Georgian

The Kennet through Reading

The Seven Streams at Seven Bridges

The Kennet Navigation

The Kennet and Avon Canal

In 1810, the Kennet and Avon Canal was completed. This joined the River Avon at Bath with the River Kennet at Newbury. The Kennet and Avon took over the Kennet Navigation. A means of through transport between Bristol, Bath, Newbury, Reading and London was completed, enabling narrow boats and broad boats, specially built for the canal system, to travel between these towns.

Canals carried heavy goods at a reasonable pace between the towns on their route but did have problems both in winter and summer. Ice and snow in winter could freeze the canal and stop the barges travelling, while drought in summer could dry up the water so that boats were unable to move up the canal.

Although most of the traffic on the canal was goods, in 1830 a system of fly boats operated between Reading and Bath. Fly boats carried passengers along the canal as quickly as they could. It took 36 hours for a fly boat to travel between Reading and Bath.

The opening of the canal allowed goods made in Reading to be taken quickly and safely to Bristol and Bath. With the opening of the canal system, a reasonably quick and easy means of transport to all parts of the country was available. Many Reading companies used the canals to transport their goods, for instance Huntley and Palmers, as the canal was gentler on the biscuits. Many products were brought to Reading by the canal, for instance coal was brought to the gas works and slate for the roofs of houses.

The Kennet and Avon Canal enjoyed only 30 years of full trade. With the opening of the Great Western Railway, faster and not effected by the weather, through traffic on the canal became rare. Boats still travelled on local journeys, but through journeys between Bristol and London became rare.

The Railway company bought the canal in 1852 and had no interest in keeping the canal working. The railway company let the canal run down and by 1947 the last boat came through from Bath.