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During 2022, it has been possible to walk from Templar's Firs to Swindon without having to walk along any main roads. It takes about 2½ hours, mostly on the towpath or the former line of the canal, ending at Canal Walk in the Brunel Centre. An hourly bus service on Mondays to Saturdays takes you back to New Road (a short walk to the canal), on route 99. There's a more frequent service (usually every 20 minutes) on route 55 that stops in the High Street; it also runs on Sundays every 30 minutes. Here's the route following the railway footpath, though you can also walk along the new road (not yet open for traffic) and follow a sign-posted temporary footpath to join the canal at Wichelstowe, which is slightly longer but takes you past the H & W pub and the Waitrose tea-shop.
Note: For much of 2024, the normal walking route was blocked by construction of a new road. As at the end of 2024, the road is now almost linked to the connector road which is now known as 'Wichel Way'. There are now three options to walk between Hay Lane and the canal at Wichelstowe as seen below:
Monthly meetings
Members of the branch normally meet at the Angel Hotel in the High Street on the first Monday at 7:30. If the first Monday is a Bank Holiday, then the meeting takes place a week later.
Dunnington done for 2021
Work parties on 19th and 25th May cleared the canal line at Dunnington Aqueduct and Embankment as seen here.
Work-boat Nelson arrives at Templar's Firs
On Saturday 15th May the work-boat 'Nelson' was lifted out of the Basingstoke Canal at Woking and was taken to Royal Wootton Bassett by lorry, accompanied by 100-ton mobile crane. Click here to read the news item and see a photo gallery of the journey.
First RWB Work-Party of 2021
Read about our visit to Chaddington Lock on 14th April here.
If you want to join our 'free outdoor gym' as a Work-Party volunteer, please e-mail John Bower on john.bower@wbct.org.uk .
How you can help get the Canal in the plan!
Public consultation - RWB Neighbourhood Plan Review
The October Deluge 2020
On Wednesday 30th September 2020, the work-party cleared vegetation from Chaddington Spill-weir and the culverts under Bincknoll Lane in preparation for the threatened Storm Alex. It was not a moment too soon. October 2020 started with a change of weather on the first day. For four days, our area had over 120 millimetres of rain, filling the canal well above normal levels. On Sunday 4th October, members took photos from east to west, which you can see by clicking here.
