Lowsonford, Warwickshire

Architect appointed: Hawkes Edwards and Cave
Works instructed: May 2006
Available from: 6 November 2006

Lengthsman's Cottage stands beside a lock on the Stratford canal in the pretty village of Lowsonford in Warwickshire.  (A lengthsman, who cared for a particular stretch of canal, is the more accurate name for its original inhabitant than a lock-keeper).  It is one of just six cottages built along the canal, with a barrel vaulted roof, put up during the Napoleonic Wars by engineers who were more accustomed to building bridges than dwellings and so used the same construction methods for both.

Ours is a particularly unspoilt example.  This stretch of the canal was acquired by the National Trust in 1960 and the cottage was refurbished then. In 1993 ownership of the cottage was transferred to Landmark.  Until last year, it had been lived in for 85 years on a life tenancy by Ned Taylor, who was born in the cottage in 1921 as one of eleven children.

Thanks to a generous gift from a private supporter, we were able to renovate it again to enable Landmarkers to enjoy the gentle pace of canal life.  We are now taking bookings for Lengthsman's Cottage which sleeps up to 4 people and is available from 6 November 2006.  For further details please contact the Booking Office.

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