Bradford-on-Avon is a charming, picturesque town about 8 miles east of Bath. The town has a lot to offer, artisan shops, a great cafe culture, it’s historic and beautiful for a wander. Our mini adventure, however, is to Barton Farm Country Park along the canal and banks of the river Avon.
THE WALK
- The walk is a circular 3 km (2 miles) route.
- Map. Below is a fully interactive map with directions & distances.
- Highlights along the walk are detailed in brief below.
- The route is pretty flat and entirely paved for all wheels.
Download the plotaroute app to follow the route with a few simple steps.
- Canal. We start our walk just the other side of town on the canal. It’s lovely to pass the bustle of the canal boats, wharf services and lock. Walk a short distance, cross the road and the canal path continues.
- Playground. Just beyond the pubs and a few shops there’s a small gap in the wall which leads up to a children’s play area, including a zip line and great slide.
- Tithe Barn. The path leads down to Tithe Barn a spectacular 14th century monastic stone barn, the largest in England. Go inside to marvel at the timber roof structure.
- Shops. Browse the shops The Granary a cluster of 14th century barns situated next to the Tithe Barn offering a range of gifts, homewares & restored vintage furniture. There’s also the Tithebarn Workshops is a community of vibrant artisans, workshops and galleries.
- Cafe. The Coffee Barn has delicious offerings for lunch or coffee and cake.
- Playground. There’s a large, enclosed children’s playground just beyond the barn and you can feed the ducks and swans beside the bridge, opposite the playground.
- Barton Farm Country Park. Beyond Tithe Barn a wide paved path leads you along the river to the country park. 36 acres of parkland sandwiched between the river Avon and the canal. Walk along until the path joins the canal or explore the paths around. The site is managed to encourage a rich diversity of wildlife and plant species. If you’re lucky you can spot kingfishers on the banks.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
TERRAIN: Paved path, uneven in places, some gravel and mud
PARKING: Metered parking at Baileys Barn car park (£1.50 for four hours) which leads straight to the canal or there’s plenty of alternative parking options nearby.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The train station is right beside the park. Go through the car park (office side) towards the river and go under the bridge and you’ll reach the playground.
BUGGY: Ideal for a stroll with the buggy
CAFE: The Coffee Barn is opposite Tithe Barn. There’s tea shops, canal boat cafes and pubs along the canal.
TOILETS: Free public toilets beside the lock and canal trust cafe. There’s also toilets at The Coffee Barn cafe.
DOGS: Popular with dog walkers.
ALTERNATIVE LOCAL WALK
Widbrook Wood, Bradford on Avon – Canal Circular: There’s a lovely 6.5km (4 mile) circular walk along the canal, via Barton Farm Country Park, and through Widbrook Wood.
