Why was the Canal Built through Stoke Bruerne?

Transportation by sea allowed large quantities of heavy goods to be moved but access to inland areas was difficult. Roads could be built to create direct routes but these were poorly maintained, muddy dirt tracks, often impassable during winter, and the horses that pulled the carts were unable to carry large loads or heavy goods. Industrial sites were built on riverbanks but many rivers, susceptible to droughts and floods, were too narrow for goods to reach inland. Not only did raw materials need to be conveyed, but also goods such as pottery and food to supply London's growing population. Another means of transport was needed to transport goods from Birmingham to London.

Before the GCJ was built, many canal and river navigations had been constructed in widely differing parts of the country, but there was no connected system. There was an existing route from Birmingham to London, the Oxford Canal, but goods had to first be taken north of Birmingham by the Fazely Canal, then south down the Coventry Canal in order to reach it. Boats still then had to navigate the Thames into central London. The Oxford Canal was narrow and congested and the Thames section was frequently flooded in winter, affected by drought in summer and often prone to piracy.

All these factors resulted in the entire journey being extremely slow, rendering it ineffective, so a new canal was proposed as an alternative to the GJC, called the Hampton Gay Canal. It was intended to run from Oxford to Isleworth, an extension of the existing Oxford Canal, cutting out the navigation of the Thames. However, this route only solved the problem of the Thames and a more direct link was needed.

The GJC was intended to run from Brentford to Braunstone, and then link up with the Coventry Canal to give direct access between Birmingham and London. Stoke Bruerne itself was situated in the middle of a direct corridor with Brentford and Braunstone, so geographically Stoke Bruerne was well-sited for the canal to pass through it. Furthermore, its construction also had backing from important people who would earn prestige and stand to gain financially from the canal passing through. The main landowners in the area were the Duke of Grafton and Earl Spencer, both members of the aristocracy and the House of Lords. Through investment both would be able to make large profits from the canal. Money could be made from tolls, trade and investment in the canal companies themselves. Becoming a member of the GJC Council gave the Duke of Grafton a powerful voice in the decision-making process, and together he and Earl Spencer supported plans for the GJC rather than Hampton Gay Canal, for which there was little influential backing.