Devizes sits about 21 miles east of Bath, and the reason to go is the Caen Hill Locks: a flight of 29 locks that hauls the Kennet and Avon Canal 237 feet up a hillside in just two miles, one of the most striking pieces of canal engineering in Britain. There's no direct train, so it's a drive of around 36 minutes, or a bus that takes just over an hour, but for anyone who likes the Bath canal walks, this is where that same waterway does something genuinely dramatic.
What the Caen Hill Locks actually are
The Kennet and Avon Canal climbs Caen Hill via 29 locks in total: a lower group of seven, then a famous run of 16 locks in an almost dead-straight line up the hillside, followed by a final six into Devizes itself. Over two miles the canal rises 237 feet, a gradient of about 1 in 44, which made it one of the most difficult sections of canal ever built in England when it opened in 1810. Today it's a working, fully restored flight, popular with narrowboat crews (a full transit can take most of a day) and with walkers who just want to see the view from the towpath, where the locks step up the hill in a way photographs never quite capture properly.
Getting there from Bath
There's no direct train to Devizes; the town lost its own railway station decades ago, so the practical options from Bath are:
- By car: about 21 miles, roughly 36 minutes via the A365 and A342.
- By bus: First Bus/Faresaver's route 272 runs roughly hourly between Bath and Devizes via Melksham, with the journey taking about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes. Check current times and fares before you travel, since rural bus timetables change more often than train ones.
Once you're in Devizes, it's about a 15-minute walk from the town centre down to the locks, or a short local bus hop if you'd rather not walk both ways.
What else to do in Devizes
Devizes itself is a proper market town with a good few pubs, independent shops and a market square worth an hour of wandering before or after the locks. The Wadworth Brewery, still brewing in the town centre, runs tours if you want to make a full day of it rather than just the canal. If you're driving, this pairs naturally with the wider Wiltshire countryside our Cotswolds day trip guide and Castle Combe and Lacock guide also cover, since all three sit in roughly the same direction out of Bath.
Should you walk, cycle or drive to see the locks
If you're already comfortable with the towpath walks closer to Bath, Caen Hill is a bigger undertaking: it's a genuine day trip rather than an afternoon extension. Cycling the towpath all the way from Bath is possible for confident, fit cyclists but is a long day (well over 20 miles each way along the canal itself, rather than the more direct road distance). For most visitors, driving or the bus, then walking the short stretch around the locks themselves, is the realistic way to see it without turning the whole day into a physical challenge. Our day trips from Bath guide has more on pacing a day like this.
FAQs
How many locks are at Caen Hill? There are 29 locks in total: a lower flight of seven, a straight run of 16 up the steepest part of the hill, and a final six into Devizes, rising 237 feet over two miles.
Is there a direct train from Bath to Devizes? No. Devizes no longer has a railway station, so the practical options are driving (about 21 miles, roughly 36 minutes) or a bus, which takes around an hour to an hour and 10 minutes.
How long does it take to walk the Caen Hill Locks? Walking the full flight and back is a couple of hours at an easy pace, plus about 15 minutes each way between the locks and Devizes town centre.
Can you take a canal boat trip on the Caen Hill Locks? Yes, but a full transit of the flight by narrowboat typically takes the better part of a day given the sheer number of locks. Most day visitors view them on foot from the towpath instead.
Is Devizes worth visiting beyond the locks? Yes. It's a working market town with independent shops, pubs and the Wadworth Brewery, which offers tours, so it's easy to build a full day around the visit rather than just the locks themselves.
Is Caen Hill suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs? The towpath is unsurfaced in places and includes a steady climb alongside the locks, so it's not fully step-free. Check current access conditions before visiting if this matters for your trip.