Walking in sludgy conditions was never an issue during all the years we lived in the Canary Islands and then Portugal, so we were a bit spoilt by conditions that, for most of the year, were walker-friendly. Ironically, in those locations it is summer which is the enemy of hikers. While we aren’t bothered about getting wet or tackling muddy sections, squelching our way across field after field after field is not our idea of fun walking. So, when there’s a prolonged period of rainy weather, we look for routes where the going underfoot is a bit more solid. A dependable and interesting option is walking the Grand Western Canal.
The Grand Western Canal
An ambitious plan to create a waterway link between the English Channel at Topsham with the Bristol Channel at Burnham-on-Sea was the victim of bad timing. Work started in 1810, coinciding with the advent of the railways. By the time construction of the canal was well under way, transporting goods by steam locomotive had become more popular and economically attractive. The Grand Western Canal became something of a white elephant and the route was never completed. By 1869, the stretch northeast from Tiverton stopped at Lowdwells Lock, 11.34 miles along the towpath. The canal wasn’t completely redundant, the transportation of stone quarried at Westleigh meant working barges continued to travel between the quarry and Tiverton until 1924. Now, it makes for an easy walking route which is full of points of interest that provide an insight into the area’s past. Plus, it makes for a lovely stroll.
From Tiverton to Sampford Peverell
We tend to break it into two sections. The first is from Tiverton Basin (where there’s plenty of parking). It’s a wee bit manicured at the Tiverton end, but it does have one magical attraction – one of the last horse-drawn barges in Britain. With the crew decked out in traditional clothes, seeing one of these colourful barges glide toward you, pulled by a serene Shire horse is like time travelling, and guaranteed to put a smile on the face. The barges, operated by Tiverton Canal Co, run from April to October.
The Bad Bishop
Just before the canal leaves Tiverton, it loops north. This deviation was thanks to the Bishop of Exeter who refused to allow the canal to pass withing 100m of his home, Tidcombe Hall. From this point, the canal meanders through the delightful Devon countryside, mature trees creating a leafy canopy whose verdant hues are in the water. Mallard ducks, Mute swans, moorhen, dragonflies, damselflies, and darting kingfishers may put in an appearance, depending on the time of year. It’s a charming stretch where, like many walking routes, the further you walk from urban settlements, the fewer people there are.
Near Manley Bridge is another curiosity, the spot where an RAF Canberra crashed in 1961. What’s odd about this is that it only really came to light in 2003 after contractors, who were dredging the canal, found large pieces of metal and fuel deposits they worried might be contaminating the environment. They discovered the cause when locals passing by told them about the crash. This ‘news’ attracted media coverage, resulting in a memorial stone being put in place.
The Last Aqueduct
The next point of interest is the last surviving section of aqueduct on the Devon stretch of the Grand Western Canal. Built in 1847, it crosses above the old railway line that was the cause of the canal’s downfall. In fact, in 1864, the canal was sold to the railway and was used to supply stations and steam engines with water until steam engines themselves fell prey to progress and the line closed in 1967.
Although there are picnic spots and benches along the canal, a good spot to pause is near the Dudley Wetherley Jubilee Bridge where there’s a car park and picnic tables. Occasionally there might even be a food truck there. Instead of continuing, there’s an option here to follow the Swan’s Neck and complete a circuit through Halberton, where there’s a farm shop and café next to multicoloured fields of vegetables in neat rows. Continuing along the canal to Sampford Peverell adds the option of a pub lunch at the Globe Inn (we haven’t eaten there yet, so can’t comment on how good it is).
From Sampford Peverell to Lowdwells Lock
To complete the second section of the Grand Western Canal, we park at Beech Car Park and walk from there. In truth, we find the stretch southwest to Sampford Peverell to be the dullest section of the canal. However, the way north east is our favourite part. It’s wilder and more overgrown and, possibly as a result, attracts a lot of wildlife. Sometimes wildlife we can do without. One time, there was a hornets’ nest on the approach to the canal.
On misty mornings, this is an enchanting place to walk. It’s not far from the car park to Lowdwells Lock, making it a great little route for people who can’t manage longer hikes. It also includes my favourite attraction of the Grand Western Canal, the Waytown Lime Kilns. Until 2004, the kilns, with their five arches, were mostly consumed by the undergrowth. The Country Park Ranger Service assisted by volunteers tarted them up, repairing the crumbling structure, allowing those who walked the canal to enjoy them and imagine how incredible they must have once looked, smoke billowing from the holes in the roof which the limestone from nearby quarries was poured through. An information board opposite the kilns illustrates this.
The End
The Grand Western Canal ends at Lowdwells Lock, where an info panel recreates what the lock looked like in its short-lived heyday. It is helpful as there’s not a lot to see there now; although it is quite a pleasant spot where there are often swans. When we fancy a longer leg stretch, we follow the board’s suggested Appley circular walk. Anyone who wants to trace the route of the old canal can continue navigating their way north toward the remains of the Nynehead Lift, which the info board says follows the original towpath, though we didn’t see much evidence of the old canal on the stretch to Cothay Manor.
Long or short version, it is always enjoyable to dip in and out of Devon and Somerset’s past.
