The Wilts and Berks Canal is a canal, originally in Wiltshire and Berkshire, England. Following county boundary changes its route now lies within Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. Categories: Water-transport stubs | Canals | Water transport ... A bridge over the river Avon at Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (pronounced Barkshe(e)r; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ...

The main canal ran from Abingdon on the River Thames through Swindon to Semington on the Kennet and Avon Canal, a distance of about 60 miles. Branches ran to Cricklade, Chippenham, Calne, Wantage and Longcot. Abingdon is a market town in Oxfordshire, England and is one of the towns which claim to be Britains oldest continuously occupied town. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Swindon is a large town of Wiltshire, England, located in the South West of the UK (between London and Bristol). ... The Kennet and Avon Canal at Brass-Knocker-Bottom near Bath The Kennet and Avon Canal is a canal in southern England. ... Cricklade is a small town in north Wiltshire in the UK, midway between Swindon and Cirencester. ... Chippenham is the name of more than one place: Chippenham, Cambridgeshire, England Chippenham, Wiltshire, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Calne is a town in Wiltshire, England. ... There is also a town called Wantage in the state of New Jersey in the United States of America. ...

The main canal was opened in 1810, but some branches were operating before this and others were added afterwards. The branch from Swindon to Cricklade linking there to the Thames and Severn Canal was opened in 1819 and known as the North Wilts Canal. Never a great commercial success owing to its narrowness and competition from rail and other canals, the Wilts and Berks Canal nevertheless operated for more than a century before being abandoned in 1914. Traffic had ceased in 1901 when the Stanley Aqueduct collapsed. The Thames and Severn Canal is a canal in the south of England, linking the River Thames to the River Severn, via Cricklade and Stroudwater. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era aqueduct circa 19 BC, it is one of Frances top tourist attractions at over 1. ...

A preservation effort for what still remained began in 1977 and ten years later became a major restoration project. It is now planned to restore all of the extensive rural sections, and to construct new sections (including several new tunnels) where urban development has made the original route unavailable. By 2002 some 8 miles of the canal had been opened.

External links

• http://www.wilts-berks-canal.org.uk/ Restoration project home page