a swing- or lift-bridge.This bridge is numbered 5B as it is the second of two bridges which have been inserted between Bridge 5 [[[4396868]]] and Bridge 6 just beyond this bridge at Bucklandwharf which carries the Roman Akeman Street - the former A41, now declassified - over the canal.The other bridge to have been inserted is the more recent [[[4396839]]] which is Bridge 5A, an appellation which would formerly have been given to this accommodation bridge. by Rob Farrow – 22 March 2015](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/39/65/4396547_4f15b7ca_120x120.jpg)










