Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

Pictures of the Kennet& Avon Canal.

Reading to Devizes.

This is one of the most splendid lengths of artificial waterway in the UK. It is a broad canal cutting across Southern England from the Thames at Reading to the Bristol Channel at Bristol. It's generous dimensions and fine architecture fit in with the rolling downs and open plains it goes through. The navigation was built in three sections. This page is about two section.

The River Kennet, is fast flowing due to its steep fall. This is the East end of the navigation connecting the River Thames at Reading to

The first two miles after leaving the Thames and the first two locks are right in the heart of Reading. The major modern shopping complexes have been built around and towering above the river. However you are unable to stop due to the narrow and often fast nature of the river. It takes another four miles and four more locks to pass under the M4 and leave Reading, but for most of this distance the town is held well away from the River by extensive flood plains.

The rest of the river navigation up to its finish at Newbury, all twelve miles are set out in the country. There are fifteen locks, many of them once turf sided, (a couple are still preserved like this), ten swing bridges and one lift bridge along this stretch. Opened in 1723 it was one of the earliest and certainly the most ambitious of the 18th century river Navigations.

The navigation finishes right in the centre of Newbury.

The Canal, fifty seven miles long with seventy-nine broad locks and one short tunnel was built to connect the two river Navigations, eventually it bought both navigation companies so the whole Kennet and Avon Navigation came under one ownership. Here we describe the first half up to Devizes.

Starting in the centre of Newbury but within a mile it returns to the country. The first stretch up to the top of Croft locks, sixteen miles long has twenty nine broad locks well spread out to lift it up the slope of the chalk downs. The railway comes alongside sometimes but does not intrude due to the scarcity of trains. The small town of Hugerford provides a pleasant interlude as does a visit to the restored Steam pumping station beside Croft locks.

The summit section is in two parts. The true summit is under three miles in length and has the only tunnel of the canal, Bruce tunnel, 502 yards. This was to prove an expensive mistake creating the major problem of water shortage which was to haunt the canal for much of its life. The canal then goes down the four locks of the Wotton Rivers flight to reach a level pound fourteen miles long. This takes you through the very beautiful Vale of Pewsey with the chalk downs rising spectacularly to the North. This section terminates with mooring right in the heart of the small town of Devizes.

	The lift bridge.	A preserved turf sided lock
	The steam pumping station.	A lock on the River Kennet.
Swing bridge at Hungerford.		Long lining on the long pound.

More pictures of this canal?

Devizes to Bath / Bath to Bristol.

A history of this canal. / General information on the canal.

Find our information about other canals on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk