Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal

The flight of 16 locks at Caen Hill, Devizes, forming part of locks 22-50.

The Kennet and Avon Canal may refer to either the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the River Kennet at Newbury to the River Avon at Bath; or to the entire navigation between the River Thames at Reading and the Floating Harbour at Bristol, including the earlier improved river navigations of the River Kennet between Reading and Newbury and the River Avon between Bath and Bristol.

The River Kennet was made navigable to Newbury in 1723, and the River Avon to Bath in 1727. The Kennet and Avon Canal between Newbury and Bath was built between 1794 and 1810 by John Rennie, to convey commercial barges carrying a variety of cargoes. and is 57 miles long. The two river navigations and the canal total 87 miles in length. The section from Bristol to Bath is the course of the River Avon, which flows through a wide valley and has been made navigable by a series of locks and weirs. In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway, who owned the canal. Between 1970 and 1990 the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism destination, for boating, canoeing, fishing, walking and cycling. It is also important for wildlife conservation.

There are a total of 105 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal from Bristol to the River Thames, including six on the navigable section of the River Avon from Bristol to Bath and nine on the navigable section of the River Kennet to its confluence with the Thames near Reading. The remaining 90 locks lie along the 57 miles of canal. In Bath the canal separates from the river but follows its valley as far as Bradford on Avon. The ornate Bath Locks lead to a stretch through Limpley Stoke valley with few locks. The flight of locks at Devizes, including the Caen Hill Locks, raises the canal to its longest pound, which then ascends the four Wooton Rivers locks to the short summit pound which includes the Bruce Tunnel. Pumping stations are used to supply the canal with water. The canal continues through the rural landscape of Wiltshire and Berkshire before joining the River Kennet at Newbury and becoming a navigable river to Reading, where it flows into the River Thames.

Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal

Locks

Weir at Swineford Lock.

Weston Lock, Bath.

Bath Deep Lock.

Lock keepers cottage at Semington Locks.

Newbury Lock.

Tyle Mill Lock, Sulhamstead.

The following list numbers the locks from the River Avon in Bristol to the River Thames. It includes one lock that has been removed (98, Ufton Lock) and two that have been combined to form a single deep lock (8 and 9, now Bath Deep Lock). Travelling from Bristol to Reading, locks 1 to 54 are uphill, and locks 55 to 107 are downhill.

List of locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal

Lock number	Lock name	Grid ref	Listed building grade	Rise / fall
Avon Navigation
001 !1	Hanham Lock	ST646700	II	003 !?
002 !2	Keynsham Lock	ST658690		043 !6 ft 10 in
003 !3	Swineford Lock	ST691689		024 !4 ft 4 in
004 !4	Saltford Lock	ST692679		020 !3 ft 10 in
005 !5	Kelston Lock	ST688669		016 !3 ft 1 in
006 !6	Weston Lock	ST725648		074 !9 ft 3 in
Kennet and Avon canal proper
007 !7	Bath Bottom Lock	ST756643	II	074 !9 ft 3 in
008 !8/9	Bath Deep Lock	ST756643	II	082 !19 ft 5 in
010 !10	Wash House Lock	ST756643	II	068 !8 ft 6 in
011 !11	Abbey View Lock	ST756643	II	072 !9 ft 0 in
012 !12	Pultney Lock	ST756643	II	076 !9 ft 5 in
013 !13	Bath Top Lock	ST756643	II	072 !9 ft 0 in
014 !14	Bradford Lock	ST825602		080 !10 ft 3 in
015 !15	Buckley's Lock	ST900609		058 !8 ft 0 in
016 !16	Barrett's Lock	ST900609		055 !7 ft 10 in
017 !17-21	Seend Locks	ST933613		084 !38 ft 4 in
022 !22-50	Caen Hill Locks	ST978614	II	086 !237 ft 0 in
050 !51	Wootton Rivers Lock	SU198629	II	058 !8 ft 0 in
051 !52	Heathy Close Lock	SU201631		064 !8 ft 1 in
052 !53	Brimslade Lock	SU209634	II	058 !8 ft 0 in
053 !54	Wootton Top Lock	SU212634		058 !8 ft 0 in
054 !	Summit of the canal
055 !55–63	Crofton Locks	SU254622	II	085 !61 ft 0 in
064 !64	Bedwyn Church Lock	SU278641	II	056 !7 ft 11 in
065 !65	Burnt Mill Lock	SU283649		054 !7 ft 9 in
066 !66	Potter's Lock	SU288654		047 !7 ft 6 in
067 !67	Little Bedwyn Lock	SU290659		041 !6 ft 7 in
068 !68	Oakhill Down Lock	SU299671	II	035 !5 ft 11 in
069 !69	Froxfield Middle Lock	SU301674		044 !6 ft 11 in
070 !70	Froxfield Bottom Lock	SU303676		045 !7 ft 0 in
071 !71	Picketfield Lock	SU315680		045 !7 ft 0 in
072 !72	Cobbler's Lock	SU321684		067 !8 ft 3 in
073 !73	Hungerford Marsh Lock	SU326685		064 !8 ft 1 in
074 !74	Hungerford Lock	SU336687		058 !8 ft 0 in
075 !75	Dun Mill Lock	SU352683	II	030 !5 ft 8 in
076 !76	Wire Lock	SU363681	II	043 !6 ft 10 in
077 !77	Brunsden Lock	SU372676	II	026 !4 ft 11 in
078 !78	Kintbury Lock	SU386671		032 !5 ft 9 in
079 !79	Dreweatt's Lock	SU411673	II	032 !5 ft 9 in
080 !80	Copse Lock	SU416670		037 !6 ft 0 in
081 !81	Hamstead Lock	SU424671	II	040 !6 ft 5 in
082 !82	Benham Lock	SU438665		038 !6 ft 3 in
083 !83	Higg's Lock	SU447667		034 !5 ft 10 in
084 !84	Guyer's Lock	SU453669	II	045 !7 ft 0 in
085 !85	Newbury Lock	SU470671	II	018 !3 ft 6 in
086 !86	Greenham Lock	SU480673		070 !8 ft 11 in
087 !87	Ham Lock	SU487672		023 !4 ft 2 in
088 !88	Bull's Lock	SU499667		032 !5 ft 9 in
089 !89	Widmead Lock	SU508663		019 !3 ft 7 in
090 !90	Monkey Marsh Lock	SU522662		069 !8 ft 8 in
091 !91	Colthrop Lock	SU538663		050 !7 ft 7 in
092 !92	Midgham Lock	SU548662		050 !7 ft 7 in
093 !93	Heale's Lock	SU562663		070 !8 ft 11 in
094 !94	Woolhampton Lock	SU571665		070 !8 ft 11 in
095 !95	Aldermaston Lock	SU601671	II	070 !8 ft 11 in
096 !96	Padworth Lock	SU606672		028 !5 ft 1 in
097 !97	Towney Lock	SU610680		078 !9 ft 8 in
098 !98	Site of Ufton Lock (ungated)	SU617686		002 !
Kennet Navigation
099 !99	Tyle Mill Lock	SU626691		039 !6 ft 4 in
100 !100	Sulhamstead Lock	SU637698		022 !4 ft 1 in
101 !101	Sheffield Lock	SU648706	II*	010 !2 ft 2 in
102 !102	Garston Lock	SU655707	II*	050 !7 ft 7 in
103 !103	Burghfield Lock	SU674709		045 !7 ft 0 in
104 !104	Southcote Lock	SU693712		029 !5 ft 3 in
105 !105	Fobney Lock	SU705710		052 !7 ft 8 in
106 !106	County Lock	SU713729		005 !1 ft 2 in
107 !107	Blake's Lock	SU727735		018 !3 ft 6 in

Outside links

• Photos of the Kennet and Avon Canal on www.tonycanalpics.co.uk