Kennet & Avon Canal Walk
Lady's Bridge, Pewsey
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Tranquil walking near Honeystreet
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Pewsey Wharf to Devizes
Picked Hill
Friday 5 May 2017
It’s been far too long since my last walk along the canal (August 2016 to be precise) so this promising Spring day was made for the resumption of this walk. My daughter and grandson joined me for the journey but that meant going by car rather than public transport. I feel just a little bit guilty about that as one of the reasons for creating this website is to show how, in this car-dominated society, it is possible to go places and have fantastic days out, using public transport.
So we set off, baby sleeping in the back seat, on the pleasant journey to Pewsey, via Hungerford and through Savernake Forest. We stopped briefly to enjoy a particularly beautiful bluebell view in Savernake Forest and soon after we arrived in Pewsey town centre. I think we would have got to the start of my walk sooner if the Sat Nav was programmed to take us to Pewsey Wharf rather than just Pewsey. Anyway we eventually arrived by the canal and while K and J went off to Swindon for some shopping I was happy to start walking. The weather was wonderful – bright, with a good mix of sunshine and cloud and a refreshing breeze. I quickly left Pewsey behind and enjoyed the tranquillity of wandering along the canal with only birds and occasionally a swan or duck for company. I also heard a cuckoo for the first time this Spring and saw a slow worm wiggling into the shrubbery.
As route finding and map reading was not something I needed to be pay attention to, I was free to let my mind and thoughts wander – you could say I was day-dreaming. For a while I was mesmerized by a hill called Picked Hill which seemed to follow me as the canal meandered through the Vale of Pewsey. Soon I spotted the white horse on White Horse Hill. A couple of years ago I walked along a section of the White Horse Trail – it was an invigorating walk with wonderful views. These chalk hill downs to the North of the Vale of Pewsey are full of visible ancient history, with stone circles, hill forts and burial mounds a reminder of a mysterious past. They invite further exploration on foot but for me that will have to wait for another day. Soon I passed the village of Honeystreet which has a nice-looking pub by the path. Another pub can be found in the village of All Canning, just off the route.
It’s been far too long since my last walk along the canal (August 2016 to be precise) so this promising Spring day was made for the resumption of this walk. My daughter and grandson joined me for the journey but that meant going by car rather than public transport. I feel just a little bit guilty about that as one of the reasons for creating this website is to show how, in this car-dominated society, it is possible to go places and have fantastic days out, using public transport.
So we set off, baby sleeping in the back seat, on the pleasant journey to Pewsey, via Hungerford and through Savernake Forest. We stopped briefly to enjoy a particularly beautiful bluebell view in Savernake Forest and soon after we arrived in Pewsey town centre. I think we would have got to the start of my walk sooner if the Sat Nav was programmed to take us to Pewsey Wharf rather than just Pewsey. Anyway we eventually arrived by the canal and while K and J went off to Swindon for some shopping I was happy to start walking. The weather was wonderful – bright, with a good mix of sunshine and cloud and a refreshing breeze. I quickly left Pewsey behind and enjoyed the tranquillity of wandering along the canal with only birds and occasionally a swan or duck for company. I also heard a cuckoo for the first time this Spring and saw a slow worm wiggling into the shrubbery.
As route finding and map reading was not something I needed to be pay attention to, I was free to let my mind and thoughts wander – you could say I was day-dreaming. For a while I was mesmerized by a hill called Picked Hill which seemed to follow me as the canal meandered through the Vale of Pewsey. Soon I spotted the white horse on White Horse Hill. A couple of years ago I walked along a section of the White Horse Trail – it was an invigorating walk with wonderful views. These chalk hill downs to the North of the Vale of Pewsey are full of visible ancient history, with stone circles, hill forts and burial mounds a reminder of a mysterious past. They invite further exploration on foot but for me that will have to wait for another day. Soon I passed the village of Honeystreet which has a nice-looking pub by the path. Another pub can be found in the village of All Canning, just off the route.
Time for Cake!
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the route was straightforward and map reading was not required, so sometimes the walker needs something else to keep track of progress made – today I was looking at bridge numbers – the bridges on the canal are numbered, starting with one in Reading and ending with 214 in Bristol. Today I started at bridge no. 114 (Pewsey Bridge) and finished at bridge no. 144 (Upper Foxhangers Bridge Devizes). The locks are also numbered but this time no 1 is in Bristol and no 107 (Blake’s Lock) is in Reading. Just one of the things I’ve learnt since walking along this canal!
As I arrived in Devizes, the previously quite strong breeze eased and the sun shone so strongly I was worried about getting sunburnt! I was supposed to meet up with my daughter and baby J somewhere in Devizes but when I managed to get through to her on the phone she said she couldn’t find the car park (the idea was that she parked in the car park by the Caen Hill Café and Visitor Centre and then walked towards me) - *** Sat Nav!
We did meet up eventually – it appeared that we were walking in the same direction for about a mile – probably only about 100 yards apart! We both needed the tea and cake! Refreshed we then walked down Caen Hill past all 16 locks before returning the same way to Devizes where the car was parked in a residential road.
As I arrived in Devizes, the previously quite strong breeze eased and the sun shone so strongly I was worried about getting sunburnt! I was supposed to meet up with my daughter and baby J somewhere in Devizes but when I managed to get through to her on the phone she said she couldn’t find the car park (the idea was that she parked in the car park by the Caen Hill Café and Visitor Centre and then walked towards me) - *** Sat Nav!
We did meet up eventually – it appeared that we were walking in the same direction for about a mile – probably only about 100 yards apart! We both needed the tea and cake! Refreshed we then walked down Caen Hill past all 16 locks before returning the same way to Devizes where the car was parked in a residential road.
My highlights:
Transport: (if I hadn’t got a lift in a car this is what I would have done)
- Pewsey Down views (including a good view of the White Horse)
- Spotting a slow worm
- Tea and cake at the Caen Hill café in the sunshine
- Walk along the Caen Hill Locks
- Grey herons, lots of birdsong (including a cuckoo)
- Swans, coots, moorhens, geese and ducks
- Cows, sheep, lambs and horses, a slow-worm and a couple of rabbits
Transport: (if I hadn’t got a lift in a car this is what I would have done)
- Train Reading to Pewsey
- Return: Bus No 101 (Connect2Wiltshire) to Pewsey (no Sunday service); train Pewsey to Reading). There are also regular buses from Devizes to Bath, Swindon and quite a few other destinations. Check http://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/bus/timetables/bus-route-maps/ for details.
- Pewsey Wharf
- Pubs at Honeystreet, All Cannings and Horton
- Devizes (wide selection)
- Pewsey
- Devizes
View North towards the White Horse
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Canal Barge near Devizes
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