The Kennet & Avon Canal Walk
Hungerford to Great Bedwyn
Sunday 20 March 2016
Following at least ten days of dry weather I reckoned it was safe to return to the canal. The unfinished business of the short section between Woolhampton and Thatcham has been niggling at me. In any case I found that some of London’s streets felt a little dusty last weekend and in need of some cleansing rain. It was time to return to a more rural setting.
Anyone who has read my account of the previous K&A section walk will know that my travel planning was less than perfect and meant I had to miss out the section between Woolhampton and Thatcham. So this time I made sure of the timings. It worked really well although I arrived at Thatcham Station with just three minutes to spare despite breaking into a light jog near the end. The walk was enjoyable with locks and swing bridges at regular intervals. The path had thankfully dried out considerably and the weather was perfect for walking. Signs of spring were now in evidence everywhere, the riverbanks slowly coming to life. In the hedges lords-and-ladies and other plants are rapidly greening the surroundings and it won’t be long before the bluebells will bring yet more colour to the woods.
The second train journey of the day took me swiftly to Hungerford through beautiful scenery. Leaving the train at Hungerford I walked the short section from the station to the High Street where I stopped for lunch at the Tutti Pole – the tea-room I ‘found’ when looking for somewhere to warm up and while the time away when I missed my train home on the previous section. I had a cheese omelette and salad – it was delicious and set me up for the rest of the walk.
The walk out of Hungerford was delightful. Passing Freeman’s Marsh (an important wildlife conservation area) and then a popular angling area, the path, which was in good condition all along today’s section, continued pleasantly into a tranquil and rural setting. I stopped to watch a woodpecker pecking (it took a while locating him (or her?) with my binoculars but my patience eventually paid off). The canal now looked turquoise as the sky brightened. That must be a sign that water quality here is very good. Talking of clean waters, the river Dun, a delightful chalk stream flows through this area and discharges into the River Kennet at Hungerford.
The tranquillity of this section was broken every now and again by the rumblings of a First Great Western train rushing by but I can’t complain – I wouldn't be doing this walk today if it wasn't for the trains. I have by now become accustomed to (but not bored by) the canal furniture, the pretty bridges, the locks and, of course, the brightly coloured canal boats. Somebody once said to me that walking along a canal must be boring – I disagree. The walk is more than the path and the canal. The landscape changes, the vegetation changes, the towns and villages along the route change and the people change as well, but I have yet to meet an unfriendly person.
As, for once, I was not pressed for time I took a break from the canal and walked across the bridge to the pretty little village of Little Bedwyn. I walked past thatched cottages to the church located by an attractive woodland and a recreation and play area adjacent to a little stream of crystal clear water.
Back on the tow path the sun finally made an appearance. Enjoying the sunshine, it wasn't long before I arrived in Great Bedwyn, today’s destination. My train was not due for another hour so I walked through the village, up the hill and across along a woodland. From the top I enjoyed views across the valley to the hills beyond. This, followed by a walk through the pretty village with its thatched cottages and pretty terraced houses made it a nice finale to today’s walk. Back by the bridge on the railway station side I spotted a little egret looking for fish in the pretty little river alongside the canal. I dug out my binoculars and watched it for a while. Then it was time to return to the station platform to catch the train back to Theale.
It’s been a lovely day’s walking and I'm looking forward to the next section.
My highlights:
Wildlife:
Useful information
Transport:
Following at least ten days of dry weather I reckoned it was safe to return to the canal. The unfinished business of the short section between Woolhampton and Thatcham has been niggling at me. In any case I found that some of London’s streets felt a little dusty last weekend and in need of some cleansing rain. It was time to return to a more rural setting.
Anyone who has read my account of the previous K&A section walk will know that my travel planning was less than perfect and meant I had to miss out the section between Woolhampton and Thatcham. So this time I made sure of the timings. It worked really well although I arrived at Thatcham Station with just three minutes to spare despite breaking into a light jog near the end. The walk was enjoyable with locks and swing bridges at regular intervals. The path had thankfully dried out considerably and the weather was perfect for walking. Signs of spring were now in evidence everywhere, the riverbanks slowly coming to life. In the hedges lords-and-ladies and other plants are rapidly greening the surroundings and it won’t be long before the bluebells will bring yet more colour to the woods.
The second train journey of the day took me swiftly to Hungerford through beautiful scenery. Leaving the train at Hungerford I walked the short section from the station to the High Street where I stopped for lunch at the Tutti Pole – the tea-room I ‘found’ when looking for somewhere to warm up and while the time away when I missed my train home on the previous section. I had a cheese omelette and salad – it was delicious and set me up for the rest of the walk.
The walk out of Hungerford was delightful. Passing Freeman’s Marsh (an important wildlife conservation area) and then a popular angling area, the path, which was in good condition all along today’s section, continued pleasantly into a tranquil and rural setting. I stopped to watch a woodpecker pecking (it took a while locating him (or her?) with my binoculars but my patience eventually paid off). The canal now looked turquoise as the sky brightened. That must be a sign that water quality here is very good. Talking of clean waters, the river Dun, a delightful chalk stream flows through this area and discharges into the River Kennet at Hungerford.
The tranquillity of this section was broken every now and again by the rumblings of a First Great Western train rushing by but I can’t complain – I wouldn't be doing this walk today if it wasn't for the trains. I have by now become accustomed to (but not bored by) the canal furniture, the pretty bridges, the locks and, of course, the brightly coloured canal boats. Somebody once said to me that walking along a canal must be boring – I disagree. The walk is more than the path and the canal. The landscape changes, the vegetation changes, the towns and villages along the route change and the people change as well, but I have yet to meet an unfriendly person.
As, for once, I was not pressed for time I took a break from the canal and walked across the bridge to the pretty little village of Little Bedwyn. I walked past thatched cottages to the church located by an attractive woodland and a recreation and play area adjacent to a little stream of crystal clear water.
Back on the tow path the sun finally made an appearance. Enjoying the sunshine, it wasn't long before I arrived in Great Bedwyn, today’s destination. My train was not due for another hour so I walked through the village, up the hill and across along a woodland. From the top I enjoyed views across the valley to the hills beyond. This, followed by a walk through the pretty village with its thatched cottages and pretty terraced houses made it a nice finale to today’s walk. Back by the bridge on the railway station side I spotted a little egret looking for fish in the pretty little river alongside the canal. I dug out my binoculars and watched it for a while. Then it was time to return to the station platform to catch the train back to Theale.
It’s been a lovely day’s walking and I'm looking forward to the next section.
My highlights:
- Lunch in Hungerford at the Tutti Pole
- Observing the colour of the canal water change from grey to turquoise
- The villages of Little and Great Bedwyn
Wildlife:
- Woodpecker, bullfinch, little egret, grey heron and other birds, swans and ducks, pheasants
Useful information
Transport:
- Train Theale to Hungerford (Reading to Pewsey line)
- Return: train Bedwyn to Theale (Pewsey to Reading line)
- Hungerford, Great Bedwyn