With the daytime sun now stretching deep into the evening hours, locals and visitors alike may take the opportunity to explore several stunning Bradford on Avon walks.
Rich in beautiful countryside, period architecture and with several routes straddling the River Avon, the Wiltshire town offers plenty for those looking for a destination, or sightseeing ramble.
The town is near picturesque villages such as Avoncliff and Freshford, and well within walking distance of Bath, offering explorers myriad options with which to populate their summer walks.
Below, we have picked out a few of our favourites and included some useful information on what to wear, where to park, and each route’s difficulty level.
Avoncliff Circular
Good to know before you go
- Distance: 3.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Terrain: Mostly flat towpath, some grass verges.
- Parking: Avoncliff’s train station has ample parking spaces.
- Our favourite feature: The Cross Guns pub, Avoncliff
This route offers a comfortable stroll alongside the beautiful Kennet and Avon canal. As explorers ease their way to the picturesque village of Avoncliff, they’ll be accompanied by beautiful countryside views to their right, and lush woodland beyond the water to their left.
The canal is home to a variety of narrowboats and offers a glimpse into life on the water. Once in Avoncliff, there’s a pub and a café to offer refreshment from your walk, and the splendid Avoncliff Aqueduct to take in before retracting your steps back to Bradford on Avon.
Barton Farm Country Park
Good to know before you go
- Distance: 4.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Terrain: Flat towpath with some uneven grassland and verges.
- Parking: Bradford on Avon’s train station has ample paid parking spaces.
- Our favourite feature: Dundas Aqueduct
Barton Farm is a perfect starting point for several Bradford on Avon walks, with its charming scenery, shops, children’s play area and historic Tithe Barn.
Dog walkers in particular will enjoy the country park, which blends fields and the river with the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath. Extending past Avoncliff, walkers will marvel at the spectacular Dundas Aqueduct and be tempted by a spot of freshwater swimming in the Warleigh Weir.
Hunkypunks and Shrapnel
Good to know before you go
- Distance: 5.6 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: Mostly flat paths and grass, several stiles
- Parking: Bradford on Avon’s train station has ample paid parking spaces.
- Our favourite feature: St Mary’s Church
If history is more your thing, this circular route encompasses both stunning scenery and some of the town’s more historic buildings.
The terrain is variable, with farmland, towpaths and even a garden to navigate, however, this path makes for an interesting jaunt, with sights including Midway Manor, the home of Henry Shrapnel (investor of the cannonball) and St Mary’s Church with its ‘Hunkypunks’.
Bath via the Two Tunnels
Good to know before you go
- Distance: 10.8 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: Mostly flat towpath, some grass verges.
- Parking: Bradford on Avon’s train station has ample paid parking spaces.
- Our favourite feature: Beautiful Avon Valley views
Extending on from the Avoncliff Circular, ramblers of greater ambition may consider this Bradford on Avon canal walk through to the historic city of Bath. In addition to the glorious scenery, there are plenty of stop-offs along the way, including Limpley Stoke, Monkton Coombe and, eventually, Bathampton.
The route is frequented by cyclists but has more than enough room to facilitate, and offers extensive views across the Kennet and Avon canal and its bustling wildlife.
The footsteps of William Smith
Good to know before you go
- Distance: 13.5 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: A mixture of roads and fields, mostly flat but with
- Parking: Bradford on Avon’s train station has ample paid parking spaces.
- Our favourite feature: William Smith monument
One of the more challenging Bradford on Avon walks, this route visits sites related to William Smith, the man dubbed the ‘Father of English Geology’.
Bradford on Avon walks Summary
Taking in the wider area’s gorgeous countryside and villages, including Farleigh Hungerford and Hinton Charterhouse, this walk includes visiting a rock strata monument dedicated to the man himself, highlighting his life’s work in the field of geology.
For more information on Bradford on Avon and the surrounding areas, please contact the team at Cobb Farr today.
