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Warminster Road, BATH, BA2 7BN

The Somerset Coal Canal runs alongside the River Avon and, just higher, the A36 Warminster Road. In between are a number of houses that were built after both and now have a rather uncommon back garden.

The Somerset Coal Canal was built around 1800 to link the Somerset coalfield with London, via the Kennet & Avon Canal. With the exception of the branch to Radstock, which closed in 1815 (being replaced by a tramway which was later incorporated into the well known Somerset & Dorset Railway), the canal was a commercial success for nearly a century, only declining in importance as the coalfields became exhausted in the late 1800s. In the late 1890s the canal fell quickly into disuse and was officially closed in 1902, various parts of the route being bought by railway companies and converted to railways. This shot shows the entrance to the restored first half mile or so of the canal near Dundas Aqueduct. There is a scheme to restore the entire canal to navigation, but for the moment, this leads to a dead end basin which is used as moorings.

This building by the Dundas Aqueduct has been treated to a little smartening up. The red plaque (an equivalent to English Heritage’s blue plaques) was awarded by the Transport Trust in September, 2017. It notes the work carried out by the local volunteers in making the Grade I site such an important part of our industrial heritage.

The Somerset Coal Canal was built around 1800 to link the Somerset coalfield with London, via the Kennet & Avon Canal. With the exception of the branch to Radstock, which closed in 1815 (being replaced by a tramway which was later incorporated into the well known Somerset & Dorset Railway), the canal was a commercial success for nearly a century, only declining in importance as the coalfields became exhausted in the late 1800s. In the late 1890s the canal fell quickly into disuse and was officially closed in 1902, various parts of the route being bought by railway companies and converted to railways. There is a scheme to restore the canal to navigation over its entire length - good luck with that - but in the meantime, the first half mile or so from the junction with the K&A has been restored and is currently used as moorings.

The swing bridge between the basin and the narrower reaches of the Somerset Coal Canal requires a simple application of a little effort.

The narrowboat Duck enter the Dundas Aqueduct basin on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Bath.

The ever-popular Dundas Aqueduct is well signed in this Covid-19 era.

A small but important notice on the small swing bridge on the coal canal.

Entry and exit from the Brassknocker Basin to the Kennet and Avon canal by Dundas Aqueduct. In 1985 restoration began on the first quarter mile section of the 10 mile Somerset Coal Canal to Paulton that was opened in 1801 and closed in 1898. Mr. Hedley Smith and Mr. Tim Wheeldon formed the new Somerset Coal Canal Company and acquired the land and dug out and relined the old canal bed. The stop lock in the now private lockkeeper's cottage garden only had a rise of 7" so didn't need reinstating. The short tunnel under the A36/Warminster road was excavated and turned into a dry dock.

The view alongside the Dundas Aqueduct basin on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Bath.