The Kennet & Avon by narrowboat.
Bath to Reading through Wiltshire, with the 29 locks of Caen Hill in the middle. Where to hire, how far you'll get, and how to plan around the flight. Every figure is linked to its source.
- Hire bases
- 8
- from 5 firms
- On Mooch
- 7
- with a trip page
- Boats sleep
- up to 12
- largest boat listed
- Week, 4-berth
- —
- no firm here publishes one
Closed at Bath No. 1 tunnel, where the canal enters Sydney Gardens, since 9 October 2026, after roadworks above damaged the tunnel arch. The Canal & River Trust says the navigation and towpath stay closed until further notice. Until it reopens, boats can't pass between Sydney Wharf and the Bath locks on one side and Bathampton, Bradford on Avon and Caen Hill on the other. Source
At a glance
- Length
- 87 miles · source
- Locks
- 104 · source
- Lock work
- Heavy (1.2 locks per mile)
- Hire bases
- 8
- Highlight
- Caen Hill: 29 locks, 237ft in 2 miles · source
- Caen Hill hours
- 8am to 4:30pm April–September, 4pm October–March · source
- Aqueducts
- Dundas and Avoncliff, between Bath and Bradford on Avon · source
- Rivers
- The Avon below Bath (tidal below Hanham) and the Kennet near Reading · source
Good for
- Two aqueducts, Dundas and Avoncliff, a short cruise from Bradford on Avon
- Caen Hill: 29 locks in two miles, worth seeing even if you don't climb it
- Eight hire bases on the canal, most at the western end
- A western stretch with very few locks, good for a first trip
Watch out for
- Heavy lock work overall: 104 locks in 87 miles
- Caen Hill takes 5 to 6 hours, with a last-entry time and no mooring halfway
- The Crofton locks open at set times only, for water management
- Too long to do end to end and back in a week
- Closed at Bath's Sydney Gardens tunnel since October 2026, with no reopening date yet
Lock work is locks per mile across the whole canal: under 0.6 light, under 1 moderate, 1 or more heavy.
The short answer
The Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts are on the stretch between them. Boats from Bath's Sydney Wharf can't reach them until the Sydney Gardens tunnel reopens.
Anglo Welsh's round trip from Bath to the foot of the flight is 36 miles with 16 locks. While Bath is cut off, start from Bradford on Avon or Hilperton instead.
Anglo Welsh puts Bath to Pewsey and back at 69 miles, 74 locks and about 42 hours, with Caen Hill both ways. For now, start east of the Bath tunnel.
The route, west to east
The canal links the River Avon at Bath with the River Kennet at Reading, crossing Wiltshire on the way. Most hire bases are at the western end, so most trips start in or near Bath.
- 1
Bristol to Bath
The River Avon: 12 miles and 6 locks, tidal below Hanham. Anglo Welsh only lets experienced repeat hirers take boats down to Bristol.
- 2
Bath
The canal starts at the River Avon and climbs the Bath flight of six locks, then passes through two short tunnels in Sydney Gardens. The first of them, Bath No. 1, has been closed since October 2026.
- 3
Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts
Two stone aqueducts over the Avon valley. Dundas dates from 1805.
- 4
Bradford on Avon
Black Prince, Anglo Welsh and Wiltshire Narrowboats all hire from here.
- 5
Hilperton
ABC Boat Hire's marina, between Bradford on Avon and Caen Hill.
- 6
Caen Hill, Devizes
29 locks in three groups, rising 237ft in 2 miles. Foxhangers hires from the bottom.
- 7
Pewsey
Where Anglo Welsh's one-week trip from Bath turns round.
- 8
Bruce Tunnel
At Savernake, on the summit. It has no towpath, so the crew stays on board.
- 9
Crofton
Nine locks falling 61ft from the summit. Several open at set times only.
- 10
Hungerford and Newbury
10 to 14 nights from Bath and back.
- 11
Aldermaston
ABC Boat Hire's eastern base, on the Kennet.
- 12
Reading
The canal joins the Thames. Bath to Reading and back is a two-week trip.
Sources: Wikipedia, Canal & River Trust, Anglo Welsh, Bath base, Drifters, Sydney Wharf, Wikipedia: Sydney Gardens Tunnels
How far you'll get from Bath
Anglo Welsh's published round trips from its Bath base at Sydney Wharf. Hours are cruising time, not counting stops. Sydney Wharf is on the Bath side of the closed Sydney Gardens tunnel, so only the first and Bristol trips can run at the moment; Anglo Welsh's page doesn't mention the closure.
| Round trip | Distance | Locks | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath city centre and back, through the Bath flight | 1 mile | 12 | 4 |
| Bradford on Avon and back, over Dundas and Avoncliff(not running until the closure lifts) | 18 miles | 2 | 7 |
| Foxhangers (foot of Caen Hill) and back(not running until the closure lifts) | 36 miles | 16 | 21 |
| Bristol Floating Harbour and back(Experienced repeat hirers only) | 35 miles | 26 | 16 |
| Pewsey Wharf and back, over Caen Hill(not running until the closure lifts) | 69 miles | 74 | 42 |
| Hungerford and back(not running until the closure lifts) | 94 miles | 122 | 62 |
| Newbury and back(not running until the closure lifts) | 111 miles | 144 | 72 |
| Reading and back(not running until the closure lifts) | 150 miles | 188 | 98 |
Source: Anglo Welsh, Bath base
When to go
When the hire firms here run, when their prices peak, and when the canal shuts for winter works. Each row is from the firm's or the navigation authority's own page.
Paler blocks cover part of the month.
Black Prince says bank holidays and school holidays are its busiest booking periods and can book up. Source
Kennet & Avon Canal weather by month
At Yeovilton, the warmest month is July (average high 21.9°C), the wettest is October (80.9 mm) and the sunniest is July (192 hours). It gets about 728 mm of rain a year.
°C, average daily low to high; the number is the high
mm a month
hours a month
Show the numbers
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Frost days | Rain mm | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.6 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 70.0 | 57.6 |
| Feb | 9.0 | 1.8 | 9.7 | 50.9 | 76.9 |
| Mar | 11.2 | 3.0 | 7.6 | 48.6 | 114.0 |
| Apr | 13.9 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 51.5 | 162.8 |
| May | 17.1 | 7.4 | 0.5 | 47.1 | 191.3 |
| Jun | 19.9 | 10.3 | 0.0 | 57.6 | 187.5 |
| Jul | 21.9 | 12.2 | 0.0 | 50.4 | 192.1 |
| Aug | 21.6 | 12.2 | 0.0 | 60.6 | 174.7 |
| Sep | 19.2 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 53.3 | 142.3 |
| Oct | 15.3 | 7.6 | 1.8 | 80.9 | 103.6 |
| Nov | 11.5 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 79.8 | 69.0 |
| Dec | 9.0 | 2.3 | 10.3 | 77.4 | 52.4 |
Station: Yeovilton, Somerset, the nearest station with a long record: about 46 km from Bath, 59 km from Devizes. Averages of the monthly figures for 1991–2020, worked out by Mooch from the Met Office historic station data, Yeovilton (Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). They are not the Met Office's official climate averages.
Where to hire
8 hire bases from 5 firms, side by side. Filter by what matters to you; each row comes from the firm's own pages, read 4–7 November 2026. For fleet sizes and first-timer help, see each firm in narrowboat hire, compared.
Showing 8 of 8 bases
| Firm and base | Sleeps | Dogs | Fuel included | Short breaks | Week, 4-berth | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Prince Holidays Bradford on Avon West of Caen Hill. The aqueducts are behind you, the flight ahead. | 2–10 | First pet free, second £30, maximum two. Some boats are pet-free. | No | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
ABC Boat Hire Aldermaston Wharf The eastern end, on the Kennet towards Reading. Caen Hill is days away. | 2–12 | Pets go free, normally up to three per boat. Cleaning or damage may be charged. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
ABC Boat Hire Hilperton Marina Between Bradford on Avon and Caen Hill. | 2–12 | Pets go free, normally up to three per boat. Cleaning or damage may be charged. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Anglo Welsh Bath (Sydney Wharf) On the Bath side of the closed Sydney Gardens tunnel. For now, boats from here can reach the Bath locks and the River Avon but not the rest of the canal. | 2–12 | Its FAQ says up to three well-behaved dogs travel free. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Anglo Welsh Monkton Combe East of the closed Bath tunnel, near the Dundas Aqueduct. | 2–12 | Its FAQ says up to three well-behaved dogs travel free. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Anglo Welsh Bradford on Avon Marina West of Caen Hill. The aqueducts are behind you, the flight ahead. | 2–12 | Its FAQ says up to three well-behaved dogs travel free. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Oxfordshire Narrowboats Bradford Wharf (as Wiltshire Narrowboats) West of Caen Hill. The aqueducts are behind you, the flight ahead. | 2–12 | First pet free, £30 for each extra pet. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | Website Compare |
Foxhangers Canal Holidays Foxhangers Wharf, Devizes At the foot of Caen Hill, so the flight is the first thing you do or the last. | 2–9 | Up to two pets; three dogs may be allowed on larger under-occupied boats if agreed in writing. | Not stated | Not stated | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Worth knowing before you go
Caen Hill takes 5 to 6 hours
That's the Canal & River Trust's figure for the flight. Start in the morning and expect a full day. Source
The flight has opening hours
Locks 29 and 44 are padlocked overnight and open at 8am. Last entry is 2pm from April to September and 1pm from October to March. Closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Source
You can't stop halfway up
There's no mooring between locks 44 and 29, so once you start the main flight you finish it. Source
Crofton opens at set times
Several Crofton locks have restricted opening for water management. Check the Trust's page for current times before planning that stretch. Source
Locks take 15 to 20 minutes each
Anglo Welsh's planning figure. With 104 locks on the canal, the lock count matters more than the mileage when you plan a day. Source
Speed limits change on the rivers
4 mph on the canal and 6 mph on most rivers, which covers the Avon below Bath and the Kennet near Reading. Source
Bristol is for experienced hirers
Below Hanham the Avon is tidal. Anglo Welsh only lets hirers with five or more previous trips with them take a boat down to Bristol. Source
Questions
How many locks are on the Kennet & Avon Canal?
104 along its 87 miles, according to the Canal & River Trust. 29 of them are at Caen Hill near Devizes.
How long does it take to go up Caen Hill?
The Canal & River Trust says 5 to 6 hours. The flight has set hours: it opens at 8am and the last entry is 2pm from April to September, 1pm in winter. You can't moor in the middle section, so start early.
Is the Kennet & Avon Canal open?
Mostly. It has been closed at Bath No. 1 tunnel in Sydney Gardens since 9 October 2026, after roadworks damaged the tunnel arch, with no reopening date yet. Boats can't pass between the Bath locks and the rest of the canal until it reopens.
Can you do the Kennet & Avon in a week?
Not end to end and back. Anglo Welsh puts Bath to Reading and back at 150 miles, 188 locks and about 98 hours of cruising, a two-week trip. A week from Bath gets you to Pewsey and back, over Caen Hill both ways.
Where is the best place to start for a first narrowboat holiday?
The western end, between Bath and Caen Hill, where the aqueducts are and the locks are few. While the Sydney Gardens tunnel in Bath is closed, start at Monkton Combe, Bradford on Avon or Hilperton rather than Bath.
Can you take a hire boat from Bath to Bristol?
Only with experience. The Avon is tidal below Hanham, and Anglo Welsh restricts the Bristol trip to hirers with five or more previous trips with them.
More canal guides
How this was put together
Figures come from the Canal & River Trust, the hire firms' own pages and Wikipedia, read on 4 November 2026, and each is linked where it's used. Lock hours and closures change, so check the Trust's Kennet & Avon page before you travel. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@moochtravel.com.