Pretty village an hour away from Bristol with a canal running through it

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a trip. An adventure to find a new place, a place to escape the busy city life or just an escape after a long week.

With so much to see and do in Bristol, many people who live here may not be aware of some of the amazing sights just beyond its borders. These include picturesque English villages and hidden gems set amongst the hills, rivers and stunning scenery of the neighboring counties of Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

About an hour’s drive from Bristol lives the tiny village of Wootton Rivers in Pewsey Vale, which can only be described as picture-postcard. Situated on the Kennet and Avon Canal, just south of Marlborough and its Savernake Forest, it has all the charm and character you’d expect from a traditional English village.

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Wiltshire Live reports that the name Wootton Rivers dates back to the 14th century, with ‘Wootton’ meaning ‘farm by the woods’ and ‘Rivers’ being the surname of the lords of the manor – the parish also includes the hamlet of Cuckoo’s Knob. Its early history can be felt as you pass through the village as it is lined with an abundance of thatched, timber-lined houses, many listed.

Traveling from Marlborough, you’ll first encounter The Royal Oak, a freestanding 16th-century house that provides a welcome stop for walkers and locals alike. It offers a beautiful courtyard bathed in sunshine on a late spring afternoon with many locals relaxing with a drink and a bite to eat.

Most of the village can be seen from the country road that winds through it. Traveling south, you will eventually come across St. Andrew’s Church and nearby Manor House.

A path accessed from the village lane and through a wooden gate takes you into the churchyard which was originally in the grounds of the Saxon manor. One of the only roofless buildings in the village, the village church is home to Jack Spratt’s famous and unique ‘Heap Clock’, built to commemorate the coronation of George V in 1911.

Local resident Jack Spratt made it from various bits of scrap metal and describes his work in the poem ‘The Scrap Heap Clockmaker of Wootton Rivers’. Hidden by the trees of the churchyard is the neighboring Manor House, an impressive two-storey thatched farmhouse.

Below the church you will come across a bridge where the canal crosses the Wootton Rivers. On your left is Wootton Rivers Bottom Lock built during the construction of the canal between 1794 and 1810 – and the lock and road bridge are Grade II listed.

Bottom Lock has its own lock, a large white property that was used in the 1980s to film the 80s BBC comedy ‘The River’ starring David Essex. There are three more locks upstream: Heathy Close, Brimslade and Wootton Top Lock.

The canal towpath makes for a lovely circular walk around the village and surrounding countryside. Wootton Rivers is part of Pewsey Vale, located in the North Wessex Downs Area of ​​Outstanding Beauty. What’s more, it’s just a stone’s throw from Savernake Ancient Forest – a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Although there are no shops available in the village, the nearby market town of Marlborough or Pewsey offer a whole range of shopping experiences and are both only a few miles away.