Walking the Kennet & Avon Canal

It is a 94 mile walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading to Bristol. You start and end in towns and cities, but in between it is mainly a peaceful countryside walk. 

The walk starts at the confluence of the River Kennet and the River Thames in Reading. Walking through the centre of Reading you will soon pass the ruins of Reading Abbey, the Oracle Riverside with its riverside eateries and the launch point for the Matildo Too K&A boat tours. Before leaving Reading town centre, you'll see the remaining buildings from Reading's historic breweries and walk along the backs of riverside homes before you head into the countryside of West Berkshire. 

First stop along the towpath after 4 miles should be the Cunning Man pub and then it is on to Aldermaston Wharf (tea rooms. You'll pass through occasional towns such as Newbury and Hungerford before the canal continues its journey through rural Wiltshire, famous for its crop circles and white horses on the hillside.

Between Pewsey and Devizes you will reach the summit of the canal as you cross the watershed between the Kennet and Avon. At Devizes, a magnificent staircase of 29 locks takes boats down to the valley floor.  Bradford on Avon is a charming town where river, canal, road and railway meet. And so to Bath: once a Roman city and spa that became popular in Georgian times leaving a legacy of magnificent terraces.

The final walk to Bristol is a fitting end. Your walk ends at the Neptune Statue in Bristol. You can admire the SS Great Britain, designed by Brunel who also built the Great West Railway.

The walk can be done in either direction although the guidebook is written from Reading to Bristol.

Accommodation and Baggage Carrying along the Route

For ideas of walker-friendly accommodation, visit Where to Stay in Reading for Walkers. The Novotel, Ibis and Roseate are walker/pilgrim-friendly hotels with stamps for pilgrim passports. Reading-based Walking.Holiday can support you on the walk either by booking your accommodation or by just carrying your bags.