Walks from Hungerford

A flat, easy canal towpath walk, mostly dry and firm underfoot but with some seasonal mud after wet weather; one short section can be especially bad. Some uneven ground and kissing gates and a narrow bridge. Railway stations at both ends make it an easy there-and-back by train.

Waterway: nine tenths along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Time: 2h–4h30

Lunch: A cafe in Great Bedwyn, but it closes at 3pm.

Warnings: A railway crossing and a section of road through Great Bedwyn with no pavement, though traffic is light.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A pleasant, flat and very direct walk almost entirely along the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath, with very few road crossings. Surface is mainly paved or gravelled and suitable for wheels and with a couple of mile-long grassy stretches that get muddy after rain and narrow in places when vegetation grows. Also follows National Cycle Network Route 4. Kintbury makes a convenient break, with public toilets by the canal, pubs, a shop and rail and bus links. Several benches near the bridges and locks.

Waterway: almost all along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Time: 3h30–7h30

Lunch: Various shops and pubs at Kintbury, the natural break point.

Warnings: Two mile-long grassy stretches get muddy and slippery after rain and in winter, and the path narrows where vegetation grows.

Walk details: Slow Ways.