The Caen Hill Locks are a flight of 29 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal that rise 237 feet in 2 miles (that's 72 metres in 3.2 kilometers for you Aussies). They were engineer John Rennie's solution to climbing the steep hill in Devizes and were the last part of the 87 mile route of the K&A to be completed.The 16 lock section we visited is situated just outside of the town of Devizes which is only a short drive from us. It was the perfect destination for a rather chilly Saturday afternoon and we were thankful to have packed our wellies.
Because of the steepness of the terrain there was not the space to use the normal arrangement of water pounds between the locks. As a result, the 16 locks utilise unusually large side ponds to store the water needed to operate.
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