Semington and the K&A Canal
Semington is a much better place since 2004 when the village finally got its much deserved bypass. Until that time, the A350 trunk road running from the m4 to the south coast ripped through the heart of the place. eighteen thousand vehicles, including many articulated lorries, passed along the village’s High Street every day. The residents could barely hear each other speak, never mind the issues with crossing the main road. today it is an altogether more peaceful scene.
The architectural expert nikolaus Pevsner was much taken with Semington’s Church with its bell-turret, as well as manor Farmhouse that dates from 1698. He also noted a group of georgian houses on the High Street, and commented on one of ‘about 1800 with tripartite windows and a porch of two pairs of ionic columns’. There was also St george’s Hospital, now the independent Living Centre, which is housed in the former melksham Workhouse. erected in 1838 and based upon the Poor Law’s Commissioner’s standard cruciform plan, up to 70 inmates could be housed in the building.
Past the former workhouse, that now houses an independent Living Centre as well as some rather desirable apartments, the walk heads out of Semington along a ‘byway open to all traffic’. Look out for bicycles as well as the very occasional vehicle. Beyond a road known as Whaddon Lane, a tree-lined avenue leads along to Hill Farm, before a pleasant field path with views drops down to a quiet section of the K&A Canal. The views encompass a large section of the Avon Vale, with melksham in the foreground and the hills around Bath and Chippenham in the distance.
Semington was at one time the junction of the K&A with the Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal that headed north to join the Thames at Abingdon. today’s visitor could be oblivious of such a link, with the junction lost beneath a neighbouring garden, and a slight indentation in the towpath giving little away. West of the junction there is little to set the industrial archaeologist’s blood fizzing – other than the diminutive Semington Aqueduct carrying the K&A over the Semington Brook, and the site of Semington Wharf, where as much as 10,000 tons of Somerset coal was offloaded ready for shipment to Abingdon back in 1837.
Back in the village, the Somerset Arms has created a wonderful outdoor space in order to welcome customers old and new. There are opensided marquees with heating for those cold evenings, plus a new menu. As well as old favourites such as ham, egg and chips and fish and chips, there are new dishes such as spring risotto and the Bartender, the greek and the Duke. Lunchtime also sees sandwiches, jacket potatoes and fries on the menu, with the bacon and cheddar sarnie being very tempting, as is the sausage and red onion option. Check out the pub’s Facebook page for up-to-date information.
Getting there
■ Follow the A361 eastwards from Trowbridge for 2½ miles before turning left into Semington village. Drive down the High Street and park in the vicinity of the Somerset Arms. ■ 1. With your back to the Somerset Arms, follow the High Street to the right. In 175 yards, turn left into Church Street. In 150 yards, immediately before the church, turn right onto an enclosed footpath and walk up to a gate before continuing along the path into a field. Cross a stile on the right and follow the right edge of a field along to a gap in a hedgerow and the southern end of Semington’s High Street. Cross over and follow St George’s Road along to Melksham’s former workhouse, now an Independent Living Centre, houses and flats. ■ 2. Where the road ends just past this complex, continue along a byway for ¾-mile to reach a T-junction. Turn right and follow a byway for 200 yards down to Whaddon Lane.
Immediately, turn right onto a private road, also a public footpath that leads to Hill Farm. In ¼-mile, just before the gated entrance to the farm itself, cross a pair of stiles on the left and walk downhill to a footbridge over the K&A Canal in the middle of the bottom field boundary. Cross the K&A and drop down some steps on the left to the canal towpath. Turn left and follow the towpath for 1½ miles to a swing-bridge, Newton swingbridge number 158.
■ 3. Having crossed this bridge, turn right and follow a path along the top right edge of a field to a stile. Follow the right edge of the next field its right corner. Bear right and follow a path across the Semington Bypass. Once across this 2004 aqueduct, cross a stile on the left and follow a path down to another stile. Turn right and drop down to a footbridge that crosses Semington Brook. Beyond this bridge, bear right and head across a field to a gate and stile. Cross one final field to a gate alongside a white property. Follow a narrow enclosed path along to Semington’s High Street before turning left back to the Somerset Arms.