A 200-year
old super
highway
Steve Davison explores the Kennet and Avon
Canal on a journey from Reading to Bristol
A
t the height of ‘canal mania’ in
the early 1800s, the Kennet and
Avon Canal, which stretches
across southern England from
Reading to Bristol, formed a super-
highway for the transportation of goods
ranging from coal and timber to grain
and stone, contributing to the late
Georgian and early Victorian growth of
the south. However, the widespread use
of the canal lasted only a few decades
before the arrival of Isambard Kingdom
Brunel’s much faster Great Western
Railway.
By the 1950s the canal was in a very
poor state, however, plans to abandon
it were brushed aside by public support
and an army of volunteers set about
its gradual restoration, culminating in
its reopening by Queen Elizabeth II in
1990. Now this wonderful canal, which
celebrated its bicentenary in 2010,
forms a multi-faceted jewel for boaters,
walkers and wildlife, as it weaves its
way through a patchwork of countryside
from the rolling chalk contours of the
North Wessex Downs to the southern
edge of the Cotswolds.
Meandering along the canal takes
you on a journey of discovery past
numerous historical features, and offers
an abundance of peace and tranquillity
as well as picturesque villages and
vibrant towns and cities.
14 Outdoor focus | spring 2018
Looking east up the impressive Caen
Hill flight of locks
We start our journey at Reading where
the combined canal and River Kennet
join the River Thames. It was here,
in 1121, that Henry I founded a great
abbey, sadly all that remains today are
a few sections of flint rubble wall. The
town is often known for its ‘Three Bs’
of beer, bulbs and biscuits, relating to
three former industries that originated
in the town: Simonds’ Brewery; Suttons
Seeds; and Huntley & Palmers, which
by 1900 had become the largest biscuit
manufacturer in the world.
The canal and River Kennet
occasionally flow together as we
meander westwards to arrive at
Newbury. In the late 15th century,
Newbury was highly regarded for its
cloth and the town’s most famous
clothier was John Winchcombe, aka
‘Jack of Newbury’. With his new-found
wealth, he funded the rebuilding of St
Nicolas’ Church, a fine example of a
Perpendicular-style ‘wool church’.
Further on, at the western edge
of Berkshire, is the market town of
Hungerford, the only place in the
country that still holds the Hocktide
Festival, which relates to the rights of
the commoners; the highlight is Tutti
Day (second Tuesday after Easter), when
the Hocktide Court is held and the Tutti
Men visit every house with common
rights.