Kennet & Avon Canal: Hungerford - Bradford On Avon
Section Length: 38.72 miles (62.31 km)
Time Taken: 12 hrs 45 mins
Dates Walked: 1st, 8th, 14th and 17th May 2018
Logistics: This section of the walk was completed in four parts.
The first from Newbury to Bedwyn (5.02 miles). For this I parked in Bedwyn then caught a train to Newbury
The second part was Bedwyn to Pewsey (9.11 miles). For this I drove to Pewsey then caught a train to Bedwyn via Newbury.
Leg three was Pewsey to Devizes (12.31 miles) I drove to Devizes and caught a bus to Pewsey.
The final leg was Devizes to Bradford on Avon (12.28 miles) I drove to Bradford on Avon and caught a bus to Devizes via Trowbridge
Time Taken: 12 hrs 45 mins
Dates Walked: 1st, 8th, 14th and 17th May 2018
Logistics: This section of the walk was completed in four parts.
The first from Newbury to Bedwyn (5.02 miles). For this I parked in Bedwyn then caught a train to Newbury
The second part was Bedwyn to Pewsey (9.11 miles). For this I drove to Pewsey then caught a train to Bedwyn via Newbury.
Leg three was Pewsey to Devizes (12.31 miles) I drove to Devizes and caught a bus to Pewsey.
The final leg was Devizes to Bradford on Avon (12.28 miles) I drove to Bradford on Avon and caught a bus to Devizes via Trowbridge
Previous Reading to Hungerford Next Bradford Upon Avon to Bristol
Leaving Hungerford behind, the Kennet and Avon Canal quickly settles into proper countryside. After the more urban beginnings of the Reading to Hungerford section, this feels like a completely different walk, with fields, trees and the River Kennet providing most of the scenery.
There isn't an awful lot of civilisation for quite long stretches, which is generally a good thing when walking a canal. The towpath is easy to follow and the canal meanders through the Wiltshire countryside, occasionally passing a village or farm but otherwise giving you plenty of peace and quiet.
The first really interesting section comes around Great Bedwyn, where the canal passes close to the village and the railway. Great Bedwyn is one of those places where the canal and railway have grown up alongside each other, although thankfully the railway doesn't dominate the walk.
From here the canal continues through attractive countryside towards Crofton. The Crofton Pumping Station is one of the highlights of this part of the canal and a reminder that getting water to the canal was a serious engineering problem. These days the pumping station is a visitor attraction, but for the walker it is simply another interesting reason to stop for a while.
The countryside continues to be the star of the show as the canal heads towards the summit of the Kennet and Avon. There are locks dotted along the route but nothing particularly strenuous for the walker at this stage.
Then comes one of the more unusual features of the canal, Bruce Tunnel. At 502 yards it isn't enormous by modern standards, but it is still long enough to make you appreciate what was involved in building a canal through this part of Wiltshire. Unfortunately, walkers can't simply stroll through it with the canal boats, so the towpath takes you around the outside before rejoining the canal.
Once through this section the canal heads towards the Vale of Pewsey, and the scenery becomes particularly attractive. The open countryside gives some excellent views, although as usual with canal walking the canal itself has a habit of disappearing behind trees just when you want to admire the view.
Eventually you begin to approach Devizes and the character of the walk changes dramatically.
And then you see it.
Caen Hill.
Even before you reach the locks properly, you realise that something rather substantial is about to happen. The Caen Hill Flight is one of the great pieces of canal engineering and, for a walker, it is quite an impressive sight.
There are 29 locks in total between Foxhangers and Devizes, climbing 237 feet in roughly two miles. The central 16 locks form the particularly spectacular steep flight straight up the hillside.
For the people in the narrowboats this is a serious piece of work. For the walker it is a rather different experience. Instead of plodding along a fairly level towpath, suddenly you are climbing and descending beside a seemingly endless procession of lock gates.
The first few locks don't seem too bad. Then there are a few more.
Then you look up.
And there are still an awful lot of them.
The 16 central locks are particularly impressive because they are packed closely together on the hillside. The steepness of the terrain meant there wasn't room for conventional pounds between the locks, so the engineers incorporated large side ponds to store the water needed to operate them.
It is one of those places where you can appreciate the engineering much more easily on foot than you can from a boat. Looking down the flight gives you a fantastic perspective of just how much height is being gained, while looking upwards gives you the slightly depressing realisation that you haven't finished yet.
Watching a narrowboat work its way through the locks is also strangely addictive. A boat enters a lock, the gates close, water moves, the gates open and the boat moves into the next one. Then it does exactly the same thing again.
And again.
And again.
The whole flight rises 237 feet in only two miles, with a gradient of about 1 in 44.
For the walker, the good news is that you don't actually have to operate any of the locks. You can simply walk alongside them, although by the time you reach the top you may feel you've done enough climbing for one day.
The dramatic Caen Hill experience is over and the walking becomes considerably easier, although there are still plenty of locks and bridges to provide interruptions to the otherwise steady progress.
The section towards Seend is particularly pleasant. The canal passes through open countryside with the village nearby and, after the exertions of Caen Hill, it is nice to get back to simply walking beside the water without having to contemplate another twenty-odd locks.
From Seend onwards the canal gradually heads towards the western end of this section and the landscape becomes increasingly attractive. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and watch the boats, particularly around the locks, and the towpath has that familiar mixture of walkers, cyclists, fishermen and people who appear to have nowhere else they need to be.
Eventually you approach Bradford-on-Avon and the scenery becomes more dramatic again. The canal passes through a particularly attractive part of the Avon Valley before reaching the town.
Bradford-on-Avon is a fitting place to finish this section. It is one of those towns where the canal actually adds to the character rather than simply passing through the outskirts. The old buildings, river, bridges and canal all combine to make this a much more interesting place to finish a long walk.
And what a contrast it is to Hungerford.
The stretch between the two is probably one of the more varied sections of the Kennet and Avon. There are quiet rural miles, historic villages, railway connections, pumping stations, a tunnel, the attractive Vale of Pewsey and, of course, the rather extraordinary spectacle of Caen Hill.
The Caen Hill Flight is undoubtedly the star of the show. It is one of those canal features that really has to be seen rather than simply described. Whether you're walking beside it or watching a narrowboat tackle the locks, the scale of the thing is difficult to ignore.
By the time you reach Bradford-on-Avon, your feet may well be telling you that they've had enough, but at least you can look back and say that this wasn't just another walk along a canal.
Previous Reading to Hungerford Next Bradford Upon Avon to Bristol
Leaving Hungerford behind, the Kennet and Avon Canal quickly settles into proper countryside. After the more urban beginnings of the Reading to Hungerford section, this feels like a completely different walk, with fields, trees and the River Kennet providing most of the scenery.
There isn't an awful lot of civilisation for quite long stretches, which is generally a good thing when walking a canal. The towpath is easy to follow and the canal meanders through the Wiltshire countryside, occasionally passing a village or farm but otherwise giving you plenty of peace and quiet.
The first really interesting section comes around Great Bedwyn, where the canal passes close to the village and the railway. Great Bedwyn is one of those places where the canal and railway have grown up alongside each other, although thankfully the railway doesn't dominate the walk.From here the canal continues through attractive countryside towards Crofton. The Crofton Pumping Station is one of the highlights of this part of the canal and a reminder that getting water to the canal was a serious engineering problem. These days the pumping station is a visitor attraction, but for the walker it is simply another interesting reason to stop for a while.
The countryside continues to be the star of the show as the canal heads towards the summit of the Kennet and Avon. There are locks dotted along the route but nothing particularly strenuous for the walker at this stage.
Then comes one of the more unusual features of the canal, Bruce Tunnel. At 502 yards it isn't enormous by modern standards, but it is still long enough to make you appreciate what was involved in building a canal through this part of Wiltshire. Unfortunately, walkers can't simply stroll through it with the canal boats, so the towpath takes you around the outside before rejoining the canal.
Once through this section the canal heads towards the Vale of Pewsey, and the scenery becomes particularly attractive. The open countryside gives some excellent views, although as usual with canal walking the canal itself has a habit of disappearing behind trees just when you want to admire the view.
Eventually you begin to approach Devizes and the character of the walk changes dramatically.
And then you see it.
Caen Hill.
Even before you reach the locks properly, you realise that something rather substantial is about to happen. The Caen Hill Flight is one of the great pieces of canal engineering and, for a walker, it is quite an impressive sight.There are 29 locks in total between Foxhangers and Devizes, climbing 237 feet in roughly two miles. The central 16 locks form the particularly spectacular steep flight straight up the hillside.
For the people in the narrowboats this is a serious piece of work. For the walker it is a rather different experience. Instead of plodding along a fairly level towpath, suddenly you are climbing and descending beside a seemingly endless procession of lock gates.
The first few locks don't seem too bad. Then there are a few more.
Then you look up.
And there are still an awful lot of them.
The 16 central locks are particularly impressive because they are packed closely together on the hillside. The steepness of the terrain meant there wasn't room for conventional pounds between the locks, so the engineers incorporated large side ponds to store the water needed to operate them.
It is one of those places where you can appreciate the engineering much more easily on foot than you can from a boat. Looking down the flight gives you a fantastic perspective of just how much height is being gained, while looking upwards gives you the slightly depressing realisation that you haven't finished yet.Watching a narrowboat work its way through the locks is also strangely addictive. A boat enters a lock, the gates close, water moves, the gates open and the boat moves into the next one. Then it does exactly the same thing again.
And again.
And again.
The whole flight rises 237 feet in only two miles, with a gradient of about 1 in 44.
For the walker, the good news is that you don't actually have to operate any of the locks. You can simply walk alongside them, although by the time you reach the top you may feel you've done enough climbing for one day.
The dramatic Caen Hill experience is over and the walking becomes considerably easier, although there are still plenty of locks and bridges to provide interruptions to the otherwise steady progress.
The section towards Seend is particularly pleasant. The canal passes through open countryside with the village nearby and, after the exertions of Caen Hill, it is nice to get back to simply walking beside the water without having to contemplate another twenty-odd locks.
From Seend onwards the canal gradually heads towards the western end of this section and the landscape becomes increasingly attractive. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and watch the boats, particularly around the locks, and the towpath has that familiar mixture of walkers, cyclists, fishermen and people who appear to have nowhere else they need to be.Eventually you approach Bradford-on-Avon and the scenery becomes more dramatic again. The canal passes through a particularly attractive part of the Avon Valley before reaching the town.
Bradford-on-Avon is a fitting place to finish this section. It is one of those towns where the canal actually adds to the character rather than simply passing through the outskirts. The old buildings, river, bridges and canal all combine to make this a much more interesting place to finish a long walk.
And what a contrast it is to Hungerford.
The stretch between the two is probably one of the more varied sections of the Kennet and Avon. There are quiet rural miles, historic villages, railway connections, pumping stations, a tunnel, the attractive Vale of Pewsey and, of course, the rather extraordinary spectacle of Caen Hill.
The Caen Hill Flight is undoubtedly the star of the show. It is one of those canal features that really has to be seen rather than simply described. Whether you're walking beside it or watching a narrowboat tackle the locks, the scale of the thing is difficult to ignore.
By the time you reach Bradford-on-Avon, your feet may well be telling you that they've had enough, but at least you can look back and say that this wasn't just another walk along a canal.
Previous Reading to Hungerford Next Bradford Upon Avon to Bristol