# Wilts & Berks Canal



## night crawler (Mar 3, 2009)

Batroy and myself did an exploration of what was left of the Wilts and Berks canal between East Hanney and Wantage. Batroy had aready visited soem of the locks already but wanted to find one which eluded him. After getting ourselfs lost for the first half hour we eventually found the canal route and followed it to find the first lock 






This is the view we got when we walked off the footpath.





This is one photo Batroy could not get as I walked out into tehh canal bed to take it. (had wellies on) it's the remaining lock gate which is over 100 years old.

I'll let Batroy fill in some more on th exploration before I post more pictures.


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## Trinpaul (Mar 3, 2009)

This is really interesting. Waiting to see the rest of the pics and background info.


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## batroy (Mar 4, 2009)

Here are some of mine. Some from this visit, some from before Christmas. 

A quick bit of background from my original report: http://batroypics.googlepages.com/wilts-and-berks-canal-grove-locks

The Wilts & Berks Canal once connected the Thames at Abingdon with the Kennet & Avon Canal at Semington near Melksham, providing a link from Oxford and the Midlands via the Oxford Canal to Bristol and the Somerset coalfield. It was opened in 1810 after nearly two decades of construction and flourished briefly before being eclipsed in the later 19th century by the GWR main line that closely followed much of its course. Its decline was swifter than many of Britain's other canals due to a lack of any industry to support it on its mostly rural route and when in 1901 a severe breach caused its closure it was never repaired for reopening. It was formally abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1914 and since then it has reverted to nature or been reclaimed as farmland by the surrounding landowners.

These locks take the canal past Wantage and Grove out onto the river Ock floodplain towards Abingdon.

Anyway, to the pics. The light was awful for the 2008 dated ones, taken on a really dim day before Christmas.




































Finding the canal is easy enough, it's on the OS map, look to the right of the Grove bypass. It's a significant walk to do the full flight so you'll need walking boots. We took two cars and left one in Wantage and one in East Hanney.

My two reports:
http://batroypics.googlepages.com/wilts-and-berks-canal-grove-locks
http://batroypics.googlepages.com/wilts-and-berks-canal-ardington-locks

The Wilts & Berks canal trust is an organisation working towards reopening the canal.
http://www.wilts-berks-canal.org.uk/

One of the canal trust people's personal site
http://www.smithswbc.org.uk/

Finally, there is a plan to build a reservoir on the Ock floodplain. This would obliterate Ardington Marsh Lock. See now while you still can!


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## night crawler (Mar 4, 2009)

Some more of the photo's I took





Another shot of the one batroy posted, it was is what is left of of the single gate at this end.





This perplexd me for a while till I looked at another photo I took and realsed it was the remains of the other lock gate.





Hard to believe this was once a thriveing waterway





Inside the lock


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 4, 2009)

Good work chaps -don't think that I've seen an abandoned canal before like this one. Interesting one is this


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## batroy (Mar 4, 2009)

Lightbuoy said:


> Good work chaps -don't think that I've seen an abandoned canal before like this one. Interesting one is this



Thanks! It's surprising how many abandoned canals there still are out there. They've often fared better than Beeching-era railways closed much more recently.


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## Foxylady (Mar 4, 2009)

This is delightful, guys. Love seeing the various remains...the bridges/tunnel entrances are brill.
Interesting stuff.


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## Black Shuck (Mar 4, 2009)

What charming photos lads well done. You have made me want to get down to an abandoned Canal that I know here in Norfolk The Worstead and Dilham Canal.


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## night crawler (Mar 4, 2009)

Go for it you don't know what you will find.


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## Black Shuck (Mar 4, 2009)

I think it was closed in the early thirties and it was or is very much like your canal. Amazing what you can see out there isnt it


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## chelle (Mar 4, 2009)

*Hi*

Nice one Batroy...this canal runs a coupla miles away from us near Wootton Bassett and its been cleared out extensively...hopefully the restoration will reach you one day.

Stu


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## night crawler (Mar 4, 2009)

There were two of us doing it and no doubt we will be going down that way some time.


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## Trinpaul (Mar 4, 2009)

Lightbuoy said:


> Good work chaps -don't think that I've seen an abandoned canal before like this one. Interesting one is this



Very interesting  for those with an interest in industrial history this provides a nice "before and after" comparison with a canal that is still intact and insight into the structure and engineering that went into building these facilities. I really like these pics, thanks for uploading them


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## batroy (Mar 5, 2009)

night crawler said:


> There were two of us doing it and no doubt we will be going down that way some time.



Absolutely, I can't take all the credit 

A couple of points - the thing that looks like a tunnel entrance is in fact an upper paddle chamber. The water runs down a narrow culvert from here to fill the lock chamber when the paddle (now long ago rotted away) is lifted. 

The bridge looks like a fantastic survival but I think it may have been repaired by the canal trust. By the looks of the brickwork the arch survived but the parapets are about a decade or so old. Still looks good though.


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## crickleymal (Mar 8, 2009)

Nice work guys. I love old canals almost as much as old railways.


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## ricasso (Mar 8, 2009)

crickleymal said:


> Nice work guys. I love old canals almost as much as old railways.



check out the thames severn canal especially where it runs south of cirencester,loads of good sites and photo opportunities there!


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## crickleymal (Mar 9, 2009)

ricasso said:


> check out the thames severn canal especially where it runs south of cirencester,loads of good sites and photo opportunities there!



I know, I've just not got round to doing anything about it yet


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## Mr Sam (Mar 9, 2009)

good stuff chaps! ive speant a bit of time over winter cycling though the leics canal network, ive even half thought about going for a narroboat instead of a house when i move out, just flooding and cold winter puts me off


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## night crawler (Mar 11, 2009)

Here are a few of the next lock along Ardington Top Lock.





That is a tree you see in the top of the photo, it has fallen in and is hanging by the roots.





More of the lock





Paddle chamber with a tree growing on top





Looking out of the lock





Sort of damage caused by roots





The lock gate after being disloged by the tree.





Said tree with a brick stuck in the roots





The rotting lock gate





And this is some of thehuge lumps of masonry that have fallen in due to the trees.





This was a great find I think it is a mile stone but I forgot to clean it off.
Next time.


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## night crawler (Mar 17, 2009)

A few more photo's for your interest.





This is a tunnle which is part of an old tilt bridge that we spotte dwhile walking long the old canal.





This hole leads to a paddle chamber and I nearly put my foor in it.





Yep it's a cooker and liveing a good mile or so from any village or town, the legnths people go to.





The paddle chamber I nearly put my foot into.





View of a derilict lock





This lockis not far from the A338 and you can see what people have dumped here.





Trees wrecking the lock walls





That is a wall of rubbish





Another lock and som eold rubbish caught in the roots





Huge root on the lock wall





More trees in the walls





This is part of an old fence that dates back a hundred years or so, now a tree has grown round it





Ant this is the bridge at Gysy lane grove with is part of Grove bottom lock
If you want to see moreof the photos batroy and I too while walking along the Wilts and berks canal then go to my Flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157614698400506/


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## Foxylady (Mar 17, 2009)

That is such an interesting area. Love the way the trees have grown in and around the structures.
I really hate the way some people use the countryside as a dumping ground, but must admit to liking the old tin and bottle caught up in the root. 
Cheers, nc.


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