The Kennet and Avon Canal comprises three waterways - the Avon Navigation from Bristol to Bath (1727), the canal section from Bath to Newbury (1810), and the Kennet Navigation from Newbury to Reading (1723).

These three separate waterways were joined together to form a continuous route to the Thames.

The canal company employed labourers who were known as navigators or navvies to build the canal.

Narrow boats and Kennet barges were the primary craft used on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

However when the Great Western Railway started operating from London to Bristol in 1841, the competition started affecting canal trade adversely.

Although the canal company fought back by reducing tolls and introducing its own fleet of barges, they could not compete in this new market place.

Canal traders increasingly turned to the railway, seeing it as a more economical means of transporting their goods.

Today the canal is popular with narrowboat travellers.

One of its most impressive sections is Caen Hill Locks, the last part of the 87 mile route to be built.

This series of 16 locks was engineer John Rennie's solution to navigating the 237 feet rise of the surrounding land.