Kennet and Avon Canal Section 10 Avoncliff to Bath

Avoncliff Aqueduct

Well here it is the last section of this walk.  It has taken two years to complete but like the end of a good book it leaves you slightly bereft when you finish.  I have to say that I was really pleased that we left this section until last as finishing in Bath seemed somehow more interesting than finishing in Reading.  The scenery along the way more than justified our decision too.

Limpley Stoke Section

We started by driving over to the hamlet of Avoncliff where we had left off the day before.  Getting to the station in a car is not easy as it is at the end of a lengthy narrow lane and there are only a few spaces available.  We struck lucky on the basis that we were quite early and not all of the half dozen or so spaces had been taken.  There is another car park available on the other side of the aqueduct but there is no physical road connection between the two so be warned!

Perfect House?

Once we had got ourselves together we started by crossing the aqueduct and then crossing underneath the canal on the far side to gain the towpath.  The terrain of the walk was much changed from a little further east as we have now reached the southern end of the Cotswolds.  The canal now follows the wooded Avon valley and to say it is picturesque would be an understatement.  The weather had improved markedly on the day before too with bright sunshine and puffy clouds the order of the day.

Avon Valley

Initially the towpath took a route high above the railway that superceded it and all around were lush green pasture fields; some with livestock and some without.  The canal had lots of boats moored along the sides - Avoncliff is clearly a popular place.  As we looped around the contours pastures gave way to woods and the cool dappled shade was really welcome as the day warmed up.  Although the bluebells had long since disappeared from the woodlands there were still plenty of other flowers to spot along the way including red campion, which grew in profusion and heaps of wild roses and may blossom.  The bright sunshine certainly brought out the best in the colours.  As we passed through the woods I could not help but notice a particularly fantastic looking house along the canal side.  It could not have been a more perfect setting if it tried!

Dundas Aqueduct

When we finally left the wood views of the Avon Valley opened up again.  I have passed along here on the train before and always thought how fantastic it looked.  Walking along the towpath really gave us the opportunity to see the scenery properly.  The only sounds that broke the peace and quiet were the occasional roar of a train or the chug chug of the odd canal boat.  All along the valley sides are houses that are dotted on the valley sides, each competing for the best views.  Yet despite how many houses there are it cannot be said to be anything other than a truly rural setting.

Somerset Coal Canal Basin

Eventually we came to Dundas Aqueduct.  This fantastic engineering feature carries the canal over the River Avon a second time in order that it can maintain the same level heading towards Bath.  The main Bath to Bradford-on-Avon railway line also passes underneath.  The aqueduct was named after the Chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal and was built between 1797 and 1801 by John Rennie and it still very ornate even 200 years later following restorations in the 1980s and approximately 10 years ago.  Perhaps unsurprisingly it was the first canal structure in Britain to be designated as a scheduled ancient monument.

Dundas Wharf

Luckily for us we got to watch a couple of boats cross the aqueduct as we arrived.  The thought of anyone doing this in the 1950s must have seemed very remote when the canal was dry and disused.  Back then it was actually possible to cross the aqueduct on foot using the canal basin itself rather than the towpath!  At the western end of the aqueduct is the junction of the former Somerset Coal Canal.  Only a short stub of this remains and the access is a very narrow strip of water passing between some gardens.  It would once have been used to ship out coal from the old coalfield around the town of Radstock.  Seems hard to believe that coal mines were part of the landscape in this part of Somerset but the towns themselves do suggest something more industrial than you might expect.

Restoration Required

Before continuing on our way along the main line of the canal we took the opportunity to walk down to the visitor centre just a short way down the Somerset Coal Canal.  Here there is a cafe, boat hire, cycle hire and (perhaps most importantly) toilet facilities.  We had ourselves a nice cold drink and a little freshen up.  In the little visitor centre I also took a look at the small exhibition of pictures showing how life was on the canal and surrounding railways.

Bathampton

After double backing to the main line our route now took us north along the western side of the valley.  As we headed towards Bath the route now resembled the M1 it was so busy.  It was sometimes hard to enjoy our surroundings as there were so many cyclists zooming along the towpath.  I suspect this is a particularly popular route because of the railway line that follows us all the way into Bath enabling linear bike journeys as far away as Trowbridge.  There was a significant amount of boating traffic too suggesting that this end of the canal is also perhaps the most popular with boaters.

Figurehead

Largely the scenery was woodland and fields along the Avon Valley with few more features on the canal itself until we reached the edge of Bath.  The only exception was Claverton Pumping Station, which would have had a similar function to the one we had passed at Crofton near Bedwyn.  This one was not nearly so obvious though - it was tucked away in the trees and we passed it without me noticing!  The station does serve a very important purpose however as it brings water into the canal from the nearby River Avon and moves it 48 feet in the process.

Sydney Gardens

Sadly as we walked along towards Bath the weather really came on overcast.  This rather spoiled my picture taking but it did allow us to travel a bit quicker along the towpath.  All too soon the houses started up suggesting that we were heading into Bath.  First we came into the suburb of Bathampton and a very popular looking George pub.  The houses alongside were beautiful too made of the celebrated Cotswold stone for which the city is famous.

Bath

If we thought that it would be a passage through the suburbs though we were to be mistaken for after a brief flirtation with the suburbs the canal seemed to want to return to countryside for as long as possible for the corridor of the canal itself was still very rural feeling almost until we could deny that we were in the city no longer.  Yet even as the urban area closed around us the canal had one last surprise for us as it entered the other worldly Sydney Gardens.  We entered via a short tunnel and the gardens were all around us for a short stretch before we entered another tunnel and suddenly they were gone again!

Journey's End

Once beyond the gardens the canal needed to get down to the level of the River Avon rather quickly and the last half mile or so was punctuated by a series of locks that brought us down the hill to the junction of the river very quickly.  Thus we entered Bath through the back door and not that close to the city centre.  Bath Spa station was pretty close but being a Bank Holiday the trains weren't that frequent and so we decided that we were early enough for a look round.  I cannot begin to write about the city or add anything that hasn't already been said except to say that it is a fantastic place to finish any walk.  We had a really good time wandering about the city and having some well deserved refreshments and musing on our 80 odd mile trip from Reading.  The girls felt immensely proud of their achievement and why not?  Now the fun will be planning the next trip!

Kennet and Avon Canal Section 9 Semington to Avoncliff

Leaving Semington

The forecast for our second day of walking was terrible but we discovered that if we left early enough we would be able to complete the day's walking before the arrival of the forecast rain.  Being a Sunday we had the added complication of no bus service from Trowbridge, meaning that our only option was to take a taxi for the last stretch of the trip.  In order to fit as much walking as possible in before the arrival of rain we headed down to Semington once again and parked close to where we had finished our walk the day before.

Morning Horse Ride

Almost as soon as we started my eyes were drawn to a sign that described the former Wilts and Berks canal that joined the Kennet and Avon just here.  This canal once took a wandering route across these two counties to Oxford, cutting off a significant dog leg if taking the journey via Reading.  Sadly this canal was not profitable and always struggled for water supply, not helped by the fact that leakages were commonplace.  The canal finally closed in 1901 although it had barely functioned for years.  Despite its closure there is a Trust that has been set up with the intention of restoring the 52 mile long canal.  At this end the sign details how the canal trust are going to deal with the problem of the route being obliterated.  It seems that an entirely new parallel channel is going to be dug between here and Melksham, although construction has yet to begin.

Chiffchaff

Semington is clearly a popular place to moor if you are a boat owner.  It took us some time to pass the line of boats but when we finally left the last one behind our onward journey initially picked up very much where it left off with wide open spaces and empty looking fields on either side of us.  There were some suggestions that a major fishing match had taken place along this stretch had taken place the day before for some of the signage was left behind.  In one of the fields we came upon a tepee and fire - not sure these were among the fishing crowd? I was rather glad that we weren't there on the day as our chatter along the towpath would not have been welcome I am sure.

Ducklings

In contrast to yesterday our children seemed to have a spring in their step as they raced ahead of us all the way to Trowbridge.  I think the overcast conditions actually suited them as they weren't getting too overheated.  One of the things we had remarked on the previous evening was how few birds we had seen the day before.  It was ironic then to come across a chiffchaff on the opposite bank giving it what for.  It's song certainly made us stop and listen before it flew off out of earshot.  Not long after we came across a duck with at least 12 babies in tow - what a clutch!  She is really going to have her work cut out to make sure they reach motherhood themselves.  This was a scene that we would see a lot along the towpath although I think this was the biggest set of ducklings that we saw on the whole walk.

Hilperton Marina Bridge

Boats soon started appearing alongside the towpath once more - our clue that we were reaching another settlement; in this case Trowbridge.  We would really only flirt with the town though as the canal passes its northern flank.  We did come across a strange little marina though - this seemed to be only a boat park rather than any kind of commercial yard.  Surrounding it was a housing estate of fairly recent vintage - I imagine the houses are quite sought after considering their view.  We paused for a moment on top of the arch bridge that is used to take the towpath over the entrance.  In fact this was the only 'hill' of the whole day!

Cygnets

After seeing the huge brood of ducklings earlier the next stretch brought us a sighting of a huge brood of cygnets - at least 8 in the family this time!  I am not sure I have ever seen so many in one place.  They were fascinating to watch and we all stood and watched for some time before moving on.  A sprinkle of rain was largely to blame!  We crossed the railway just beyond - I hadn't appreciated from the map that we would actually go over the top rather than underneath.  Looking down at the track it was easy to see that the line would have been built for Brunel's broad gauge, such was the wide expanse of the trackbed.  It was a line that we would be travelling later.

Rescue Boat

The way ahead was heavily populated with boats and not all of them were typical canal boats.  As well as cruising boats there were plenty of 'projects' and also a couple of lifeboats and even an emergency boat from some kind of merchant ship complete with canopy.  It didn't look the most well appointed vessel it has to be said.  The scenery had changed too - gone were the wide open fields and our route into Bradford-on-Avon was now heavily wooded on either side which changed the character of the canal considerably.  With all the fresh new leaves on the trees the canal felt a lot more closed in and intimate.

Bradford Wharf

Soon we reached the wharf at Bradford-on-Avon.  By now it was mid-morning and we stopped for a welcome drink at the small cafe here and boat and people watched for a while.  The cafe is to be recommended - the breakfasts looked good and the cakes definitely looked good - well worth a stop I would say!

Tithe Barn

Feeling fortified we pressed on and passing the first lock of the day which was in use.  The way ahead was blocked by the main road and we had the rather annoying wait for a gap in the traffic to be able to cross - there appears to be no easy way to do this by the bridge.  On the other side we had to pass down the side of a pub to regain the towpath.  As we did so we passed a whole load of ladies all wearing pink shirts and appearing to be on some kind of sponsored walk I guess for a breast cancer charity judging by their outfits.  They did brighten up a grey day that is for sure!

Avoncliff Aqueduct

A little way further on we passed the Tithe Barn.  This remarkable structure wasn't originally built as a barn but became one for a good many decades until 1974 when it was transferred to the nation for preservation.  Apparently it was originally part of a Grange that was part of the Shaftesbury Abbey estate.  When dissolved in 1539 during the reformation the Grange than became a farm - the barn is all that is left from this time.

Avoncliff

The last section of walk from Bradford to Avoncliff can only be described as delightful and was certainly very popular with walkers and cyclists.  I imagine many people come here from Bath and walk or cycle back since the two town are connected easily by rail.  Our final destination though was Avoncliff, a hamlet just about two miles from Bradford.  This is where the canal crosses the River Avon via a very impressive looking aqueduct built by John Rennie and completed in 1801.  Just the other side of the aqueduct is the tiny Avoncliff station where we would be getting the train back to Trowbridge and from there back to Semington by cab.  The transport arrangements eventually worked beautifully but only after a lengthy wait for the train.  This was softened by the cafe on the opposite bank of the canal where we had a very enjoyable cuppa while we waited.  We did get a short burst of rain while we were there but that was all we saw all day despite the poor forecast!

Kennet and Avon Canal Section 8 Devizes to Semington

Setting Off

We have finally made an opportunity to finish this walk after a few false dawns.  Ultimately we wanted to finish on the basis that we want to find a new project but also because the children kept asking when we were going to go again.  We have passed the section where public transport was a problem and although we really wanted to include our friend Christine we could not find a time that we were all free and so had to pursue this section alone.

Devizes Wharf

We headed out from Worthing a little later than we wanted to but we managed to reach the bus stop in Semington in time for the bus into Devizes.  Luckily the bus heads on further to Swindon and so we were able to go to the point that we had left off last time without making an extra walk out from the town centre.  The early part of the canal heads through the suburbs of Devizes in a cutting where many of the houses have manicured gardens with landing stages at the back.  Not too many had canal boats to go with the landing stages however.

Top of Caen Hill

Just before heading under the main road the canal took a 90 degree turn.  This sort of feature is surprisingly common on the canal and I assume was on the basis that roads were easier to be bridged if the canal passes underneath at 90 degrees rather than on a diagonal basis.  The next section of path was being improved for cycling use, which made for slightly tricky walking.  Just beyond the next bridge is the old wharf for Devizes.  Our lunch was already feeling very heavy in the rucsac and so we took the opportunity to scoff it down by the visitor centre.  We also had a drink in the cafe here and although we were tempted by the museum we decided that we couldn't spare the time as we had a long way still to go.  It is a most interesting place though and the feel of its former use is as apparent as the look of it.  The centre was also quite busy with plenty of people dropping by to have a look and water activities also taking place on the canal itself.

Caen Hill Pools

This part of the canal is also the only one truly hemmed in by housing on  both sides.  Not far past the wharf we came to the top lock of Caen Hill Locks.  Over the next couple of miles the canal would drop down the side of a hill so that we could regain the same level that we left in Reading.  There are twenty nine locks ion total on this section including the staircase of sixteen that form the most famous part of the descent.  Overall it takes 5-6 hours to traverse all the locks - practically a day's activity!  As we headed down through the staircase we passed a crew half way up that looked very fed up with the whole process.  The towpath was naturally very busy with lots of visitors eager to see this most famous of canal features. We had perfect weather too with sunshine and puffy white clouds being the order of the day.

Round in Circles

At the bottom of the staircase of locks the path and canal settled for a short section before heading down another flight of six locks known as Foxhangers.  The weather was by now very still and the heat was building.  In the canal itself were some fantastic reflections as well as swans and there families effortlessly gliding along through the water.  It was scenes like this that reminded us why we love this walk so much.

Bottom of the Lock Staircase

At the bottom Foxhangers Lock we passed the remnants of the old railway bridge that would once have passed over.  This is the remains of the old railway to Devizes to Bath, closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching Cuts and unlikely to be reinstated dyue to the obliteration of much of the line and buildings along it.  The canal almost went the same way, closing in the immediate aftermath of World War II but seeing a renaissance which started with preservation back in the 1960s, ironically just as the railway was closing.  Just by the bridge parapet were a couple of interesting features; the first being a solar powered pump that helps keep the lock system in water and the second a large boatyard also known as Foxhangers.  From here a fleet of holiday rentals looked ready to depart at any time.  All were named after fox-related things including a flying fox, foxterrier, foxglove and many others. I have to say that going on one of these holidays looks so tempting...

Foxhanger

From Foxhanger the onward route was rather less exciting as the canal once again returns to pastoral West Country beauty.  The weather was glorious although occasionally the clouds threatened a bit only to blow over.  The canal seemed a lot straighter through this section too - there was no pretence of having to follow the contours - the height was largely dealt with by locks which continued to come along periodically.  At Seend we passed by a very popular looking pub on the other side of the water.  We thought better of visiting ourselves as a quick reckoning suggested that we would struggle for a seat.

A Sheep That Doesn't Belong

Outside was a large boat called Diana - we would see this several more times along the way.  It is adapted for use by disabled people although at this point there was no-one in evidence apart from several crew getting the boat ready for the next set of passengers. They had obviously found the equivalent of a disabled parking bay for I could not otherwise see how they had got so lucky with their berth when the side of the canal was choked with boats for several hundred metres either side of the pub.

Diana

Surprisingly we had covered a lot further distance than we thought by now - passing by so many locks certainly made the mileage go a lot quicker.  The heat was starting to get to us a bit but it was also responsible for ensuring that the air was heavy with the scent of spring flowering, mostly May blossom but also cow parsley the chief culprits.  Other flowers much in evidence along the banks were yellow flags, comfrey and wild roses.  It all added up to a very colourful scene.

Semington Wharf

Our pace slowed considerably for the last couple of miles as the children tired.  They didn't complain but I think that a long week of school had caught up with them.  This was also marginally the longest of the three days that we had scheduled to be here and it showed.  Nevertheless walking at such a slow pace was a good thing for it provided the opportunity to really take in our surroundings - something we don't always do when we walk much faster.  Eventually we reached the village of Semington, which was to be our final destination for the day.  We had been looking forward to our arrival for we knew that there was a pub there and a large glass of ice cold lemonade was just what the doctor ordered on this very hot day.  It felt good to have another 9 miles under our belt - the finishing line is now in sight!  We picked the perfect day to undertake this section of the walk and the lock staircase at Caen Hill did not disappoint.

Kennet and Avon Canal Section 7 Pewsey to Devizes

Getting Underway at Pewsey

The whole winter has passed without us being able to return to the Kennet and Avon Canal.  The extremely wet weather coupled with conflicting diaries meant that we hadn’t managed to meet up with our friend Christine since October.  Ironically when the opportunity finally came it was when we least expected it as with only a couple of days notice everything fell into place and we managed to get together once again.

Towpath Toad

It was perhaps the most perfect day of the whole of March with bright sunshine predicted for the whole day and spring well and truly underway.  We did the car swap over thing before finally getting underway at Pewsey Wharf, where we left off back in October.  All was quiet on this Sunday morning and as we got underway we speculated about the marital bliss of the chef who had got married on the day we were last here.

Canal Catkins

All the talk at the beginning of our walk was how many bridges and locks we might see on our trip today. We all felt fairly confident of quite a lot for this would be the longest section yet attempted.  Our walk over to Devizes would be slightly more than 10 miles, quite a tall order for our seven year old daughter.  As we got going it was clear that many of the canal folk had re-emerged from winter slumbers too.  Boats were being opened up after a lengthy break and being restocked.  It all made for an interesting beginning…

Pickled Hill

All around us signs of spring too with daffodils coming out and leaves starting to sprout.  We also passed a few discarded eggshells, presumably from newly hatched ducklings.  What was more of a surprise though was seeing a large toad sitting on the riverbank.  He looked a bit docile, probably because it wasn’t very warm yet.  The first mile or so was through some very attractive woodland and judging by the numbers of boats moored here it was clearly a popular part of the canal.

Lady's Bridge

We moved through Stowell Park and caught glimpses of the landscaped park and rather grand looking house beyond.  A slightly flimsy looking suspension bridge crossed the canal here and it turns out that it is the last of its style left.  The bridge carries a footpath across the canal but to be honest it would only surely be of use to the bravest of walkers.

Deepest Wiltshire

As we continued it seemed that our prediction of bridges (20) was woefully short and locks (15) was wildly over estimated.  In fact we quickly realised from looking at the map that we wouldn’t see any locks at all.  Most of the bridges were of the same type of brick design that we have seen in so many places but when we got to Lady’s Bridge we found something altogether more special.  The story goes that the local landowner did not want the canal across her land but was appeased by a healthy £500 donation and the building of a fine ornate bridge.  It certainly was a cut above some of the others that we have seen.

The Barge Inn

Beyond this the countryside opened out and we could see the chalk hills of the Wiltshire Downs.  The names amused us, especially the small lump known as Pickled Hill… By now our little party was beginning to stretch out and so at the next bridge we all waited for each other.  Thank goodness for mobile phones!  Texting ahead made life so much easier.

Alton Barnes White Horse

It wasn’t much further on that we found the perfect tonic for small legs when we happened upon a pub at canalside in Honey Street.  The Barge Inn has had quite the history, being variously a bakehouse, a slaughterhouse, a brewery and a grocer’s shop over the years.  It seems pretty well established as a favoured pub by boaters and the locals alike and when we called by it was absolutely rammed.  We were fortunate to find the last table outside to have some drink and a snack while we enjoyed the ambience of a warm spring day.  The view across to the Downs from here included a very good view of the White Horse of Alton Barnes, one of 13 such figures cut into the chalk downs in Wiltshire!  The horse itself is 200 years old, first having appeared in 1812 on the orders of the local landowner.  It looks pretty well looked after and I imagine it had a bit of a spruce up on the occasion of its bicentennial.

Power Source

Feeling fortified by a pint of real ale (only for me and not the girls!) we marched on towards Devizes.  It didn’t take long for us to be spread out again but the walking was relatively easy and we were in no desperate hurry.  Walking in little separate groups did allow us the opportunity to see perhaps more stuff than we would otherwise have done and possibly the highlight of the day was seeing a grass snake.  I was rather astonished to see one so early in the year but a couple in a nearby boat told us that they were common along this stretch of the canal and can often be seen swimming in the water.

Swinging

A highlight for the girls soon came along in the shape of a rope swing and it was hard to get them to move along after they had discovered it!  To be fair I think I would have been as excited as them at their age and so I indulged them for a period of time until they had exhausted its entertainment value.  By now the number of boats had decreased but there were a few canoeists paddling furiously along.  I wondered whether they might be in training for this year’s Devizes to Westminster kayak race, a famous endurance event that uses a combination of the canal and the River Thames.

Awaiting a Bridge Opening

After a couple of miles further we decided to regroup and have another refreshment stop.  We lingered in the warm sunshine for quite a while to allow little legs to recuperate and this seemed to have the desired effect.  Oldest daughter decided she was going to stride off ahead and I followed along behind at a safe distance to allow her some space without letting her get out of my sight.  Meanwhile younger daughter walked along with the two women of the group.  This revolutionised our walk as up to this point we had worried that we had bitten off more than we could chew.  Far from it – older daughter completed the remaining three miles in not much more than an hour and younger daughter was only 10 minutes or so behind us at the end.

Catching the Sun

The remaining part of the walk was very tranquil and the towpath pretty quiet.  I was rather amused by the fact that one of the narrow boats failed to pass us even though it had been following us for some time.  Even without any locks along this section of canal that demonstrated to me that this means of travel is very slow.

Idyllic Spot

We passed by another busy looking pub that appeared to be a mecca for narrow boats but didn’t stop this time as the sun was starting to get low in the sky and daughter ahead of me was clearly not in the mood for stopping!  Eventually we reached the Devizes marina where we had swapped cars earlier.  To our annoyance we discovered that the towpath was on the wrong side of the canal for where we wanted to be and there was no bridge across.  This necessitated a further half a mile walk down to the next bridge and a walk back of similar distance.  Luckily the daughters were good sports about it, but I think we will remember that for next time we are down here.

Lonely Walker

This was a tranquil and pleasant section with some very pretty countryside and made for easy and surprisingly dry walking.  I have to say though that it was somewhat rescued by the beautiful weather conditions as compared with other sections of the canal it was a bit short on interesting features.  The Barge Inn definitely makes up for some of those deficiencies though – it was a good spot for lunchtime refreshments.  Just be careful not to eat or drink too much or you won’t want to continue your day’s walking!

Kennet and Avon Canal Walk Section 6 Bedwyn to Pewsey

Activity at Bedwyn Wharf

A whole season has gone by since our last outing on the Kennet and Avon Canal and we had been itching to get back for some time.  What had been bothering us though was the practicalities of getting from one end to the other.  Curiously, although Bedwyn and the next station Pewsey are both near to the canal and are only 9 miles apart there is no direct train between them.  Beyond Pewsey the railway line and canal diverge and there is no train service at all!  We had tinkered with the idea of using bikes or weathering the lengthy journey via Newbury when a rather unlikely solution came in the shape of a seldom seen friend in Staffordshire who wanted to join us for our walk.  That meant that we could park a car at each end of the walk and have a ready made transport plan!

Bedwyn Church

We rendezvoused in Pewsey and headed over to Bedwyn together.  It was a pretty unpromising day, with a lot of cloud around and damp conditions everywhere. Summer seemed a very long time ago!  At Great Bedwyn there seemed to be a lot of activity, far more than we remember on the lazy summer Sunday we were here last.  We did well to find a parking spot in the car park at Bedwyn wharf in among all the activity and were very pleased to be getting underway.

Beech Grove Bridge

Although the weather was decidedly autumnal the surroundings did not really suggest that winter was on its way with much of the foliage still on the trees and in most cases still very green.  The activity at Bedwyn soon died away as we headed westwards and all we heard for a while was the rumble of one of the suburban trains as it turned to head back towards London.  Little did we know but that was the last train we heard all day, suggesting that the line was closed for engineering works.

Sapphire

The bridges and locks came at a fairly regular pace along this section of the canal, although it has to be said that not all of them looked in very good repair.  Beech Grove Bridge in particular looked in very poor shape and the tank traps stationed on top suggested that it hadn’t been used by any vehicular transport since at least World War II. In fact I rather doubt that it would be strong enough now to cope with anything more than a single walker, such was its state of dilapidation.

Crofton Pumping Station

At the next lock we saw the first boat of the day heading westwards.  As is her way my 6 year old daughter waved and struck up a conversation with the boat owners, much to their amusement.  She was particularly taken with their small dogs on board, who seemed to be itching for a swim, much to the chagrin of their owners.

Former Railway Crossing

A little further ahead and we came upon Crofton pumping station.  This is allegedly the oldest working steam engine in the world and would have made for an excellent place for us to take a look around except that alas we missed its summer opening by three weeks L.  The access to the pumping station if we had been able to visit was not so obvious; it was actually via a bridge we had already passed rather than from directly opposite.  The purpose of the pumping station was to help provide some of the water for the canal, for we were now nearing the summit level and water is scarce here.  Opposite is Wilton Water, a small lake also used to help balance water levels.  On this rather quiet and damp Saturday it was rather difficult to believe that such an industrial undertaking was necessary to keep this tranquil canal going.

Bruce Tunnel

Just past the pumping station and we passed the remains of a couple of old railway bridges.  A glance at the map suggested a rather complex former railway feature, most of which is now defunct.  This was the crossing of the old line from Southampton to Swindon via Andover and Marlborough, one that was deeply unpopular with its rival company the Great Western Railway, which otherwise ran most of the lines in these parts.  A form of railway mania in this unlikely setting of Savernake Forest took over, meaning that there were duplicate lines running into the small town of Marlborough a few miles to the north of this point.  Duplication was loathed by British Railways when they took over, and all the lines north and south eventually succumbed to closure, leaving only the east-west route intact.  All the remaining earthworks are now slowly receding into nature, yet another long lost scheme that will be forgotten over time.

Bonnet Fungi

This also marked the summit level of the canal and a little further on we reached the obstacle of Bruce Tunnel, surprisingly the first that we had encountered on our journey from Reading and the only sizeable one on the whole canal.  The tunnel was named in honour of Thomas Bruce, the Earl of Aylesbury.  He allowed progress of the canal across his land, but only if the tunnel were built rather than a deep cutting.  For us walkers though we would have to part with the canal for a bit as the tunnel is not equipped with a towpath.  The original boatmen had to relay on pulling themselves through the tunnel using chains that were fitted to the walls.

Burbage Wharf

High above the tunnel are a scattering of houses, one of which really caught my eye on account of its patterned brick work.  The railway took advantage of the presence of the tunnel, cutting across to take the south bank rather than the north.  Above the tunnel was the last of the railway junctions that formed the Savernake network, this time a branch line that joined the main GWR line to a branch running to Marlborough and is now defunct along with all the others.

Afternoon Fishing

By now tummies were rumbling and we searched desperately for somewhere to sit.  Despite meeting back with the canal once again no seating existed, even by the nearby Burbage wharf.  The wharf itself was an interesting find for it has the last remaining wooden crane alongside.  This old thing was first built in 1831 although the one that is there now is a reproduction. 

Approaching Wootton Rivers

Feeling thwarted by the lack of seating we did the only reasonable thing shortly after – we resorted to our coats on the rather wet canal bank.  The gobbling down of food though did improve the mood considerably and we were soon on the march westwards once again.  It wasn’t just our moods that improved – after a mile or so more walking the weather cheered up too, revealing some sunshine and completely changing the mood of the day.  Strangely the change in weather seemed to have an effect on the number of people we saw too.  Soon there were a number of canoeists passing us as well as boaters.  Across the other side of the canal we wandered past a murder of crows (isn’t that a great collective noun?) harassing a bird of prey and encouraging it to leave.  Closer to home and we passed a stealthy heron checking out the water for a tasty snack.  Yet despite all the activity on the water we seemed to be the only walkers on the route.

Royal Oak at Wootton Rivers

At Wootton Rivers we decided that a refreshment stop would go down well with everyone and so we wandered into the village.  We were at once surprised by how picturesque it was.  Our reason for the diversion was one of convenience rather than sightseeing but we were glad that we had picked this particular village for it was lovely.  The main street was full of impossibly pretty houses, many of them with thatched roofs.  The Royal Oak made for a very enjoyable stop and I particularly enjoyed my 6X, something I hadn’t had in a very long time.

Mooring at Pewsey

When we resumed back on the canal, our sunshine didn’t last too much longer.  As we reached the Wiltshire Downs the clouds came rolling in once again and very soon we were dealing with a very heavy rain shower and cowering under the trees.  Fortunately it didn’t last too long and after a couple of miles of unremarkable but rather pleasant towpath walking we soon came to the line of boats that suggested that we were approaching an overnight mooring spot.  So it proved, with some more sunshine heading our way too.  At Pewsey Wharf we faced the disappointment of both pubs being closed.  The more convenient one on our side of the canal was closed for a wedding, with a rather special horse and cart lined up to transport the bride and groom.  The pub on the north side doesn’t open in the afternoon at all.

Getting Married at Pewsey Wharf

This marked the end of our walk and thanks to Christine this was a particularly difficult stretch logistically that we no longer had to worry about.  It was lovely to catch up with her and we vowed to do the next sections together as well.  Now that we have arrived at Pewsey, onward transport looks even more difficult without this option.  The only problem now is to find a weekend both parties can manage!