Climbing Crofton

Crofton Locks are a gentle stroll for walkers, but they represented a water supply headache for canal engineers, plus a barrier to invading Germans – and the signs are still there to be seen...

Navigating over the summit of the Kennet & Avon Canal has been a little tricky recently, with a combination of low water stocks following the dry spring, and problems with some of the pumps that keep the canal topped up. But for towpath walkers there are no such problems – although we’ll get to see evidence of a long history of trying to keep the canal watered, as we climb from Great Bedwyn to the summit before returning to our starting point.

If you read these articles regularly, you’ll know that we like to feature one-way walks where you can return to the start by public transport – and you might be wondering why we’re returning to Great Bedwyn when we could carry on through to Pewsey and catch the train back. Well, unfortunately despite both places having decent rail services, there are very few trains which stop at both stations – so unless you choose your time very carefully you’re likely to end up having to go a long way round via Newbury or Westbury, taking a long time and possibly paying a higher fare. Incidentally both places are equally well served by bus – unless you actually want to travel between the two…

Stepping out westwards along the towpath from Bedwyn, you’ll soon come to Bedwyn Church Lock, one of over 40 broad-beam locks in the long climb from the Thames to the canal’s summit level. We’re following the valley of the little River Dun, a tributary stream of the Kennet, with attractive hillsides on both sides, and only the trains on the nearby railway line to disturb the quiet.