Devizes and Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, Wiltshire

Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th July 2024

We had a two-night stay in the Devizes area of Wiltshire, staying at The New Inn, Coate, a Camping and Caravanning Club Certified Site. More information on this at the end of this blog post.

Devizes is a busy town which originally grew around its Norman castle, originally built in the 12th Century, but later rebuilt. The castle is in private ownership and there is no public access.

The town later became known for textiles, but by the 18th century also had one of the largest corn exchanges in the West Country. Trade in wheat and barley was carried out in the open around the market cross, until the corn exchange building was built in 1857.

The Devizes White Horse was cut in 1999 to celebrate the coming of the third millennium. It sits on Roundway Hill on the outskirts of the town.

The Kennet and Avon Canal, which passes to the north of the town centre, was opened in 1810. The route required a total of 29 locks to be built to navigate Caen Hill.

The canal towpath has a good surface for cycling and it forms part of the national cycle network. We cycled from the campsite, on past the bottom lock for some distance before returning by the same route (up-hill of course).

Of the 29 locks, there are 16 locks in a straight flight:

There is a cafe by the top lock of the flight, which provided fine sustenance on our return journey.

As a result of competition from the railways, the canal became disused and was closed, the last cargo being transported in 1948. The 1960s saw a major rebuilding operation which culminated in the official reopening by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.

We saw several Grey Herons along the canal banks.

Nearly all traffic is now leisure-based with several boat hire companies offering canal holiday experiences. One very large boat was making its way down the canal.

Visiting Devizes with a motorhome:

We stayed on small 5 unit site, behind the New Inn at Coate, which is about 1.5 miles away from the town centre and within easy cycling distance. There does not appear to be a bus service.

Access to the site was via narrow lanes, but with very little traffic. We had booked our stay in advance, but were only one of two units occupied (there were others that appeared to be in storage). We were told that the site is fully booked next week, so best to phone ahead.

On arrival, we found the pub was closed (open 5pm – 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday), so we set-up and waited until Tuesday 5pm to pay. £12 per night without electricity, I think it is £20 if you need a hook-up. It is a fairly level field with basic facilities, not overlooked.

The pub is interesting and full of charm. The publican made us feel very welcome and has made a great deal of effort to bring colour and character to the site. The buildings bear evidence of her artistic talents and there are chickens who wander around (bear in mind that you might get woken by a cock-a-doodle-doo).