Back of Bath, Saturday 10th January

Today there were 26 of us, at my last count, which makes this the largest number of people I have led on a walk, and possibly the largest number we have had on a walk for quite some time.

The weather was fantastic, despite being quite a cold start. Everybody had a really good time, and were quite vocal in telling me so, which is encouraging for anyone leading a walk. Many of us had not been down certain parts of the route before, and so got to see parts of Bath we never really knew existed.

Our route started between the bus and train stations and took us immediately over the Ha’penny Bridge at the back of the train station. From there, we went along the river as far as Pulteney Bridge before disappearing into some backstreets and emerging in Henrietta Park. Shortly after that, we found ourselves in front of the Holburne Museum, where we entered Sydney Gardens.

Interestingly, the Great Western Railway and the Kennet & Avon Canal both run right through the middle of Sydney Gardens, and you would never know unless you look for them. The park predates both of these. I think you would have difficulty getting planning permission nowadays for such an arrangement.

Having left Sydney Gardens and crossed the Warminster Road, we took a fairly obscure footpath through a relatively new housing area as far as the North Park Path, which is off Holburne Park (which is a road). This path had a number of exercise stations along the way, which people, very sensibly, did not attempt to use. From there we proceeded along the canal towpath as far as the next bridge, where we turned off to enter Bathampton Meadows.

This was potentially the muddiest part of the walk, but the ground was still frozen, so no-one got muddy. Unfortunately, one of our number did manage to slip over on the ice, but they were able to continue the walk OK.

The last part of the walk took us back along the canal towpath, through Sydney Gardens and beyond.

One feature that many people knew, but didn’t know its history, is Cleveland House, which is built over the top of the canal (picture below).

It was built as the headquarters of the Kennet & Avon canal company, and was one of Europe’s first purpose-built office buildings. It is now a private residence, though it was taken over by the MOD during the Second World War.

Finally, we went down past the Widcombe Lock Flight and on to where the canal joins the river. We ended the walk along the river as far as the Churchill Footbridge, which we would have crossed had it not been closed, so we crossed at the road bridge.

For anyone wishing to do this walk for themselves, we hope the map and the description above gives you all the information you need.