The 16-lock staircase flight requires boats to move in a precise sequence to avoid wasting water.
Engineers included side ponds with each lock to capture and store water, essential for operating the flight efficiently.
The locks were constructed to overcome one of the steepest gradients on the entire British canal network.
The flight is a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument due to its historical engineering significance.
During the canal's decline, the locks were largely disused until a major restoration project completed in 1990.
The site hosts a diverse range of wildlife, including dragonflies and kingfishers, due to the undisturbed nature of the canal sides.
Caen Hill Locks consists of 29 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, designed to raise boats 237 feet over a distance of two miles. The flight includes a 'staircase' section of 16 locks where the bottom gate of one lock is the top gate of the next. Completed in 1810, the engineering project was designed by John Rennie to bypass the steep hillside near Devizes. It remains one of the longest continuous lock flights in the United Kingdom. The canal is managed by the Canal & River Trust as part of a navigable waterway connecting the River Thames to the Bristol Channel. The site serves as both an industrial heritage landmark and a functioning passage for narrowboats. Restoration efforts in the 1980s and 1990s reopened the flight to navigation after decades of dereliction. The towpath provides a continuous walking route through the entire lock system.
From the bottom of the flight looking up toward the Devizes end to capture the full, dramatic scale of the staircase.
Bring comfortable, waterproof walking shoes as the towpath can be muddy after rain.
Walk the entire length from the top to the bottom to fully grasp the scale of the incline.
Bring binoculars if you are interested in spotting the local canal-side birdlife.
Do not attempt to walk on the lock gates themselves, as they are operational machinery.
The canal remains open year-round, though boat traffic may be restricted during winter months for essential lock maintenance.
Keep dogs on a lead near the water's edge and give way to narrowboats currently navigating the locks.
