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Kennet and Avon Canal

1723 establishments in EnglandCanals in BerkshireCanals in SomersetCanals in WiltshireCanals opened in 1723
Canals opened in 1810Kennet and Avon CanalSomerset coalfieldThames drainage basinTourist attractions in SomersetTourist attractions in WiltshireUse British English from January 2013
Canal.at.bathampton.arp
Canal.at.bathampton.arp

The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of 87 miles (140 km), made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section. From Bristol to Bath the waterway follows the natural course of the River Avon before the canal links it to the River Kennet at Newbury, and from there to Reading on the River Thames. In all, the waterway incorporates 105 locks. The two river stretches were made navigable in the early 18th century, and the 57-mile (92 km) canal section was constructed between 1794 and 1810. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the canal gradually fell into disuse after the opening of the Great Western Railway. In the latter half of the 20th century the canal was restored in stages, largely by volunteers. After decades of dereliction and much restoration work, it was fully reopened in 1990. The Kennet and Avon Canal has been developed as a popular heritage tourism destination for boating, canoeing, fishing, walking and cycling, and is also important for wildlife conservation.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Kennet and Avon Canal (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Kennet and Avon Canal
Ferry Lane,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.375 ° E -2.3022222222222 °
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Ferry Lane

Ferry Lane
BA2 7PX
England, United Kingdom
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Dundas Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct

Dundas Aqueduct (grid reference ST785625) carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon (the Somerset / Wiltshire border) and the Wessex Main Line railway from Bath to Westbury. The aqueduct is near Monkton Combe, Somerset, and is about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) southeast of the city of Bath. It was designed by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas between 1797 and 1801, and completed in 1805. James McIlquham was appointed contractor. It is named after Charles Dundas, the first chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company. The aqueduct is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone, with Doric pilasters, and balustrades at each end. The central semi-circular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); the two oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m).The canal crosses back across the Avon and the railway on another aqueduct at Avoncliff. This diversion onto the right bank of the Avon avoids the steep sides of the river valley at Limpley Stoke, and the need to cross the Midford Brook and River Frome. It is a Grade I listed building, and was the first canal structure to be designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1951. Over many years, leaks had developed and the aqueduct was closed in 1954. For a while in the 1960s and 1970s, the canal was dry and it was possible to walk along the bed on each side of the river, as well as through the aqueduct itself. The aqueduct was relined with polythene and concrete and restored, reopening in 1984. Care was taken not to disturb a colony of bats living under the aqueduct. The aqueduct is also the junction between the Kennet and Avon Canal and the largely derelict Somerset Coal Canal. The short stretch of the Somerset Coal Canal still in water forms Brassknocker Basin, used for boat moorings, cycle hire and a cafe, and is next to Dundas Wharf where the small tollhouse, warehouse and crane still stand. The stretch of river below and above the aqueduct is used by Monkton Combe School Boat Club (Monkton Bluefriars) up to six days a week, since at least the 1960s. At the opposite (Wiltshire) end of the aqueduct a wharf was constructed serving the Conkwell stone quarries.Between 2002 and 2004 further restoration was undertaken, which included replacing engineering bricks used by GWR with Bath Stone to match the original work. In 2015, the railway below the aqueduct was lowered to allow the route to be used as a diversionary route for freight trains in the future. Network Rail published a time-lapse video of the work.