Another glorious day in Wiltshire, time to head out with the hounds and explore the countryside along part of the Kennet and Avon Canal. An 87 mile (140 km) long canal which crosses the country connecting Bristol and London. The canal was used by barges to transport goods until the railways were built in the mid 1800s. Of course you can walk the entire canal, but today we walked from Bradford-on-Avon to Devizes.
Walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal is a great way to take in the canal life and see the variety of great countryside Wiltshire has to offer. It runs through wonderful historical towns and passes many a boat, bridge and lock combined with stunning views. And if you get tired or thirsty, there’s enough opportunity along the way to take a rest and enjoy the canal views.
Throughout the whole stretch of the canal you’ll find a total of 105 locks. But the most spectacular locks are the 16 in a row on Caen Hill (called the Devizes Flight). The locks are used to a raise and lower boats between stretches of water of different levels. The row of locks in Devizes is the longest row of continuous locks in Britain. And surrounded by beautiful nature… makes it a lovely stroll.
All the way you walk along the towpath next to the canal, so you can experience canal life from up close. Making it an easy relaxing walk accessible for many. I fully enjoyed seeing the people on the canal and all the beautifully coloured barges. To be honest…. this canal walk reminded me a little of The Netherlands.
I’m so glad you’ve posted such lovely pictures of my beautiful county. So many people drive through Wiltshire without noticing its beauty.
It is a gorgeous county Jo 🙂
Thanks Jo glad you like it! Had a fabulous time in your county :)) very beautiful indeed!