Post Tagged with: "historical interest"

The walkmeter link map is a little skewed as I forgot to turn the GPS off as I started driving home! Oops. Just ignore anything after the 5 mile marker.

A great little walk for any visitors to Bath as it starts and ends at the bus/train station. There are a couple of steep hills which will reward you with some terrific views of the city.

This was a lovely walk with a good mix of landscape starting from Kilmersdon and quickly joining Colliers Way which still has a surprising amount of the old railway track. Much of the trackside is lined with apple trees and legend has it that these were grown when passengers on the trains threw their apple cores out of the window. The walk then headed for the grounds of Ammerdown House with its impressive column – this originally had a viewing space at the top. This is no longer accessible but the views would have been spectacular if you could manage the climb. After a brief lunch stop to take in the views it was back to Kilmersdon.

It didn’t rain today but rain never seemed far away.

Westbury White Horse – A 5.9 mile walk starting and ending at the White Horse car park.

The walk started from the Westbury White Horse car park and went past the old chalk quarry and skirted Imber Range – no firing today! The mostly level walk from high ground gave wonderful long distance views. Paragliders and kite flyers were taking advantage of the wind. Animal highlights included a Peregrine Falcon, skylarks, very woolly brown sheep and shaggy ponies – and, of course, the White Horse. An avenue of Beech trees provided the ideal setting for coffee and Easter Eggs!

map

undulating fields

Pensford and Stanton Drew via the Forest of Avon Community Forest Path

A largely level walk starting from Pensford through Upper Stanton Drew and onward to Stanton Drew to walk around the Stone Circle. Saw a wide variety of animals  – a lovely litter of pigs on the Free Range pork farm, friendly donkeys, rather unfriendly goats and some rather large bulls. Walked past the remnants of the coal industry although the winding house and the bath house are now private residences. The return route to Pensford was under the very impressive viaduct. The fields were being planted with this years crops and with the fine weather they will hopefully do well.

In case the squealing didn’t give you a hint

piggy dinner time

Happy pigs

A circular walk north of Bath starting and ending at Lansdown park-and-ride.

The walk started from Lansdown Park and Ride, through the race course and on through the battlefields. It then skirted Pipley Woods before heading for Prospect Stile with clear views beyond Kelston Roundhill. Although there was a biting wind at times it was a lovely clear, sunny day which gave views across Bristol to South Wales (just) and the Second Severn Crossing.

Kelston Round Hill

The Battle of Lansdown – battle marker and information display

cold winter valley

Animal highlight of the day – a shaggy roe deer:

male roe deer

Pipley Wood

Mud, mud, glorious mud ..

A picnic stop with views of Bristol, the Severn Crossing and the Welsh mountains (just!)

Bristol flypast

If you are in need of refreshment the Blathwayt Arms is the nearest pub

The Blathwayt Arms

From the centre of Bath out to the Cotswolds countryside and back again.

This was very much a Town and Country walk with plenty of hills thrown in for good measure. The walk started from Victoria Park and went up through the north side of the city via St James Square and Lansdown Crescent. A brief stop at St Stephen’s Millenium Green and allotments before proceeding through Fairfield Park and into the parish of Charlcombe. A rest in the parish church grounds before returning via Primrose Hill and the Cotswold Way to the Royal Crescent. Sadly it was somewhat misty but the views across the city still inspired.

Rode

This walk started from the village green in Rode and went through lovely gentle countryside with good views. The River Frome meandered along and looked very peaceful. One interesting feature is Tellisford Mill – a micro hydro power station on the river. There were a lot of pheasants both wandering free and in their pens. Long before Rode was reached at the end of the walk there were views of the village church which has two spires. The walk back through the village passed a chocolate factory – a good excuse for a return visit!

You can read some more details of this walk in Nigel Vile’s column in the Chronicle – click here for that

Old Sodbury

This very pleasant spring walk started from the Church in Old Sodbury and went along parts of the Cotswold Way, Frome Valley Walkway, Monarch’s Way and back onto the Cotswold Way. On the way we saw masses of wild flowers and an assortment of animals. Walking through the Iron Age Fort was fascinating – trying to imagine what it would have been like to live there. The views were far reaching although the cloud did make them somewhat blurred.

The theme of today’s walk was buttercups

fields of golden buttercups

Animal highlights

A very curious Llama

three friendly donkeys

Baby cows

Question for today – can you identify this crop?

wheat or barley?