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THE KENNET AND AVON CANAL

The Kennet and Avon Canal was constructed to link the river Avon (from Bristol to Bath) to the river Kennet (from Newbury to Reading) and thence to London on the river Thames. This important inland trading route linking the two major cities of Bristol and London was desperately needed for a variety of reasons. The road system at that time was poor and practicably impassable in winter. The coastal sea route was equally dangerous due to the weather and wars with France.The canal offered a safe means of quick transport which could cope equally well with both bulky and fragile goods.

The Bristol to Bath river section was in use from 1727 and the Newbury to Reading river section from 1723. The canal section to make the "missing link" was debated and decided on in the 1780's and work finally completed in 1810. The work totalled some 87 miles of canal and no less than 106 locks. The canal was mapped, surveyed, designed and constructed at a time when the means of construction was by using picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and an army of "navies". With the associated requirement for numerous bridges, locks, diversion of natural watercourses and pumping arrangements the Kennet and Avon Canal is rightly considered to be a marvel of engineering design and construction. To the west of Devizes, to allow the canal to fall some 237 feet over a distance of just over 2miles it was necessary to build what is known as the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks. Most of this section is actually in Rowde.
This flight, which is a major tourist attraction, can be accessed from a special car park signposted off the road linking Rowde and the Caen Hill dual carriageway.
As the most important means of commercial transport canals lasted until the development of steam power and the railways. The Bristol to London rail link was established in 1841 and in 1852 the GWR rail company actually took over the Kennet and Avon Canal. With the high cost of canal maintenance transport charges soon became prohibitive except for specialist goods eg transporting Bath stone to London.
Decline descended into abject decline and then outright neglect. Formal closure came in 1955.
From the 1960's canals were seen as important for the growing leisure and tourist industry. The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust was established in 1962. The restoration programme was completed in 1990 when the Queen attended Devizes to perform the opening ceremony.

The Kennet and Avon canal is now maintained by British Waterways.
The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust has a visitors centre and museum at The Wharf in Devizes.
The canal offers excellent facilities for walkers, bikers, coarse anglers and narrow boat enthusiasts.

www.katust.org
www.devizesaa.org.uk
www.foxhangers.co.uk
www.britishwaterways.co.uk