Long-distance walking trails along the Kennet & Avon Canal
Although at 87 miles (140 km) walking the length of the Kennet & Avon Canal is certainly the equivalent of a long-distance walking trail, there a number of official trails that intersect or follow the canal.
The most famous of these is the Wessex Ridgeway that I earlier talked about in my article on the white horses of Pewsey Vale. The Ridgeway is just part of the Greater Icknield Way, a path combining four ancient trackways going from Lyme Regis on the Dorset Coast all the way to the Wash (the common estuary of several rivers) on the Norfolk Coast.
The Wessex Ridgeway is 137 mi/221 km long and crosses the canal at Devizes before ending at Marlborough, where it meets the The Ridgeway National Trail. Walking the Wessex Ridgeway travels through time from the Jurassic Coast in Dorset to Neolithic man at Avebury, but it’s chance encounter with the K&A is very fleeting.
The White Horse Trail, however, is a 94 mi/151 km circular walk that follows the K&A from the bottom lock of the Caen Hill flight of locks to Honey Street west of Pewsey. From the canal, it travels north, passing the Alton Barnes White Horse, and then to Avebury. From there it follows the path of the Wessex Ridgeway and as the name suggests, it passes several of the white horses in the Vale of Pewsey.
The Mid Wilts Way, 68 mi/109 km, also follows the canal towpath from Seend Cleeve to Devizes and again from Wootton Rivers to Crofton and again follows the same route as the Wessex Ridgeway between Devizes and Avebury. Looking at a map, these three trails can be quite difficult to follow.
The Pewsey Avon Trail never quite makes it to the canal, starting in Pewsey just south of the canal. The trail goes 28 mi/45 km from Pewsey to Salisbury and from there meets the Avon Valley Path. It’s cheating a little to mention this trail, but a side trip to Pewsey to see the white horse is a natural thing to do on the canal.
The River Avon Trail, 25 mi/40 km, follows the River Avon from almost the mouth of the river at Avonmouth all the way to Bath. Cyclists can ride much of the path, but the path is frequently washed away by the river, making riding difficult. In fact the Chocolate Path in Bristol, which is part of National Cycle Rote 33 and the River Avon Trail, was recently closed for this reason.