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Kennet & Avon Canal

In 1996 a £29 million package, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), was put together to complete the restoration of the Kennet & Avon Canal. The main works undertaken were to: ensure an adequate water supply to sections of the canal through Devizes; stabilise embankments within the Bath Valley ; improve access and interpretation; and carry out nature conservation, heritage and landscaping projects throughout the length of the waterway. The work was completed in December 2002 and the Kennet & Avon Canal was officially re-opened in Summer 2003 by HRH the Prince of Wales.

Dundas Aqueduct

This historic aqueduct designed by John Rennie is one of two such important structures on the Kennet & Avon Canal, the other being at Avoncliff. It is regarded as his finest architectural achievement. The grace of his three-arch construction built in 1804 is best appreciated by leaving the canal and walking down to the valley below.

The Aqueduct was commended in the 2004 National Historic Bridge Awards for its restoration. The award winning restoration, which began in autumn 2002, took two years to complete. Much of the masonry of the historic structure had deteriorated due to age and frost damage. Over the years a number of unsympathetic repairs had been made, most notably by the Great Western Railway Company using engineering bricks.

The restoration project involved replacing much of the blue engineering brick repair on the northern face with Bath limestone to match with the original detail of the aqueduct. It also included: waterproofing the footpath to prevent water getting into the structure in the future; the removal of vegetation in all areas and of gunite (a mixture of sand and cement) in one of the arches; the re-construction of timber steps to improve access and safety; and the relocation of an existing boat shed.

A local quarry was selected to provide the new stone and highly skilled local stonemasons using traditional masonry techniques ensured that the aqueduct was a shining example of heritage preservation.