Glastonbury from Reading?

[pix]

Hello, does anyone know if it is possible to navigate from Reading to Glastonbury?  Or how far could I get?  Can anyone recommend a good place to find maps of rivers and canals so I could work it out?  Many thanks. 

[Graham Davis]

Welcome.
I'm afraid that Glastonbury is NOT on a canal. The nearest canal would be the Kennet & Avon, around Bath.

[blackrose]

Reading to Bath only takes about 6 or 7 days by boat with over 120 locks and swing bridges. I met a filthy old tramp who was walking to Bath while I was going along the K&A. I would overtake him and then he'd catch me up and pass me at the locks. Eventually we got chatting and I stopped and made him a cup of tea and gave him a banana and some biscuits. Overall it's quicker to walk.

[GUMPY]

Surely it should be Glastonbury to Reading as Glastonbury festival is in June and Reading festival is in August.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Graham Davis said:

Welcome.
I'm afraid that Glastonbury is NOT on a canal. The nearest canal would be the Kennet & Avon, around Bath.

The nearest canal would be the Bridgewater Taunton canal. Nip out at Bristol and round the coast...

[Graham Davis]

43 minutes ago, matty40s said:

The nearest canal would be the Bridgewater Taunton canal. Nip out at Bristol and round the coast...

Can you get onto the canal from the river? I thought the lock was no longer in use, so you'd need a crane to lift you over it.

[Peter X]

53 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Surely it should be Glastonbury to Reading as Glastonbury festival is in June and Reading festival is in August.

My guess is that the OP is looking to avoid the crowds.

[nbfiresprite]

It is possable to get to within 3 miles of Glastonbury with a rowing boat or canoe from Highbridge on the coast through the maze of channels and along parts of the old Glastonbury canal. but needs to be light weight so to be carried round blockages.  It took 2 days to travel the 14 miles back in 81.

[pix]

Many thanks.  I'd heard that small boats could do it from Highbridge, so it's really small boats then! The Taunton and Bridgewater option sounds interesting.  I think I might need a bit more experience before I encounter tidal water though  

[magpie patrick]

6 hours ago, Graham Davis said:

Can you get onto the canal from the river? I thought the lock was no longer in use, so you'd need a crane to lift you over it.

Spot on Graham.- no you can't. Entrance lock was opened sometime in the 80s and  closed again about six weeks later due (IIRC) to saline intrusion up the canal 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Do it in a few years time when sea level rise floods the Somerset Levels.

[nbfiresprite]

On 06/05/2019 at 20:14, magpie patrick said:

Spot on Graham.- no you can't. Entrance lock was opened sometime in the 80s and  closed again about six weeks later due (IIRC) to saline intrusion up the canal 

More a case of the lock gates being forced open by the incoming tide.