DERELICT SUNDAY

We had a good service at Church this morning, and having packed up a picnic, off we went afterwards to look for dereliction.  We decided to go out of Swindon towards Royal Wootton Bassett as Mr. HCB said that he had seen a small lane off to the right, once we got outside the town, that he would like to explore.  

Much like buses, you don’t see one for ages and then see two or three at once - and such was our search for dereliction today.

We saw one derelict house on the road from Royal Wootton Bassett to Lyneham, then a derelict barn on Trow Lane and as we entered Bowds Lane we came across this disused and derelict lock on part of the Wilts and Berks Canal. This is a canal in the counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire, linking the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Melksham, to the River Thames at Abingdon.

I found out this further information about the Canal:

The 52-mile (84 km) canal was opened in 1810, but abandoned in 1914 – a fate hastened by the collapse of Stanley aqueduct in 1901. Much of the canal subsequently became unnavigable and many of the structures were deliberately damaged by army demolition exercises; parts of the route were filled in and, in some cases, built over. In 1977 the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group was formed with a view to full restoration of the canal. Several locks and bridges have since been restored, and over 8 miles (13 km) of the canal have been rewatered.

I also found a map online and it appears that this section is called Seven Locks and it is hoped that all the locks along this part of the Canal will eventually be restored.  I have no doubt that we will be going back to this area and will make sure we have proper walking  boots so that we can explore a little further along the towpath, which was rather overgrown in places.  

We pulled off the single-track road that was well off the beaten track, then sat and ate our picnic lunch, the only sounds being the birds singing and the occasional high speed train on the new electrified track that runs from London to Bristol.  

“Look for chances 
     to take the less-traveled roads. 
          There are no wrong turns.” 
Susan Magsamen : 
The 10 Best of Everything Families: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers