|
SWC (Free) Walks
Walk 6 : Bradford-on-Avon to Bath
Follow the tranquil Kennet and Avon Canal through a pretty valley between the historic towns of Bradford-upon-Avon and Bath
| Length | 9 miles
|
|---|
| Toughness | 2 out of 10
|
|---|
| Maps |
|
|---|
| Features |
This lovely and very easy walks starts in the beautiful historic town of Bradford-upon-Avon, and follows the Kennet and Avon canal through a beautiful valley, crossing the river Avon twice on aqueducts. The walk finishes in Bath.
|
|---|
| Walk Options |
Longer Alterntives
- You could carry on along the canal, or a cyclepath along a disused railway line, all the way to Bristol.
- You can do the walk in reverse, starting at Bath, and continue along the canal
|
|---|
| Transport - By Train |
Bradford-on-Avon has a train service from both London Paddington (2 hrs 15, change at Bath) and London Waterloo (2 hrs 30 to 3 hrs, direct or change at Salisbury)
Bath has a fast (1 hr 30 mins, direct) train service from London Paddington, and a much slower one from London Waterloo (2 hrs 30 mins, direct or change at Salisbury).
However, there are problems: 1) these stations are outside the Netword Card area, which makes the journey more expensive, and 2) the tickets on the fast trains from Paddington are much more
expensive than the slower ones from Waterloo
Travel by the fastest route: out via either Waterloo or Paddington, return to Paddington.
- Book a week or 2 in advance, and get "Advance" tickets. These are sold as one-way singles, and are about £10 each, so £20 return.
- Travel in a group of 4, and use the GroupSave promotion, and travel for half price, about £24 each.
- Its £47 is you buy a "return via Paddington" ticket on the day.
Travel by the cheapest route: out and back from Waterloo via Salisbury.
- The cheapest route for buying tickets on the day is out and back from Waterloo. The return journey especially is longer, but much cheaper at £28 return.
Consider doing the walk in reverse, if the train times are more convenient
|
|---|
| Transport - By Car |
About 2 hrs 15 mins from London. There is a car park at Bradford-upon-Avon train station, and a free visitors car-park by the canal. Return to your car by direct train, about 10 mins.
If making a weekend of it, Bristol, Avebury and Glastonbury are nearby.
|
|---|
| History |
- Both Bath and Bradford-upon-Avon are both major tourist attractions. Both are well worth seeing.
- Kennet and Avon Canal
|
|---|
| Saturday Walkers Club |
Publicise the walk 3 weeks in advance to allow advance tickets to be purchased. Take the fastest train after 9am from either Waterloo or Paddington.
|
|---|
| Lunch | There are several pubs and tea rooms en-route.
|
|---|
Walking Instructions
This is a very easy to follow walk, just follow the canal! (NB not the river - there is an River Avon walkway for much of the route as well)
Bradford-upon-Avon station to Avoncliffe Aqueduct
[See Map 1]
- Exit Bradford-upon-Avon station, walk to your right, past the car park, to the road junction.
- Optionally Turn Left to explore the town, but to continue the main walk, Turn Right.
- Continue for 200 meters. Pass Pound Lane, and then a park, on your right hand side.
- Just before the hump back bridge over the canal, veer right on a small road. Follow it for 20 meters to the canal towpath. There are 2 pubs here.
- Turn right along the canal, and then follow the towpath, with the canal on your left hand side.
- After 3 km/2 miles, just past a pub, you come to an aqueduct (a bridge carrying the canal), from which you can see Avoncliff Station and a weir.
- Just before the aqueduct, cross under the canal to the other side, and continue on in the same direction, but now on the other bank of the canal.
Avoncliffe Aqueduct to the Canal Junction
[See Map 2]
- After 2km/1.5 miles, Feshford Station is visible on the other side of the Valley
- After 2 km/1.5 miles, the canal crosses back over the river at Dundas Aqueduct, and you come to a canal T junction.
- Turn left for a pub, but to continue, cross over the canal, and turn right towards Bath.
Canal Junction to Bath
[See Maps 3 and 4]
- Follow the canal for 3.5km/2 miles, you reach Bathampton, which has a riverside pub.
- After 2 km/1.5 miles, the towpath goes under a fine house.
- This is close to Bath town centre.
- Turn right at this point for a shortcut into the town centre.
- After 1 km/0.7 miles, the canal come into the open again. The river is visible below to the right, and the train station becomes
visible on the other side of the river.
- Keep following the canal towpath, crossing over a few roads, and passing some locks.
- Leave the canal just before it finaly joins the river.
- Walk up to the road, and take the footbridge over the river towards the station.
- Walk through a tunnel (beneath the platforms), and Bath station entrance is on your left hand side.
|
