The Kennet & Avon canal links the River Thames at Reading via Newbury, Bath, Bristol down to the River Severn at Avonmouth. It used to have a junction with the Wilts and Berks canal but that is now long disused but is slowly being restored as part of the Cotswold canals preservation society.
The canal is nearly 101 miles long with 104 locks and it was completed in three stages. The River Kennet was made navigable from Reading to Newbury and opened in 1723. The River Avon was made navigable from Bath to Bristol and opened in 1727. The final section was to build a canal between Newbury and Bath and this was opened in 1810. There is only one tunnel on the canal and that is a short one called Bruce’s tunnel at Savernake.
All locks on the Kennet and Avon between Bath and Reading are broad beam locks allowing craft with a maximum beam of 13’ 5” and 70-72’ in length. The locks between Bath and Hanham lock towards Bristol are broader, allowing craft up to 16’ beam with a maximum length of 75’. From Hanham lock down to Bristol harbour, craft with 18’ beam and 80’ long can be accepted. Then from Bristol harbour out to Avonmouth a beam of 50’ and a length of 325’ can be accommodated.
The canalisation of the River Kennet between Newbury and Reading was incredibly ambitious for the early 1700s as there is an overall elevation of 138’ requiring 20 locks in nearly as many miles.
At Devizes, the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks can be found, with 16 of them in a straight flight. It is a very popular tourist destination to see this amazing feat of engineering.
Trade ceased on the canal in 1930 but pleasure craft tried to keep it open and the last end to end run was made in 1951. The canal was restored during the 1980s and officially opened by HM The Queen on 8 August 1990.
Many of the aqueducts, especially at the western end, are splendid pieces of engineering and look pretty built out of local sandstone.
Unfortunately, I have mislaid most of our K& A lock pictures and we had quite a collection considering we have travelled the full length several times!
Lock 1 - Hanham lock (Tidal)
Lock 5 - Kelston lock (3' 1")
Lock 6 - Weston lock (9' 3")
Lock 7 - Batch Bottom lock (9' 3")
Lock 8/9 - Bath Deep lock (19' 5")
This replaced two original locks, hence the depth - the second deepest lock in the UK.
Lock 13 - Bath Top lock (9' 0")
Lock 27 - 8' 2"
Locks 29 - 44 - Caen Hill flight (130' 8")
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| Lock 29 - Bottom lock |
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| Lock 29 - Bottom lock |
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| Lock 36 - Peter Lindley-Jones lock |
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| Lock 38 - Jack Dalby lock |
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| Lock 39 - Scaggs lock |
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| Lock 41 - Boto X lock |
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| Lock 42 - Monument lock |
Lock 51 - Wootton Rivers lock (8' 0")
Locks 55 - 61 - Crofton locks (61' 0")
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| Lock 58 - Sam Farmer lock |
Lock 73 - Hungerford Marsh lock (8' 1")
Lock 82 - Benham lock (6' 3")
Lock 83 - Higg's lock (5' 10")
Lock 85 - Newbury lock (5' 3")
Lock 86 - Greenham lock (6' 11")
Lock 87 - Ham lock (4' 2")
Lock 89 - Widmead lock (3' 7")
Lock 90 - Monkey Marsh lock (6' 8")
One of the two remaining turf sided locks on the K&A.
Lock 95 - Aldermaston lock (6' 11")
Lock 104 - Southcote lock (5' 3")
Lock 105 - Fobney lock (7' 8")
Lock 106 - County lock (1' 2")
Lock 107 - Blake's lock (3' 6")
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