Visit our canal side attractions

This page is still being updated, please check back soon.

Pewsham

Boats, beautiful scenery and tranquil walks, a wide variety of wildlife and of course not forgetting our volunteers working hard to restore and maintain this beautiful canal. You’ll see all this and more when you visit the Wilts & Berks Canal at Pewsham.

Whether you jog, cycle or just slowly amble along the towpath you will see the history of the canal being brought back to life. Take a seat and let the world go by at a slower pace of a bygone age. Watch the canal for sights of ducks, moorhen, swans, and heron or spot the blue flash of the local kingfisher. Gaze skywards to see the buzzards and Red Kites circling lazily overhead. Take a trip on our boat The Mary Archard, specially designed to cater for wheelchair users.

Finally stop for a few minutes and chat to the volunteers who will be more than happy to talk to you about the current work they are doing and about the history, and future, of this lovely canal.

Boat Trips usually take place on the second Saturday of each month from April to September weather and water depth permitting. No need to book or buy tickets, just turn up and make a donation. Please note due to COVID-19 restrictions they are not currently running, we will update this page when this changes.

Wichelstowe

The new canal-side development at Wichelstowe is an excellent place to visit and has even been nominated for regional civil engineering awards! Attractions include the Hall & Woodhouse pub, where you can enjoy food or drinks outside, overlooking the canal. From there, you'll spot our landing stage where our narrow boat Dragonfly is moored, and departs for lesuirely boat trips.

If you like to keep moving, you can access the canal towpaths for scenic walks or cycling. 

The Sackhouse

at the Wharf, Wantage, OX12 9GF

The Canal Trust's museum and visitor centre at the entrance to what was Wantage Wharf. The wharf stood at the end of the one mile branch from the main Abingdon-Swindon line of the canal, accessed by a junction just before Grove Top Lock. At various times the building, which dates back to around 1810, was used as a weighbridge, office and coal merchants.

For more information, including opening time and contact information, please visit the East Vale & Abingon branch website.

Dauntsey Lock

If you're looking for a spot of lunch or a drink with a view, why not visit the Peterborough Arms at Dauntsey Lock. The pub overlooks a (currently) unrestored section of the Wilts & Berks Canal. The Peterborough Arms is a locally owned and run pub, offering the friendly community pub experience.

Wildlife spotting

Go for a scenic walk along any of our canal towpaths and see which wildlife you can spot! Our interactive map has biodiversity information on our various canalside inhabitants, but we think it's best to just get out there and see them for yourself. Please do send us any pictures or videos you manage to capture.

Check out our own videos below!