This 57 acre country estate is a wonderland where an old country house once stood. It has huge open parkland, a fantastic adventure playground, a woodland valley, diverse wildlife, accessible shady riverside pathways and is a great spot for a paddle or a swim.
THE WALK
- We walked to Snuff Mills and back which was 3.8 km (2.3 miles), with a steep descent down to the river but then pretty flat. Click into the map for an elevation profile.
- The route is entirely paved which we found easy with the buggy. If you don’t have a buggy there’s several access points from the estate down to the river.
- Our walk took us down through the dense woodland valley, then left along the winding river and past the waterfall. We walked over a wooden bridge, past dramatic outcrops of rocks and through the tranquil community gardens packed with well tended flowers and beautiful spring blossoms. We then headed back along the same route back to Oldbury Court Estate.
- Want to extend your walk have a look at the Frome Valley Walkway map.
- A little bit of history. The old mill within the park was used for cutting and crushing stone from the many quarries along the Frome Valley during the late 19th century. It contains a waterwheel, egg-ended boiler in its setting and the remains of a vertical steam engine. A fire in 1948 severely damaged the coach house and burnt down the stables. The main house was in poor condition and could not be saved so was demolished.
- Highlights include the playground, waterfall and beautiful, flower packed community gardens.
- Map. Below is a fully interactive map with directions & distances.
THE PLAYGROUND
The playground is pretty epic packed with all sort of adventure equipment for all ages –
- a huge pirate ship
- a zip wire
- a vertiginous slide
- a variety of swings including an accessible swing
- a complex sand and water feature
- a sit on digger in another sand pit
- a toddler area with baby swings and a large seesaw
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
CAFE: Café kiosk and terrace seating next to the play park in Oldbury Court Estate and a tea hut at Snuff Mills car park. Plenty of picnic areas and seating.
LOCATION: Map. 3 miles north east of Bristol and 13 miles (30mins) from Bath.
TERRAIN: There’s a paved path down to the river and all the way to Snuff Mills.
PARKING: There are two free car parks
- OIdbury Court Estate car park: off Oldbury Court, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 2JH
- Snuff Mills car park: at the end of River View, Stapleton, Bristol, BS16 1DL
BUGGY: We found the path well maintained and very buggy friendly
DOGS: Popular with dog walkers.
TOILETS: Free public toilets with disabled and baby changing facilities, next to the play area and in the Snuff Mills car park.