{"id":22,"date":"2015-11-10T16:32:27","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T16:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2026-06-30T09:14:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T08:14:40","slug":"visitor-information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information","title":{"rendered":"Visitor information"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve<\/strong> meanders for <strong>11\u00bc miles<\/strong> through beautiful countryside and quiet villages between the market town of Tiverton and the hamlet of Lowdwells (near the Somerset border).<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Plan your visit to the Grand Western Canal Country Park using the links below:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/history\"><strong>History<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wild-life\"><strong>Wildlife<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/byelaws-codes-of-conduct-policies-faqs\"><strong>Policies &amp; FAQs<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/how-to-find-us\"><strong>How to Find Us<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/parking\"><strong>Parking<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/visitor-centre\"><strong>Visitor Centre<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/points-of-interest\"><strong>Points of Interest<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/information-for-disabled-visitors\"><strong>Accessibility<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/local-businesses-and-services-2\"><strong>Food &amp; Drink<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\/accommodation\"><strong>Accommodation<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>About the Country Park<\/h3>\n<p>The Grand Western Canal Country Park offers a rich mix of heritage, wildlife, and outdoor recreation along its <strong>11\u00bc miles of flat, surfaced towpath<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Features:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tivertoncanal.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Horse\u2011drawn barge trips<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Caf\u00e9s<\/li>\n<li>Canal\u2011themed play park<\/li>\n<li>Visitor Centre<\/li>\n<li>Boat hire<\/li>\n<li>Marina moorings (non\u2011residential)<\/li>\n<li>Gift shop<\/li>\n<li>Public toilets<\/li>\n<li>Picnic sites<\/li>\n<li>Car parks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Heritage &amp; History<\/h3>\n<p>The canal has a fascinating history spanning over <strong>200 years<\/strong>, with many original structures still in place. Known locally as the <strong>Tiverton Canal<\/strong>, it is perhaps best recognised for the historic horse\u2011drawn barge <em>Tivertonian<\/em>, operated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tivertoncanal.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tiverton Canal Co.<\/a>, which has been offering relaxing trips for over 45 years.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Nature &amp; Conservation<\/h3>\n<p>Owned by <strong>Devon County Council<\/strong>, the canal is managed by the Ranger Service as both a <strong>Country Park and Local Nature Reserve<\/strong>. It supports a wide range of habitats, including woodland, hedgerows, open water, and ponds\u2014providing an important haven for wildlife.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Things to See &amp; Do<\/h3>\n<p>Visitors can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Discover the canal\u2019s past in the <strong>interactive Visitor Centre<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Enjoy family time at the <strong>canal\u2011themed play park<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Walk, run, or cycle along the <strong>level towpath<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Relax at one of the many <strong>picnic spots<\/strong> or benches (over 150 installed throughout the park)<\/li>\n<li>Take part in popular water activities such as <strong>boating, canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Enjoy <strong>angling<\/strong>, particularly well known for summer tench fishing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Please note: Permits must be purchased in advance for water-based activities.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Accessibility &amp; Getting Around<\/h3>\n<p>We aim to make the Country Park as accessible and easy to explore as possible:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The majority of the <strong>towpath is flat, wide, and well\u2011surfaced<\/strong>, suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, bicycles, and pushchairs<\/li>\n<li>The canal has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information-2\/points-of-interest\"><strong>numerous access points<\/strong><\/a>, with car parks and lay\u2011bys located along its length<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accessible parking<\/strong> is available at key locations<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step\u2011free access<\/strong> is provided at many entry points, although some areas may vary depending on terrain<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Visitor Centre and key facilities<\/strong> are designed with accessibility in mind<\/li>\n<li>Over <strong>150 benches<\/strong> are installed throughout the park, offering regular places to rest<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re visiting for a short stroll or a full day out, the canal is easy to explore at your own pace, with plenty of opportunities to stop, rest, and enjoy the surroundings.<\/p>\n<p>To help plan your visit:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/thingstodo\"><strong>Things to Do<\/strong><\/a> section on our website<\/li>\n<li>View the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/country-park-map\"><strong>Country Park map<\/strong><\/a> online<\/li>\n<li>Pick up a <strong>Visitor Guide<\/strong> from the Visitor Centre on arrival<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve meanders for 11\u00bc miles through beautiful countryside and quiet villages between the market town of Tiverton and the hamlet of Lowdwells (near the Somerset border). Plan your visit to the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/visitor-information\" aria-label=\"Continue reading Visitor information\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":920,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-22 00:49:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3706,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions\/3706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/grandwesterncanal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}