This is one of our most familiar walks. It’s become a tradition to lead this route as the first one of the year with Bath Ramblers (you can see details in previous posts here, here and here. I’m pretty sure we did it in 2019 too but strangely there’s no write-up.) We are used to seeing it bare and chilly so it had quite a different feel overgrown with July foliage. The path through the nature reserve was clear though and the tracks were not too muddy considering the recent rains.
Sadly there were no goats around this time – unless they were hiding in the summer bushes.The view of the trees on Freezinghill Lane is completely obscured in the summer.Old carvings in the tower wallThis is our usual lunch stop The Cotswold Wardens do a great job keeping our walls and stiles in good orderA spooky old tree, very fitting for Sally in the Woodssummer trees
The Ramblers are still not organising group walks in this area but keep an eye on the website and hopefully things should get going again soon!
Well it’s been a while for obvious reasons but we finally got out for a walk. This is part of the Bradford-on-Avon walking wheel which consists of an inner and outer circle connected by 8 radiating ‘spokes’. The inner circle is 5.7 miles and takes in the outskirts of BoA town. You can buy a laminated map of the whole wheel at BoA library or tourist information. The routes are marked very well by colour co-ordinated markers on lamp-posts etc.
A lovely spring day for a walk which involved lots of hills giving clear and far reaching views. The walk started from Upper Swainswick and took in much of the Upper Lambrook Valley. The village of Woolley has an interesting church (Grade 1 listed) built by John Wood the Younger with an unusual cupola as shown in the photo below. After a few more hills and fields it was across the A46 where there were good views of St Catherine’s Valley and Monkswood reservoir. The walk then continued across Charmy Down – a former RAF station with its many abandoned buildings hinting at a bygone age – and back under the A46 to the start.
This walk started from Hartley Farm and went through Turleigh then down to the canal at Avoncliffe. The canal was a really peaceful spot for a brief coffee break. Then it was uphill through Murhill to Winsley and back to Hartley Farm via Conkwell. It was a lovely day of welcome autumn sunshine and the trees were in their full autumn colour against the clear blue sky.
This walk started from Larkhall Sports Club and went round the edge of Charlcombe before heading up to Woolley with its attractive church and interesting graveyard and then on to Upper Swainswick. The return was via a footpath alongside but above the A46 and back through Lower Swainswick. There were several steep climbs which gave excellent views of the city and surrounding countryside.
A lovely sunny Easter Sunday morning for a walk which started at Swineford before a gentle climb to Upton Cheyney and down to Bitton. After crossing the main road the path went through a grove, which was a good place for lunch, and down to the River Avon for the return to Swineford. It was interesting to note the old boat building (now repair) premises on the edge of Keynsham and the number of boats on the river.
Although this wasn’t new it is the sort of walk where there is something different to spot each time. The changing seasons really do make a difference and this time the quarry was much more visible without the leaf cover on the trees. The wild garlic was everywhere and the Hart’s Tongue Ferns were looking splendid amongst the mossy growth along the stream. Another difference was a large herd of cows in a field which has not had them in before – fortunately they were more interested in chewing the cud than worrying the walkers.
The satellite view of the map shows the immensity of the quarry
This is a walk we’ve done several times before – you can see previous write-ups here and here
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.
Thank you for visiting Bath Ramblings. Here you will find information and photos from a variety of walks around the South West. Most of these walks are organized by the Bath Ramblers – find out more on the ‘about’ page.
The maps are meant as a rough guide, if you click on the ‘walkmeter’ buttons on each post you can get more information including a satellite map.
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