This five-mile walk on Bath’s eastern edge blends city and countryside, uncovering hidden Georgian buildings, lost pleasure gardens, and scenic views, offering a unique glimpse into the city’s history and its natural beauty, says Andrew Swift.
As winter slowly yields to spring, getting out into the open air starts to seem a good deal more appealing, and this five mile walk on the eastern edge of the city, where town meets country, may be just the thing to blow the cobwebs away. En route, it also takes in some of Bath’s least known Georgian buildings, along with two parks, three lost pleasure gardens and a lost spa, before a stiff climb leads to a bird’s-eye view of the city only visible before the trees are in full leaf.
Starting in the city centre, head east across Pulteney Bridge and, when you reach Laura Place, turn left along Henrietta Street. Partway along, turn right through an archway into Henrietta Mews, and carry on, with Henrietta Park on your left. There should have been a grand square here – Frances Square, around four times larger than Queen Square – but the money ran out and a park was decided on instead.
At the end, cross to carry on past the Pulteney Arms along Daniel Street. Turn left at the end, cross at the pedestrian lights a few metres along and head straight on along a footpath. Turn right into redbrick Powlett Road and left at the end. On your left once stood Bathwick Villa, an ornate Gothic-style building surrounded by pleasure gardens. It was demolished in 1897 but ornaments on the houses that stand here today are believed to have been salvaged from its ruins.
Turn right at the boating station and left at the end. After passing Cleveland Pools, first opened in 1817, you come to Hampton Row, built around the same time. At the end was Bath’s shortest-lived station, Hampton Row Halt, opened in 1907 and closed in 1917.
Cross the footbridge over the railway, go up steps and turn left along the canal towpath for 60m before bearing left down a path. After crossing a spring, look to your right to see the overgrown site of once popular pleasure gardens, at the far end of which stood a pub called the Folly. It was abandoned after being damaged by a stray bomb in 1942, but its ruins can still be seen amid the undergrowth.
Turn left under the railway and carry on across the river. On the far side were more pleasure gardens – the preposterously short-lived Grosvenor Gardens, extending as far as the grand terrace you can see in the distance ahead. Work started on both gardens and terrace in 1791, but the gardens folded after barely a decade.
Turn right and follow the road as it swings left. When you come to the London Road, turn right, cross at the pedestrian lights and continue along to the traffic lights before turning left up Gloucester Road.
A little way along is the entrance to Alice Park, given to the city in 1938 and well worth a diversion – not least to see the carvings on the park keepers’ cottages and to visit the café. After another 300m, as you pass a pillar box, look to your left to see the old Swainswick Post Office. The building now called Broadviews, further along, is the old Bladud Arms, closed around 2000.
Just beyond it, turn left down Ferndale Road. At the bottom, look to your right to see Dead Mill, dating back to the 14th century when John Dedemull was tenant of a corn mill here.
Turn left, passing the Bladud’s Head, where some intriguing old signs have recently been revealed. After 100m, cross the road to where a bridge over the Lam Brook leads to an information board telling the tale of Bladud Spa, which opened here with great fanfare in 1832, but failed five years later.
Cross back and turn right along Brooklyn Road. The redbrick building 125m along is the former Royal Oak (latterly the Brains Surgery) which closed in 2009. Turn left here along Dafford Street. At the end, turn right past the Rose & Crown and take the next right along Dafford’s Buildings, one of the most delightfully multifarious Georgian terraces in Bath.
Opposite No 13, turn left along a rough road, then left again. At the end, turn right. After 100m, you come to Larkhall Square, with Larkhall’s oldest building, the Larkhall Inn, on the right. Built as a house called Lark Hall around 1765, it had become an inn by 1812.
Turn right past the inn and continue along Brookleaze Buildings (look out for the ghost sign on No 10). Turn left at the end, and carry on as the road starts to climb. After passing the schools on the right, you come to another early 19th-century enclave – Worcester Place and Worcester Villas – once set amid fields, and still with superb views eastward to Little Solsbury.
Continue up the road as it curves left, ignoring the first turning on the right, but, at the T junction, turn right up Eastbourne Avenue. Carry straight on at the top and, after passing the Claremont Inn, bear right up Rivers Road, where the views start to open up. Just before the row known as Perfect View, turn right up a footpath. At the top, turn left and left again along a footpath running between the two arms of Claremont Walk.
Climb steps at the end and at the top turn left up a road. After 75m, when you come to Beacon Hill Common, bear left to follow a path past bollards. Over to your right is Richmond Place, the longest Georgian terrace in Bath.
At the road, carry on down Mount Beacon, past grand houses with fantastic views. When the road turns right, carry straight on along a footpath. Looking over the railings on the left, you can see that you are on the edge of a cliff. The views from here, through the tangle of branches, should be ample recompense for all that climbing.
When you come to a road, take the left fork. At the bottom, turn left by Heathfield, and after a few metres take a path curving down to the right to follow the course Lansdown Road once took before it was diverted along a gentler gradient.
At the bottom, after passing Ye Old Farmhouse pub, closed in 2013, carry on down Lansdown Road to return to the city centre.
Andrew Swift has written books such as On Foot in Bath: Fifteen Walks around a World Heritage City (akemanpress.com).
Length of walk: 5 miles
Approx time: 3 hours
Facilities: cafés in Alice Park and in Larkhall … plus pubs mentioned en route.
Level of challenge: Mostly on pavements and hard surfaces, but with steps and steep sections.