By the Kennet and Avon Canal at Enborne

Completed in 1810, the 87-mile (140km) long Kennet and Avon Canal took 16 years to construct. The final bill was in the region of £1 million. With 104 locks and many other impressive features, the canal was regarded as a triumph of engineering.

The Kennet and Avon was built to provide a direct trade link between London and Bristol, thus avoiding the treacherous south coast route which took ships around Land’s End. The canal eventually became redundant in the late 1940s, but dedicated armies of supporters were determined not to let it die. Restored over many years, the canal was eventually re-opened by the Queen at Devizes in 1990. Since then it has become one of southern England's most colourful and vibrant waterways.

Drawing the line

But 60 years ago, it would have been a very different story. Follow the canal tow path and you’ll spot ugly brick and concrete pill boxes at intervals along the bank. Unsightly though they undoubtedly are, they are vivid reminders of World War II and the time when Britain braced itself for invasion. Cutting a swathe across England from east to west, the waterway was to act as the second line of defence if the Germans had breached the south coast blockade. In fact more than 50 defensive lines were constructed around Britain, the longest and most important being the GHQ (General Head Quarters Line) designed to protect London and the industrial heart of Britain. This ran from Somerset along the River Brue and the Kennet and Avon Canal to Reading, and the pill boxes you pass on this walk are part of that network. Tank traps were laid to deter the enemy from making deeper inroads, and concrete machine gun posts were also positioned along the tow path to guard the open, undefended country to the south.

As history tells us, none of these defences ever had to be tested, and the most recent warfare that this peaceful part of the world has experienced remains over 370 years distant. This occurred during the Civil War in 1643, when Parliamentary troops were stationed in Hamstead Marshall Park for the first Battle of Newbury, part of which was fought at neighbouring Wash Common. During their stay it is recorded that they ruined the house that preceded the Earl of Craven’s grand mansion there.

From the car park turn right onto the road towards Newbury. Pass Church Lane, and as the road descends the buildings of Newbury edge into view. Take the next signposted footpath left, at the entrance to Step Up Cottage, and continue straight on along the track. Follow it across open fields and through a kissing gate; soon the Kennet and Avon Canal comes into view ahead. Once over the bridge, turn left by a pill box and go down to the tow path.

Continue heading west, past Benham Lock and then a tributary stream running into some woods. The railway line is seen on the right along this stretch. A little further on, at Benham Broad, the river and canal unite.

Leave the tow path and cross the river by the old brick Benham Bridge, then cross another (level) bridge and pass Hamstead Mill, formerly belonging to the Craven Estate. Continue on the road beside a brick wall. Where the road curves right, continue ahead on a footpath leading to St Mary’s, Hamstead Marshall. With the back of the church in front of you, to your left, in the corner of the churchyard, is the mausoleum containing the Craven family vault. Take the gate, left, leading out to parkland, with two sets of large gate piers to the right. This is Hamstead Park (also known as Hamstead Marshall Park).

Follow the grassy track as it bends left and descends between trees to a drive. Turn right, following it through a landscape dotted with ancient oak and gnarled beech trees. After a while,pass over a cattle grid, and enjoy the most picturesque part of this walk with languid grassy ponds and an ornamental bridge below. Follow the drive until you leave this bucolic scene behind, then after a left-hand bend, go past a turning on the left. As the drive sweeps right towards a gate and cream-coloured houses, go straight on along a path, over a small footbridge and through a kissing gate, to an avenue of horse chestnut trees. On the right is Hamstead Lodge (also called Hamstead Park), former home of the Craven family, and one of the lodges of the great mansion that burned down. After the Cravens departed, it became a nursing home and is now a private residence. 

Turn left and follow the drive, passing a large stone dedicated to the men of the American Parachute Regiment. In 1944 they prepared here for the D-Day Landings, and returned briefly to Hamstead before departing to parachute into Holland on 7 September, in the battle to liberate Europe. Follow the drive to the exit (with cattle grid), and opposite is the car park where the walk began.