Bath to Bradford on Avon

Tuesday

Following our completion of the Cotswold Way, we walked out to our B&B, the Abbey Rectory, along the roads. It felt quite a long way. However the Abbey Rectory is very well placed for the canal, and fortuitously we noticed diversion signs from the canal (as a result of towpath repairs) so we knew that we wouldn't be able to walk the whole way along the towpath. We walked back into Bath for dinner in the evening and, on a whim, followed a sign back to the canal near Sydney Gardens. There were cyclists and joggers heading in the direction of the City Centre, so it seemed a reasonable assumption that we would be able to walk along the canal in this direction, and we did! The route took us through short tunnels underneath Sydney Gardens, then along a bustling section of canal to the series of locks by which the canal descends to its junction with the River Avon. At Bath Deep Lock (formed from two locks when the canal was restored) the towpath appeared to disappear and we emerged onto a road and that was the end of our walk alongside the canal for today; I later discovered that we could - apparently - cross to the other side of the canal and so continue the final short distance to the canal's junction with the river. Meanwhile, we turned right onto Pulteney Road, then onto North Parade Road, which took us across the river and into the City Centre. We had a lovely meal at the Peking Chinese Restaurant, then returned to the Abbey Rectory by road.

Wednesday

The Abbey Rectory had been a superb B&B and, knowing that we had a short and easy walk today, we had a leisurely start, enjoying our breakfast of Eggs Benedict and then chatting to the owner about their renovation of the house and the trials and tribulations of using Trip Advisor. Their rating has dropped recently and they don't know why; it really doesn't make sense! If you want a B&B in the Bath area, I would very highly recommend The Abbey Rectory [though in 2019 I can't find mention of it]. It was around 9.45 am when we left, and we walked down Trossachs Drive and then right onto Warminster Road, with good views across the valley to Batheaston. We knew that we couldn't get down to the canal immediately because of renovation work on the towpath, but we weren't sure how soon we would be able to return to the canal. We turned left off the main road towards Bathampton and soon the diversion signposts led us back to the towpath. Hurrah! After a short distance we came to the George Inn and Bathampton Church, plus some more workmen by the canal (easily negotiated) and a woman looking for a toilet!

From here we were apparently heading away from civilisation, through open countryside with the river and the railway line to our left and the A36, on the edge of Claverton Down (home of Bath University), to our right. We had expected a cold day, with showers, but as we walked along the towpath we got quite warm and at one stage we took off our fleeces. Inevitably the sun then went in, so we put our fleeces back on. This pattern continued all day.

After a few miles we reached the impressive Dundas Aqueduct, built around 1800 to carry the canal over the River Avon. We crossed to the opposite towpath and walked past old canal buildings and a crane, and the junction with the Somerset Coal Canal. We crossed the river and railway on the aqueduct and were then in a lovely woodland section, with moorings for houseboats (as there were most of the way along the canal - I just happen to remember these).

A mile further on and we left the canal and walked across the river and up to the Hop Pole Inn in the village of Limpley Stoke. By careful dawdling, we had reached our lunch spot almost exactly at midday, and we had a pleasant break.

After lunch we returned to the canal and walked on to the Avoncliff Aqueduct (also built around 1800) where we crossed the River Avon for a second time and left the canal for another adventure. We had seen the village of Westwood up on the hill to our right and we now set off up Avoncliff to Westwood Manor, about a kilometre from the canal, up a steep hill. There was initially a pleasant path up through trees, but further from the valley our attempt to follow a footpath landed us in a housing estate and then on the road through the village, but too far to the east. We could see the Manor House across fields to the south, but there was not an obvious path to it, so we walked around by road.

Westwood Manor, built in the 15th Century with later additions, is one of the National Trust's smaller properties, but it is delightful and definitely worth the detour to visit it. Tenants live in the house and that's one of the things that make it special. After looking around the house, imagining what it must be like to live there (and having to hide your 21st Century possessions away each day it is opened) we explored the small garden, with topiary, then returned to the Avoncliff Aqueduct by road. There is a cafe and tea garden ("No 10 Tea Gardens") here, but it wasn't open; the pub ("The Cross Guns") was open but we didn't stop.

We continued along the canal to the town of Bradford on Avon. We left the canal by impressive (and free) 14th Century Tithe Barn and then went in search of a cup of tea. It was surprisingly difficult to find a suitable cafe which was open, but the Pavillion Cafe next to the Tourist Information Centre did the necessary.

We'd had some difficulty booking accommodation in the Bradford on Avon area, and Richard had eventually booked us into Beeches Farmhouse, about a mile out of the town on the B3107 heading east. In terms of distance this was not a problem at all (both today's and tomorrow's walks were short) but the pavement ran out half a mile or so short of the farm, and walking along the busy road was scary. Beeches Farmhouse describes itself as having "farmyard" accommodation and we were in the Potato Shed!; the owners were out so we let ourselves into our little cottage. The accommodation was fine, though it was all a bit tired looking and the wifi didn't work. The owner appeared at the door to offer us a difficult breakfast time (we stuck with what we'd asked for) and we told him about the wifi; he really didn't seem very interested. I'd emphasise that there wasn't really anything wrong with the place, but it was nowhere as good as the Trip Adviser rating and reviews would indicate. Then we spotted that they offer money off a subsequent visit if you give then a 5* review. Naughty, naughty. After this experience and that reported by the owners of Abbey Rectory this morning, I'm right off Trip Advisor.