The Kennet and Avon Canal

Even though the Avon and the Thames, at one point, come within three miles of each other, and there had been many schemes to join the two, it was not until well after the 'Canal Mania' of the 18th century that the K&A was completed, in 1810.

Individually, the Avon, the Thames and the Kennet had been made navigable many years earlier. The original plan to join the Kennet and Avon navigations was by a canal linking Hungerford, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Calne, Chippenham, Melksham and Bradford-on-Avon. Water supplies threatened to be difficult on this route, and eventually the present route via Devizes was chosen. Chippenham and Calne were later linked to the canal system via the Wilts and Berks Canal (now under restoration).

The route chosen was not without its difficulties; chiefly, the west-facing escarpment of Caen Hill at Devizes, the short summit level in the Vale of Pewsey, and the need to bridge the Avon not once, but twice in the valley west of Bradford. Caen Hill and the Avon received elegant engineering solutions; the short summit level caused water shortage problems that are only now being addressed.

For 50 years, the canal was successful. In 1841, the Great Western Railway had opened their London - Bristol line, and by 1852 they'd bought the canal, and the Avon Navigation. Despite the GWR's disinterest in the canal, business continued, and it was not until after WWII that the future of the canal looked really bleak. Eventually, in 1955, British Waterways attempted to abandon the canal.

A boatman from Newbury, John Gould, led the fight to keep and restore the canal, and BW's efforts were thwarted. Even though a breach led to the closure of the through route in 1954, by 1963 BW were recommending restoration. Over the years, John Gould's campaign resulted in the K&A Canal Association (later, Trust) and the Inland Waterways Association's Waterways Recovery Group restoring the canal piece by piece. In 1990 the Queen formally reopened the canal to navigation.

The K&A is now one of England's prettiest and most admired canals. There are many attractions from the World Heritage Site of Bath, to the more modest, yet equally delightful towns of Bradford, Devizes and Newbury. The Dundas and Avoncliffe aqueducts, and the famous Caen Hill flight of 16 locks, will appeal to the enthusiast, while there is wildlife aplenty. Throughout, there are some of the country's best pubs to be sampled!

A full exploration of the canal is a hard-working three-week cruise, but a week will allow you to sample the best of the western half of the canal. Why not try it for yourself?