Route: Oxford Canal Walk (United Kingdom)

This is a marked trail that follows the canal towpath from Coventry Canal Basin to the city of Oxford comprising the first 5 miles of the Coventry Canal and then the full length of the Oxford Canal (78 miles). It is a very scenic and rural route which starts and ends in the cathedral cities of Coventry and Oxford. It passes through the counties of West Midlands, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. 

https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Oxford+Canal+Walk

The canal takes you from the beautiful university city of Oxford to the three spires of Coventry. The southern part of the canal remains largely unaltered for 200 years, its winding course untouched by mid-19th century straightening programmes. This section is dotted with simple black-and-white lift bridges.

The Oxford Canal Walk is a long-distance route, following the towpath for 83 miles. Characterised by the gentle engineering of the canal, with few lock flights as it meanders through the beautiful English countryside. The Oxford Canal is among the earliest of cuts in the canal age. It was initially designed by James Brindley, succeeded by Samuel Simcock and Robert Whitworth after Brindley's untimely death in 1772 at the age of 56.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/oxford-canal

It was opened in sections between 1774 and 1790 with the purpose of bringing coal from the Coventry coalfields to Oxford and the River Thames. The canal formed part of Brindley's grand plan for a waterway 'cross' linking the rivers Thames, Mersey, Trent and Severn.