Walk 3774 - printer friendly version

Townsend & Caen Hill Locks from Devizes Walk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 8.6 miles / 14 km

Ascent - 480 feet / 145 metres

Grade - moderate

Start - OS grid reference SU004615
Lat 51.352576 + Long -1.9956428
Postcode SN10 1HW (approx. location only)

Walk from the historic market town of Devizes through Wiltshire countryside. The route includes the remains of Devizes Castle which is now converted to a private dwelling. The walk continues along tracks and lanes through castle's former deer park to the village of Townsend. Turning north the route reaches the Kennett and Avon canal. The walk passes the Caen Hill Locks where a flight of 16 locks lifts the canal up the greensand escarpment west of Devizes, from the Avon Valley into Pewsey Vale.

The walk starts from the Market Square car park (grid ref. SU004615). After parking walk south along St John's Street (A360). Reaching the Town Hall, fork right down High Street and continue into the churchyard of St Jahn's parish church. Bear right along a tarmac lane, pass the castle on your right and continue to reach a road. Go straight across into Hartmoor Road. After 500 metres keep ahead as the road becomes a track. Keep ahead along Furze Hill Lane for nearly two kilometres to reach Whistley Road (grid ref. ST984595).

Turn right and then next left signed to Five Lanes. After just over a kilometre, you reach the entrance to Five Lanes Farm. Turn right and follow signed bridleway, not footpath on the right. After crossing a footbridge, turn left into field and head half-right to a hedge and then continue with hedge on right to join an enclosed track (Eastnell Lane) and continue to Poulshot Road (grid ref. ST969592). Turn left and follow the road as it bends right. Turn right onto a track when the road bends left by a substation. Almost immediately after leaving the road, turn right again to join the White Horse Trail which is followed back to Devizes. Continue along the byway (Broadway Lane) north to a road (grid ref. ST968601).

Turn left and within a few metres, right into a nursery. Pass to the right of the house and continue north across fields to join and enclosed track still following the White Horse Trail to reach the A361. Cross the road with care to a track slightly left. The route soon turns left along a track before turning right along the access drive to Lower Foxhanger's Farm. Pass to the right of the house following fence and then bear left past caravans and through trees to the Kennett and Avon Canal (grid ref. ST968616).

Turn right along the towpath which is followed for nearly four kilometres back into Devizes. You soon reach the Caen Hill Locks each with a pool to ease congestion. Pass under the A361 At the next major road bridge, climbs to steps up to the road and cross to the far bank of the canal for the final section of towpath. Continue to the next bridge and leave the canal by crossing the bridge. Follow the road, keeping ahead at all junctions to return to the car park in Devizes.

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