A Guided Tour - How the canals connected Swindon
Pocket Park, Sheppard Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 1HH
Wilts & Berks Canal timeline
1793 Survey for a canal allowing coal to be shipped from the Somerset coal fields to the towns of Wiltshire and Berkshire.
1795 Parliamentary Bill granted Royal Assent and work commenced on the building of the canal from Semington near Melksham to Abingdon.
1810 Completed construction of a 52 mile canal.
1819 Completed construction of a 8 mile canal between Swindon and Latton near Cricklade, named the North Wilts canal.
1841 The Great Western Railway was completed from London to Bristol. This resulted in a loss of trade from the canal to the faster railway service.
1901 Stanley Aqueduct was breached, causing a long pound to run dry of water and preventing any possibility of through boat traffic.
1914 After a thirteen year delay an Act of Parliament finally allowed the Canal Company to officially abandon the canal.
This guided tour is about 2 miles / 3.2km long and mainly flat. It will end at the Dragonfly canal trip boat landing stage at Wichelstowe, adjacent to H&W and Waitrose where you can stop for coffee or lunch, bus stops close for return to the start.
Timings & Tours
- Saturday 07 September:
- 1100
- Saturday 14 September:
- 1100
Location & directions
Pocket Park, Sheppard Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 1HH
- Directions:
- Pocket Park at southern entrance to the Sheppard Street underpass
- Contact on day:
- Gary Kenyon
- Telephone number:
- +447853085113
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking preferred
- Booking conditions:
- Please book your space(s) through Gary Kenyon at E:[email protected] or T:07853 085113
- Booking contact name:
- Gary Kenyon
- Booking telephone number:
- +447853085113
- Booking email:
- [email protected]
Accessibility details
Disabled parking in the Brunel carparks Parking also available in the Bristol Street carpark
Additional information
- Max no of people per tour:
- 15
- Est. tour duration:
- 2 hour(s)
