The Kennet and Avon Canal is a canal in southern England. The name refers to the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the River Kennet at Newbury to the River Avon at Bath, or to the entire navigation between the River Thames at Reading and the Floating Harbour at Bristol, including the earlier improved river navigations of the River Kennet between Reading and Newbury and the River Avon between Bath and Bristol.
The River Kennet was made navigable to Newbury in 1723, and the River Avon to Bath in 1727. The canal between Newbury and Bath opened in 1810 and is 57 miles (92 km) long. The two river navigations and the canal total 87 miles (140 km) in length.
In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway, who owned the canal. In the latter half of the 20th century the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism destination, for boating, canoeing, fishing, walking and cycling. It is also important for wildlife conservation.
The section from Bristol to Bath is the course of the River Avon, which flows through a wide valley and has been made navigable by a series of locks and weirs. In Bath the canal separates from the river but follows its valley as far as Bradford on Avon. The ornate Bath locks lead to a stretch through Limpley Stoke valley with few locks. The spectacular flight of locks at Devizes raises the canal to its longest pound,which then ascends the 4 Wooton Rivers locks to the short summit pound which includes the Bruce Tunnel. Pumping stations are used to supply the canal with water. The canal continues through the rural landscape of Wiltshire and Berkshire to Newbury where it joins the River Kennet and becomes a navigable river to Reading, where it flows into the River Thames.
The idea of an east-west waterway link across southern England was first mooted in Elizabethan times, based on the Avon and Thames being only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart at their closest. The sea route between Bristol and London was hazardous during the 18th century and early 19th century, because Atlantic storms and the rugged coast line took their toll on the small coastal sailing ships of the day, and also because a succession of conflicts with France and her allies frequently made British cargo ships navigating the English channel the prey of both privateers and warships of the French navy.
Although plans had been discussed for a canal, no action was taken until the early 18th century when the Avon navigation from Bristol to Bath and the Kennet navigation through Reading were built to meet local needs, independently of each other but both under the supervision of surveyor-engineer John Hore. In 1788 the so-called "Western Canal" was proposed to improve trade and communication links to towns such as Hungerford, Marlborough, Calne, Chippenham and Melksham, although there were doubts about the adequacy of the water supply. In 1793 a further survey was conducted by John Rennie and the route changed to a more southerly course through Great Bedwyn, Devizes, Trowbridge and Newbury. This was accepted by the Kennet and Avon Canal Company, chaired by Charles Dundas, and on 17 April 1794 the Kennet and Avon Canal Act received the Royal assent and construction began. The canal opened in 1810, after 16 years of construction, including Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts, locks, and pumping stations at Claverton and Crofton, needed to overcome water supply problems. The final and perhaps most impressive engineering feat was the completion of the Caen Hill locks at Devizes.
The opening of the Great Western Railway in 1841 removed much of the canal's traffic, and in 1852 the railway company took over its running, levying high tolls at every toll point until the canal was hardly used. The Somerset Coal Canal and Wilts and Berks Canal, which supplied some of the trade from the Somerset coalfield to the Kennet and Avon, closed in 1904 and 1906 respectively.
During World War II a large number of concrete bunkers known as pillboxes were built as part of the GHQ Line to defend against an expected German invasion, and many of these are still visible.
By the 1950s large portions of the canal were closed because of poor lock maintenance. In 1956 the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust successfully petitioned against its legal closure. In 1963 the newly formed British Waterways took over the canal and began restoration work.
The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust was formed in the 1960s to restore the canal from Reading to Bristol as a through navigation and as a public amenity. In partnership with British Waterways and the riparian local authorities the Trust has continued to work to safeguard the navigation. In 1990 Queen Elizabeth II reopened the canal. In 1996 the ongoing problem of water shortage was resolved when new backpumps were installed at the flight of 29 locks at Caen Hill in Devizes at a cost of UK£1 million. The pumps raise water 235 feet (72 m) at a rate of 300,000 imperial gallons per hour (380 l/s). The Kennet &Avon Canal Partnership attracted the largest single National Lottery grant awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, UK£25 million towards a UK£29 million project, to complete the restoration and to make it operational, sustainable and accessible for the enjoyment of future generations. The completion of restoration was celebrated in May 2003 with a visit from HRH Prince Charles
The canal today is a heritage tourism destination. Boating, with both narrowboats and cruisers, is popular, particularly in the summer month, with privately owned craft and hire boats from the range of marinas being much in evidence, and there are numerous canoe clubs along the its length. The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is held annually starting from Devizes Wharf, the site of the Kennet &Avon Canal Museum, at first light on Good Friday each year and the competitors have to negotiate 75 locks in the 125-mile route between Devizes and the finish at Westminster. The winning time is usually around 17.5 hours.
Cycling is permitted along the canal towpath except for a 600-metre (656 yard) section near Woolhampton. Some sections of the canal towpath have been improved to provide a wider path that is more suitable for cyclists and disabled users. Under a partnership arrangement involving British Waterways, Sustrans and the riparian Local Authorities, two main sections of the canal have been improved, and, with a few short diversions, run from Reading to Marsh Benham and from Devizes to Bath as part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 4. Fishing for bream, tench, roach, rudd, perch, gudgeon, pike and carp is permitted throughout the year from the towpath of the canal, but almost the whole length of the canal is leased to angling associations or fishing clubs. There are a variety of riverside pubs, shops and tea rooms. The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust also operates shops and tearooms at; Aldermaston Lock, Newbury Wharf, Crofton Pumping Station, Devizes and Bradford on Avon.
The canal is also important for wildlife conservation, with a variety of birds including herons and kingfishers, small vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and reeds and other plant life along the edges of the canal. Over 100 different species of bird have been recorded in surveys over the length of the canal. Of these 38 could be classified as specialist waterway birds with 14 species confirmed as breeding ,including sand martins (Riparia riparia), which nest in the drain-pipes in the brick walls of the canal in the centre of Reading. The rare reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) is found at various places along the canal. Wilton Water by Crofton locks and the Kennet Valley gravel pits provide habitats for breeding and wintering waterfowl. The red kite (Milvus milvus) has also been seen in Great Bedwyn. Several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which exhibit great bio-diversity, are along the canal. Key sites that are home to several rare species include the Aldermaston Gravel Pits, Woolhampton and Thatcham Reed Beds and Freeman's Marsh, Hungerford.
There are also many non-statutory nature reserves throughout the length of the canal. Several species of odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have also been identified. Measures to preserve and create water vole (Arvicola amphibius or A. terrestrisis) habitat have had considerable impact on the restoration of the canal and new techniques of bank protection have been developed that are vole friendly.
