Rowbarge Woolhampton Walk

5.6 miles (9 km)

This circular walk explores the area around the village of Woolhampton and the Rowbarge pub. Starting from the car park at Woolhampton Bridge the route first heads east along the Kennet and Avon Canal Walk to Aldermaston Wharf.... You'll then leave the canal and cross the River Kennet before picking up the Fisherman's Lane track before heading north west over the river and through a woodland area to return to the car park.
The route starts and finishes adjacent to the historic Rowbarge pub, a traditional canal-side inn that originally served the bargees and horse drivers working the busy commercial waterway during the eighteenth century. The opening stretch along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath takes you past the Woolhampton Lock and toward Aldermaston Wharf, which developed into a prominent inland port for exporting local timber and grain following the opening of the canal navigation in 1723. The return loop follows Fisherman's Lane, a historic trackway that provides views of the fast-flowing River Kennet and the surrounding water meadows.
The distinct combination of slow-moving canal water, fast chalk streams, and mature woodland across this route supports a rich variety of local wildlife. The river and canal banks are home to a thriving population of water voles, banded demoiselle damselflies, and kingfishers, while red kites and buzzards can regularly be seen soaring above the open fields. As the trail heads north west through the dense woodland sections, walkers can encounter a variety of traditional British flora, including bluebells and ramsons in the spring, alongside roe deer and green woodpeckers nesting in the tree canopy.