Caen Hill in Devizes (Wiltshire)
Devizes? Wiltshire? Have you ever heard of this town? You don’t necessarily have to know the place. Located in rural Wiltshire, about 150 km from London, however, this is a great engineering achievement of the late 18th century. The 87-mile Kennet and Avon Canal was built in 1794, a waterway for the then highly popular Narrow Boats. However, there was a hill in the way of this connection, which is so important for freight transport: Caen Hill near the municipality of Devizes. The builder John Rennie had to find a way to transport the boats over this “mountain”. He found this in the form of 29 locks, 16 of which are in a rather unique arrangement close together. This made it possible to overcome the 72 meters of altitude in “only” 5 to 6 hours duration per passage. Completed in 1810, the last cargo boat operated here only in 1948. After an extensive refurbishment, the so-called “Flight of Locks” is very popular with the countless private narrow boats and is a satisfying photo opportunity. A small brochure is available for visitors.
The flight of locks from Caen Hill in Devizes from below
The staircase of Caen Hill in Devizes from above
