Going for a walk
  • Going for a Walk
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    • Kennet & Avon Canal Walk >
      • Reading to Calcot
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    • Grand Union Canal Walk >
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Kennet & Avon Canal Walk
​

Picture
Avoncliff
Picture
Dundas Aqueduct

Bradford-on-Avon to Bath

PictureDundas Aqueduct and Great Western Train
Friday 28 December 2018   
​      
​        Although the day started off grey and misty, I was hopeful that the sun would soon emerge. A walk between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is just what’s needed to burn off excess calories and get body and mind back in shape. Walking along the Kennet & Avon Canal seemed a good choice on this short winter’s day because of the good path, easy to follow route, and the bright lights of Bath that would be ready to guide me to my destination. Trains were running normally and I soon arrived in Bradford-on-Avon,
          Before resuming the towpath walk, I made time to wander around the attractive town with the River Avon at its centre. The sun tried to make an appearance but the fog persisted well into the afternoon. Back on the canal towpath I joined many other people (and dogs), old and young, enjoying a walk and fresh air after the Christmas indulgences. I soon reached Avoncliff and, after crossing the river Avon on the impressive aqueduct, the walk continued between canal and river. I stopped for a short lunch break on a bench with a view across the Avon valley and soon after arrived at another, equally impressive aqueduct (Dundas). After crossing the River Avon again, I followed a sign to the Angelfish Café. Having walked briskly for the last couple of hours, I was more than ready for a cappuchino. Then, as I was leaving Dundas Aqueduct and Wharf, the sun, at last, made a welcome appearance and I could tell by their singing that the birds appreciated the late sunlight just as much as me.
          Soon I approached Bathampton and then Bath itself. The scenery changed subtly as the hills of the Cotswolds came into view on the other side of the River Avon. I was daydreaming about walking in those hills, perhaps ‘doing’ the Cotswold Way. The sun now started setting and it gradually got darker as I followed the canal into the centre of Bath. I ended the walk by the Abbey and Roman Baths. The abbey square and surrounding area were busy with tourists enjoying the festive atmosphere – the shops were still open, and restaurants started filling up. It was too late in the day for me to visit any of the attractions of this lovely city but I made a promise to myself that I would join a walking tour on my return in the not too distant future, before resuming the walk to Bristol.

​My highlights:
  • Avoncliff Aqueduct
  • Dundas Aqueduct and Wharf
  • Locks and Bridges in Bath
Wildlife:
  • Birds, including a friendly heron
  • Swans, coots, moorhens, geese and ducks
  • Cows, sheep and horses
Useful information
Transport:
  • Train Reading to Bradford-on-Avon (changing at Bath)
  • Return: train Bath to Reading
Refreshments:
  • Bradford-on-Avon
  • Avoncliff Aqueduct
  • Angelfish Café, near Dundas Aqueduct
  • Bath
Picture
Blue Sky at last!
Picture
Dusk in Bath
Click here for more photos from this walk
Click here for Section 10: Bristol to Avonmouth (Section 9: Bath to Bristol yet to be walked)
  • Going for a Walk
  • National Trails
    • The Thames Path
    • North Downs Way
  • Long Distance Paths
    • The Capital Ring
    • Wayfarers Walk
    • The London Loop
    • The Three Castles Path
    • The Great Stones Way
    • The Vanguard Way
  • Canal Walks
    • Kennet & Avon Canal Walk >
      • Reading to Calcot
      • Calcot to Woolhampton
      • Woolhampton to Hungerford
      • Hungerford to Great Bedwyn
      • Great Bedwyn to Pewsey Wharf
      • Pewsey to Devizes
      • Devizes to Bradford-on-Avon
      • Bradford-on-Avon to Bath
    • Grand Union Canal Walk >
      • Brentford to West Drayton
      • West Drayton to Croxley Green
      • Croxley Green to Berkhamsted
      • Berkhamsted to Leighton Buzzard
  • Rambles
    • Lockdown Walks
  • Further Afield
    • Switzerland
    • France >
      • Avignon
    • Gran Canaria
    • La Palma
    • Turkey >
      • Lycian Way
  • Photo Gallery
    • Thames Path Photos 1
    • Thames Path Photos 2
    • Thames Path Photos 3
    • Thames Path Photos 4
    • Thames Path Photos 5
    • North Downs Way Photos 1
    • North Downs Way Photos 2
    • Kennet & Avon Canal Walk Photos 1
    • Kennet & Avon Canal Photos 2
    • Three Castles Path Photos
    • Wayfarers Walk Photos 1
    • Wayfarers Walk Photos 2
    • Grand Union Canal Walk Photos 1
    • Vanguard Way Photos
    • Gran Canaria Photos
    • Avignon Photos
    • Lycian Way Photos