Plan Your Visit - Crofton Beam Engines

What to see at Crofton Beam Engines – 2026 Season

Crofton Beam Engines, Crofton, Nr Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW.
Telephone: 01672 870300
What3Words: ///builds.wiser.exploring Is our site entrance location.
E-mail: crofton@katrust.org.uk

Private Group Tours 2026

Throughout the year we offer private group tours via prior arrangement on selected days of the week. A group is a minimum of 8 people.

£8.50 per person, includes tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival.

For more information or to book a visit, please contact us.

How to Find Us

Crofton Beam Engines is located in rural North East Wiltshire between the villages of Great Bedwyn and Burbage, approximately six miles south of Marlborough. Please see the map below, our full postal address, and the detailed directions on this page.

Public access to the site on open days is by the main entrance or lower canal entrance at Lock 60.

By Road

From Marlborough: take the A346 southbound to the left turning signposted Burbage. Follow the road (High Street, Burbage) until the left turn into Taskers Lane which becomes Eastcourt Road. At the fork in the road take the road left signposted Crofton (Wolfhall Road), past the dairy farm. Continue ¾ mile until the canal crossing bridge where you will see a brown tourist sign pointing left. Crofton Beam Engines is approximately 300 yards with the car park on the left.

From Salisbury: take the A338 to Burbage roundabout. Take the second road off the roundabout past the petrol station and follow Burbage High Street until the right turn into Taskers Lane which becomes Eastcourt Road. At the fork in the road take the road left signposted Crofton (Wolfhall Road), past the dairy farm. Continue ¾ mile until the canal crossing bridge where you will see a brown tourist sign pointing left. Crofton Beam Engines is approximately 300 yards with the car park on the left.

From the A4 and Hungerford via Great Bedwyn: Crofton Beam Engines is signposted at Great Bedwyn village centre. Drive along Church Street past the Post Office to the right and St Mary’s Church to the left. At the end of Church Street turn right (don’t go over the canal bridge) and then follow Crofton Road for about 1 mile past the houses of the hamlet of Crofton. Crofton Beam Engines is approximately 600 yards with the car park to the right. THIS IS THE BEST ROUTE FOR LARGE VEHICLES AND COACHES

From Andover and Ludgershall via East Grafton: Take the A346 to the right turning for Wexcombe and carry on the road (Fair Mile) to the junction with the A338 signposted East Grafton. Continue to the East Grafton turning right into Dark Lane. Follow Dark Lane about 1 mile before turning sharp right over the canal bridge into Crofton Road where you will see a brown tourist sign. Crofton Beam Engines is approximately 300 yards further with the car park to the left. DARK LANE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR LARGE VEHICLES OR COACHES.

Vehicle Parking

There is a tarmacked and bay-marked chargeable Pay and Display car park at Crofton Beam Engines with 32 spaces for cars, 2 accessible spaces and a bay for motorcycles. The car park is closed when the site is closed.

No overnight parking is allowed . Our Pay and Display car park is open for visitors during the Pumping Station opening hours. The car park gates will be locked 30 minutes after the site closes.

On large steaming and other event days ample additional parking is available in the adjacent field, accessible via the short track to opposite the main gate. The grass surface of this parking area may not be suitable for all vehicles and use is at the driver’s discretion and risk.

Coach Parking: there is normally space for 1 x full-size coach by prior arrangement for specific directions and assistance. Alternatively, for passenger drop-offs we can provide details of parking areas in the neighbouring area which again can be arranged in advance.

By Canal

There is boat mooring in the Engine Pound of the Canal, just by Lock 60.

Please note there are no pump out facilities here, but there is a drinking water tap and a rubbish disposal point. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/crofton. Access to the site is then as per the On Foot information below.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is Bedwyn. www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/BDW/details.html For timetable and fares information please see: www.nationalrail.co.uk. From Bedwyn Station the best way to reach Crofton Beam Engines is on foot walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath (signposted from the station) until Canal Lock 60. Then follow the ‘On Foot directions’. Walk time approximately 30-40 minutes.

By Cycle

Crofton Beam Engines is directly on National Cycle Route 4. For an interactive map and route planner, please see https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map. Cycles may be parked on site and a designated cycle parking area is scheduled for completion later in 2020.

On Foot

Crofton can be accessed on foot via the road from Great Bedwyn or Burbage. Alternatively, you can walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath to the bridge at Sam Farmer Lock (no 58) and then take the road around to the main entrance or cross the canal at Lock 60 and enter site under the railway from the lower canal entrance.