Braunston
Braunston is a village and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England, It has a population of 1,675 (2001 census). Braunston is situated just off the A45 main road 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 the village 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.
Braunston's main claim to fame is its canal junction between the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union Canal. In former times, when the canal network was an important part of the national transport system, Braunston was a very important junction at the northern terminus of the Grand Junction Canal, with two routes to London (via the Grand Junction - now Grand Union - Canal, and the Oxford Canal).
The canals are no longer used for carrying freight, and are today used mostly by pleasure boats. Braunston has a Marina filled with these pleasure boats which is usually quite busy.
The unique triangular junction has two bridges made at Horseley Iron Works 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 in the 1830s, prior to which the junction was near where the marina is today.
From the marina, six locks carry the Grand Union Canal up to Braunston Tunnel, some 2049 yards (1874 metres) long.
Many former boating families have links to Braunston, the churchyard in the village has many graves of boatmen and woman.