Thames & Severn Way 3
Route facts
Waterways:
Thames & Severn Canal »
Distance: 10 miles / 16 km
Duration: Four hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Suitable for: Everyone
Starts at: Coates Portal, Sapperton Tunnel, Gloucestershire
Ends at: Cotswold Water Park Visitor Centre, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Cotswold Canals traverse some of the most beautiful parts of the Cotswold countryside. A countryside of hills and valleys and flowing water, where the abundant mills once gave the area prime importance in the woollen industry, and indeed provided the necessity for the canals. A long distance footpath links the rivers Severn and Thames following as closely as possible the towpath of the Stroudwater Navigation and Thames & Severn Canal - the Thames & Severn Way.
The Thames & Severn Way runs from the banks of the River Severn to Halfpenny Bridge spanning the River Thames at Lechlade, just downstream from the end of the Thames & Severn Canal at Inglesham. Between them lie 36 miles of the most wonderful and contrasting scenery.
This section of the walk follows the canal as it descends from the summit at Sapperton Tunnel, to the modern day lake district of the Cotswold Water Park. The summit level twists and turns along the contours through open countryside and comes close to Cirencester, as it begins a more gradual descent into the Thames Valley through flights of locks at Siddington and South Cerney.
The walk is reproduced by kind permission of Richard Attwood and the Cotswold Canals Trust. It is split into four stages, each just under ten miles long.
[Thames_Severn_Way_1River_Severn_to_Wallbridge.html Stage 1] [Thames_Severn_Way_2Wallbridge_to_Sapperton.html Stage 2] [Thames_Severn_Way_3Sapperton_to_Cotswold_Water_Park.html Stage 3] [Thames_Severn_Way_4Cotswold_Water_Park_to_Lechlade.html Stage 4]
Getting there
Parking: Parking is available at the Tunnel House Inn by the tunnel portal for pub customers. There is also parking at the Water Park visitor centre, at the end of this stage of the walk.
Waypoints
1. Sapperton Tunnel, Coates Portal
The Coates Portal is a magnificent classical structure restored by the Canal Trust in 1977. Follow the towpath along the Kings Reach and under Tarlton road bridge to Coates round house. The round house has been rescued from further dereliction by the Canal Trust and once had an inverted conical roof. Continue under the skew railway bridge and on for about one kilometre to Coatesfield (sometimes called Trewsbury) Bridge. The towpath now ceases to be a public right of way. Turn right from the towpath onto the bridge and follow the lane down to the field. Follow the path across two fields to the source of the River Thames.
2. Source of the River Thames
The source of the Thames is marked by a commemorative stone. However, a visit to this area in a wet winter will show that whilst this place is the official source of the River Thames, the actual source of the river is the springs inside Sapperton Tunnel! Continue across two more fields to join the A433 Cirencester to Tetbury road. Turn left along the road passing over the canal at Thames Head. At the next cross roads turn right to Smerrill and the A429 road. Just before Smerrill the remains of the Smerrill aqueduct embankment are on the right (1133/998988). At the A429 turn right and after 100 metres turn left towards Ewen.
3. Ewen Wharf
Pass under the old Cirencester branch line rail bridge at Ewen Wharf. The canal is on the left with Halfway Bridge hidden amongst the trees just after the railway bridge. Walk up the track to the restored Halfway Bridge, so named as it is halfway between Stroud and Lechlade, go down the steps on the left side of the bridge to join the towpath. The towpath is part of farmland owned by Lady Gibbs and it is with her kind permission that we can follow the canal for the next kilometre.
4. Park Leaze
Pass under the bridge and continue on to the lane at Park Leaze. There was once a humpbacked bridge here. Cross over the lane and follow the towpath until it rejoins the nearby lane. Follow the lane towards Siddington. The canal has become a grassy field spanned by electricity pylons. After one kilometre there is a stile in the hedge. Follow the path across the field to Bluehouse Farm, which was once a lengthmans cottage. From Bluehouse Farm the canal follows the contour in huge sweeping curves on an embankment to Siddington top lock. Turn right down the track to rejoin the lane. The canal crosses the lane about 50 metres before the road junction. Turn left at the Somerfor Keynes road and after 50 metres turn right to Siddington. At the playing field turn right along the lane to the humpback bridge at the top of the Siddington flight of locks.
5. Siddington Top Lock
Just before the top lock is the junction with the former Cirencester Arm, which is now a private garden. (The Cirencester Arm followed the field edge behind Pound Close: for a short distance the forlorn remains of the canal channel can be seen before the Love Lane industrial estate removes all traces of the canal. The line of the canal runs under the Somerfield supermarket, the bypass and a housing estate. The basin at the end of the arm is marked by Whitworth Road, in honour of the Robert Whitworth who built the canal.) From Siddington the Thames & Severn Way now follows the towpath to beyond Cricklade. From the humpback bridge walk down the towpath past the first locks on the long, gentle descent towards the River Thames. Pass the house built over the bottom lock of this four lock flight and cross over the Ashton Keynes road. The canal is now just about in water, although crossed by two farm causeways. It remains this way until Cowground Bridge is reached.
6. Cowground Bridge
Cowground Bridge is one of the few remaining humpback bridges on the eastern half of the Cotswold Canals and is being restored to its former glory. The towpath now leads on to cross the ancient water meadows of the River Churn. The canal emerges from its enclosing hedges to a much more open aspect across level meadows. Directly ahead across the meadows is the River Churn. In the 16th century a system of water channels was created across these meadows fed by temporary wooden dams at stone abutments built into the river course. The diverted water was allowed to flood the meadows during the winter months to prevent the grass from freezing and encourage the growth of an early crop of grass for the sheep which were grazed there. This process was often repeated a number of times during the year. When the canal was constructed culverts were built under the low embankment to allow the practice of flooding the water meadows to continue.
7. River Churn footbridge
The embankment across the water meadows leads to the footbridge over the River Churn. The earth embankment which carried the canal over the culverted river was blown up during the Second World War by the Home Guard as an exercise. This section of towpath was unusable until a few years ago, when the Ramblers Association erected the wooden foot bridge. Follow the towpath with glimpses of the winding River Churn through the trees to the right.
8. South Cerney Top Lock
The route passes through a deep cutting and emerges at the now grassed over top lock of the South Cerney flight. Crossing the road the canal vanishes. The Thames & Severn Way follows the footpath along the line of the canal diagonally to the right across the field. Buried in this field are two locks and during the dry summer months the outline of the circular pounds and lock chamber walls can still be seen. Old photographs show the canal across this field bordered by a drystone wall, hedge and mature trees. The next road crossing at Northmoor Lane reveals an extensively restored canal which is a major work site for the Cotswold Canals Trust, the Dig Deep Organisation and the Waterways Recovery Group extending all the way to beyond Wildmoorway Lower Lock. The often water-filled canal gently winds its way towards Bow Wow Lane, South Cerney, and the site of Crane Bridge.
9. Boxwell Springs Lock
Soon after is Boxwell Spring Lock which has been completely structurally restored. The stop planks which impound the water above the lock will be replaced by lock gates when the canal is ready for full navigation. Away to the right are the first signs of the Cotswold Water Park lakes which border the canal for the next few kilometres. The gentle descent towards the Thames continues passing Upper Wildmoorway Lock, sometimes known as Humpback Lock.
10. Lower Wildmoorway Lock
Lower Wildmoorway Lock is unique on this canal, because it has a side-pond designed to save water during the operation of the lock. The remains of the side-pond can be seen next to the towpath as it passes the lock chamber. The lock and bridge has been structurally restored by volunteers over the last 10 years. The dredged canal continues through a brand new bridge under the Spine Road, which was built to allow the removal of the gravel which created the Water Park. The Water Park Visitor Centre is the end of this stage of the walk.
Other stages
Thames & Severn Way 3
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