Contents
Introduction
Brief history of the canal
Geology
Plants and wildlife
Where to stay
Getting to and around the canal
Food and drink
Walking the canal
Cycling the canal
Maps
Waymarking, access and rights of way
Protecting the countryside
Using this guide
Walking the canal from Reading to Bristol
Stage 1 Reading to Woolhampton
Stage 2 Woolhampton to Hungerford
Stage 3 Hungerford to Pewsey Wharf
Stage 4 Pewsey Wharf to Devizes
Stage 5 Devizes to Bradford-on-Avon
Stage 6 Bradford-on-Avon to Bath
Stage 7 Bath to Bristol
Between Reading and Hungerford
Walk 1 Reading – canal and river
Walk 2 Aldermaston – wharf and village
Walk 3 Greenham Common
Walk 4 Newbury and Donnington
Walk 5 Kintbury and Hamstead Marshall
Walk 6 Hungerford and Kintbury
Walk 7 Hungerford, Freeman’s Marsh and Standen Manor
Between Great Bedwyn and Devizes
Walk 8 Great Bedwyn, Crofton and Wilton
Walk 9 Wootton Rivers and Burbage
Walk 10 Pewsey Wharf, Martinsell Hill and Oare Hill
Walk 11 Wilcot and Woodborough
Walk 12 Honeystreet and the Alton Barnes White Horse
Walk 13 All Cannings, the Wansdyke and Bishops Cannings
Walk 14 Devizes, Caen Hill and Rowde
Between Seend and Bristol
Walk 15 Seend and Seend Cleeve
Walk 16 Bradford-on-Avon, Avoncliff and Lower Westwood
Walk 17 Avoncliff, Freshford, Monkton Combe and Dundas
Walk 18 Dundas Aqueduct, Monkton Farleigh and Bathford
Walk 19 Bathampton, Sham Castle and Bath
Walk 20 Saltford, Swineford, North Stoke and the Cotswold Way
Appendix A Route summary tables
Appendix B Itinerary planner
Appendix C Accommodation near the route
Appendix D Useful contacts
Appendix E Further reading
August 2020
Stage 7 - Bath to Bristol
Pages 88 and 89
The access path from the riverside up to the bridge (Bristol & Bath Railway Path) to allow walkers to cross the river following the River Avon Trail has been blocked at ST 6817 6870. Therefore all walkers are strongly advised to follow the 'Shortcut to Avon Riverside Station' detailed in the guidebook on page 88 (this reduces the walk length by 1.7km).
Revised route text
Keep ahead past a car park, picnic area and toilet (left) to reach a T-junction beside the Bird in Hand pub (01225 873335). Turn right down the road and fork right up the steps just before the railway bridge (ST 6875 6750). Turn left to follow the Bristol & Bath Railway Path for 1.4km, later passing Avon Riverside Station. Immediately after crossing the bridge over the River Avon fork left down the tarmac path to reach a picnic area on the north bank of the river.
Now follow the main route detailed on Page 89, starting after the Avon Valley Railway point of information text.
October 2016
Accommodation Update
The owner of this B&B has now retired and so accommodation is no longer available here;
Bridge House, Canal Bridge, Semington, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
"Really useful, especially the accommodation section"
Recently used this book to walk the Kennet and Avon Canal. Found it really useful, especially the accommodation section. Also useful for the optional side walks.
- Judy Cotterill, reviewer
Steve Davison has become a well-known and popular author of guides for the specialist walking and exploration publisher, Cicerone. In his own latest exploration – Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal – he offers two ways of enjoying both the route of the canal and the places of interest within a short distance of its banks.
The first section of the book covers the whole length, which he has divided into seven sections, starting from Reading, where the River Kennet joins the River Thames. In its second section the book has a series of 20 circular walks starting from points along the canal and taking in places of interest in the immediate surroundings. Each is in the region of six miles, and they take in stops such as to see the famous Crofton pumping station and beam engines near Great Bedwyn, and sights such as that of the chalk figure of a white horse on a hillside at Alton Barnes, the Caen Hill series of locks, and at Dundas the aqueduct and the junction with the restored remaining 500m of the Somerset Coal Canal.
This is a book full of information, from the introduction that includes the geology of the surrounding area along the route, the ecology – plants and wildlife to look out for – then throughout its pages maps, travel information and restaurant and other facilities, including accommodation. There is also a third suggestion for making the most of the pleasures of following the canal, a cycling route, divided into three stages.
Towpath Talk magazine