Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in at Bradford on Avon wharf, beside the car park above Bradford Lock, and carry round the lock after 200 m. Below it the Kennet and Avon Canal heads west along the wooded Avon valley. It crosses the river twice on Bath-stone aqueducts, first at Avoncliff and then at Dundas, where it swings north under the steep side of the valley. It passes Claverton, where a water-driven pump once lifted the river into the canal, and Bathampton, then slips through two short tunnels under Sydney Gardens to Bath Top Lock. Get out above the lock: the flight below drops down to the river.
It is 14.9 km one way; allow about 3½ hours in a canoe or kayak and 4½ on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy: flat, still water with one portage, but a long day for beginners.
You need a licence on Canal & River Trust waters: Paddle UK membership includes one, or buy a short-term licence from the Trust. The canal is busy with narrowboats and hire boats, especially at Bradford, Dundas and Bath, so keep to the right and give them room. There is no parking at the take-out; Bath Spa station is about 650 m away, with trains back to Bradford on Avon. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Over two Bath-stone aqueducts, Avoncliff and Dundas, both by John Rennie
- Past Claverton Pumping Station, which lifted river water into the canal
- One portage, at Bradford Lock; no other lock until the take-out
- Two short tunnels in Sydney Gardens just before Bath Top Lock, both open to canoes
On the water
- Put in: Car park · parking charged 51.33968, -2.25100
- Take out: Bath Top Lock (bank) 51.38080, -2.34900
- Lock: Bradford Lock · 0.2 km (0.1 mi) from the start · carry round (portage)
- Rules and licences: Canal & River Trust. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Bradford on Avon Wharf, above Bradford Lock. 51.33968, -2.25100
By train: Bradford-on-Avon station is 0.6 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Bradford on Avon Wharf: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.