Monkton Farleigh (Bathscape Walk 8)

Standing on the pavement outside the Kings Arms, keep the pub on your right and walk slightly downhill until you reach an offset crossroads.

Cross the road and turn right, following the sign to Bradford on Avon. You should see a series of roundels on the telegraph pole in front of you. These are for the Bradford on Avon Walking Wheel. Follow the green arrow straight along the pavement, downhill passing the village school. Continue into a 50mph zone, walk for 500m along the pavement enjoying views to the left including Westbury White Horse. Then just beyond the sign for Farleigh Wick look out for a track on your right 1.

Carefully cross the road to take this track. The finger post signs the public right of way diagonally across the field; however, it is easier to take the track straight ahead with a dry-stone wall on your right and then turn left to pass in front of the buildings.

Continue straight ahead, along the edge of the field and slightly downhill. You will have a blackthorn hedge on your right (keep an eye out for white blossoms in early spring and sloes in the autumn).

At the corner of the field pass into a wooded area and immediately bear right as you pass through a gap in a wall. Follow the path straight down and under a bridge. Straight ahead of you there is a stone stile. Note the stone plaque in the wall here showing the wall was repaired by the Cotswolds Voluntary Wardens.

Go over the stile and continue downhill (no longer following the green waymarker), passing through a metal gate half way down and then again where the path pops out onto a minor road. Turn left onto the road and follow it along, enjoying the lush views on your right towards Claverton and the  American Museum. You should be able to see the boats on the canal, where you will soon be walking.

Where the road forks 2 take the most right-hand option, passing a sign which says ‘No pedestrian or vehicular access to Warleigh Weir’, this takes you through Sheephouse Farm. At the far corner of the buildings turn right to take the footpath down between two fields. Go through a metal gate into a field. This field often has sheep or horses grazing in it so please put dogs on leads. Once in the field, head downhill circumnavigating some brambles to another metal gate on your left to exit the field not far from where you entered.

Follow the path through a wooded area, continuing downhill, until you reach the meadows at the bottom. Keep the river on your right and follow the path all the way along, passing over some little bridges along the way.

When you enter a field, where you can clearly see a building at the other end on a terrace, take the most trodden path across the field towards the left of this building. Once closer you will see the path goes towards the edge of the field to a stile and then up a steep flight of steps. Take the steps and you will pop out quite suddenly on the tow path of the canal. Turn right and walk over Dundas Aqueduct, a scheduled historic monument.

After enjoying the views of the River Avon and the railway as well as the countryside beyond, continue to follow the tow path as it turns right. Soon you will reach a bridge over the canal on your left. To take a break at Angelfish Café, or to visit the Somersetshire Coal Canal Centre, cross the bridge and then turn left, and left again until you are on the opposite side of the aqueduct. Follow signs to find both.

3 To continue, stay on the tow path with the canal on your left for three miles to Bathampton. After about a mile you will pass Claverton Pumping Station and Warleigh Weir. As you walk keep checking the view to your right and you should be able to pick out some of where you have walked so far.

Once you reach Bathampton, there are some playing fields on the left and houses on your right just before a small green with benches on it beyond a white gate on the towpath (which is usually propped open). Unless continuing on to the village to find refreshments, before you reach the green, turn a sharp right alongside the houses. Take the short ‘snicket’ on to Tyning Road and turn right to walk along the back of the houses. Take care as you walk along the road until the road bears right and there is a railway crossing in front of you 4.

Before opening the gate check that the lights are green and then, still ensuring you are safe to do so, cross the tracks quickly and carefully and pass through the gate on the other side. Take the steps down from the tracks and across a lane into a field via a wooden gate. Take the main path though the field, heading to the left of the pylon on the far side. Beyond the pylon pass through the metal gate and onto the path that takes you up and then over the river before meeting the pavement of the A363.

Carefully cross the road to the pavement on the other side and turn right, walking towards the Crow Pub in the distance. Opposite the pub use the crossing point to carefully cross the road. You are now right outside the pub! If you can resist going in, turn right, passing in front of the pub, and then immediately left up Ostlings Lane . Stay on Ostlings Lane as it bears sharply to the left to meet Church Street. Cross the road and head up towards St. Swithun’s Church on the right.

Just before the gates, turn left to take the narrow path that runs along side the churchyard to meet a road at the other end. Cross the road and walk up the pavement of ‘Mountain Wood’ a short distance until it starts to curve left. Look to the right to find the path which is signposted next to a 20mph sign. Walk to the right of the first terrace of houses and as you approach the second terrace, bear right to reach a stile into the field which may contain livestock, so please pop dogs on leads if necessary. Follow the most trodden path diagonally across the field towards woods. Use another stile to enter the woods of Browne’s Folly, an Avon Wildlife Trust owned nature reserve.

Continue straight ahead past the information board uphill into the woods. Where the path forks, take the left-hand fork, and then the next left-hand fork. Cross a track and over a stile into a fenced off area. This has goats grazing in it so please put dogs on a lead. Keep your eyes open for orchids in the spring and summer! Continue on towards the outcrop of rock to reach another crossing path with a waymarker post with a bluecap and labelled 6. Turn right to reach a set of steps on your left in front of a metal gate. Immediately before the gate turn left and climb up the steps to reach the foot of Browne’s Folly, The (Pepperpot) Tower.

Enjoy the views and the information board to the left. When ready, take the path to your right (looking at the tower) and follow it for 300m until you find another Avon Wildlife Trust information board. Just beyond it you will see a path between two dry stone walls. Take this path to a gate, follow the path along the edge of the field, enjoying good views to your right, into a small wooded area. Stay on the main track until you reach a T-junction. Turn right onto another track and keep your eyes peeled for a footpath on your left after 50m.

Turn onto the path which takes you between two fields. Go through the metal gate to continue on this path, with great vistas to your right until you reach a gate with a stile onto a road. Go over the stile, taking care as you are close to the road edge. Turn right and carefully follow the road all the way back into Monkton Farleigh. You will pass the car park to the pub first, and then find the Kings Arms itself. For a short detour, instead of heading straight back to the pub, continue across the road to the next footpath which will lead you to a 14th century Monk’s Conduit, a 2.73m square building built of local limestone. When the footpath meets the road turn right to walk along it back to the start.

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