Discover Staverton

Staverton combines walks along the Kennet and Avon Canal with a history of churches and mills whose earliest chapters date back to the Middle Ages. When choosing your destination, its different points of interest may be decisive: the canal, with its paths and scenery, or the development of the church and mills. This gives you concrete points of interest for a trip that combines nature and local history.

Scenery along the canal and River Avon

At one end, the Kennet and Avon Canal forms a natural boundary of Staverton. The village can be reached via the old stone bridge over the River Avon. From Staverton, the canal also offers a scenic walk towards Bradford on Avon. The boundary, access and walk are distinct ways in which the village relates to the water.

Staverton Marina offers moorings for many canal boats and leads to a small lagoon. The lagoon is a habitat for many wildlife species, including swans, ducks, moorhens and Canada geese. So, alongside the canal and its boats, there are also specific opportunities to enjoy nature when planning your trip. If wildlife is a particular interest, you can make the lagoon a focus in its own right, alongside a walk by the water.

Walks along the Kennet and Avon Canal

The towpath near Staverton is heavily used by cyclists and walkers at weekends. If you are planning a walk on those days, this information is useful for taking account of how busy the path may be when planning your visit.

The Bradford on Avon Walking Wheel also follows a section of the towpath. The directions help distinguish the two route connections: the scenic walk along the canal leads from Staverton towards Bradford on Avon; the Walking Wheel route description heads south towards Staverton.

Canal and mill history

The Kennet and Avon Canal was built in 1801. In the early 19th century, the canal wharves on either side of the road bridge at Staverton were very busy. This historic role adds a distinct strand of local history to the canal’s present-day appeal as a scenic walking route. The wharves locate early canal traffic in the Staverton area, while the date 1801 relates to the construction history of the canal itself.

Staverton Mill was first mentioned in the Domesday Book. By the end of the 14th century, the mill had been converted into a fulling mill for cloth processing. The Staverton Superfine Woollen Manufactory was the largest mill in the area. These details offer different insights into local milling history: the earliest mention of a mill, its later use for cloth processing and the manufactory’s significance in the region.

St Paul's Church and its surroundings

The first mention of a Chapel of Ease on the site of today’s St Paul's Church dates from the 13th century. In 1826, the church was completely rebuilt and enlarged. The churchyard offers views over the meadows and the River Avon. This place therefore combines architectural history with views of Staverton’s river and meadow landscape. The sequence from the medieval predecessor building to the 19th-century rebuilding is clearly distinct from the construction histories of the canal and mills.

Discover more destinations: Ludgershall, Sedgehill, Stanton Saint Quintin, Lyneham, Cricklade, Wylye, Edington, Chilmark

For the main travel overview: Wiltshire.