Stag Walkers Weekend Away: Bath & the Southern Cotswolds (Ramblers members only)

A weekend away exploring the attractive countryside of the southern Cotswolds. We will base ourselves in the historic city of Bath, and explore the countryside surrounding it over the weekend.

There is no obligation to join every walk or group meal but please be confident you can attend for most of the weekend before you book your place.

Organiser: Martin B
Booking:
Booking opens: 8pm Tuesday 16th June
The weekend is exclusive to current (paid-up) members of the Ramblers. Space is limited to 16 people. Book your place by clicking the ‘Attend’ button on the Meetup event page. If the event is full, click ‘join waitlist’ and you will be added if a place becomes available.

After booking your place, please complete our spreadsheet to tell us about which meals you plan to attend, any dietary requirements and offers of car-sharing. Please complete this as soon as possible and by 7th August at the latest.

The usual Stag Walkers booking policy applies: please book only if confident you can attend and remember to update your RSVP if you have to cancel, and DON’T NO-SHOW unless it is absolutely unavoidable. If you no-show three times, without extenuating circumstances, we will decline further bookings from you for a period of six weeks.

Accommodation:
When you have confirmed your place, please book your own accommodation. Bath has a wide range of hotel, B&B and Airbnb accommodation.
There is a youth hostel around 1½ miles walk from the city centre.
There is also a campsite in Lansdown, 2.5 miles from the city centre. The campsite is a 5 minute walk from where our Saturday walk starts (but please note this walk finishes at Batheaston – change for bus route 31 in central Bath to return to the campsite).

Transport:
Bath is around 2.5 hours away by road or 2.5 hours by public transport from Herts. Please consider car-sharing if possible.

Meals:
Details of restaurants for evening meals on Friday and Saturday will be provided nearer the time of the trip. Some of these may require attendees to pay a deposit. Alternatively, you are welcome to make your own arrangements for dinner if you prefer.

Walks:
Friday – Bath City Centre (4 Miles, Leisurely)
Meet at 4.30pm in Brunel Square, outside Bath Spa Station (what3words: ranks.back.door).
Our trip begins with a short early evening walk in central Bath. We start this walk with a gentle stroll along the River Avon before passing a number of famous sites of the city including the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and Pulteney Bridge. The walk finishes with a climb up the hill at Alexandra Park from which we will enjoy an excellent view of the city.

Saturday – Lansdown to Batheaston (12.5 Miles, Moderate, Linear)
Meet at Milsom Street bus stop (what3words: unable.blaze.lofts) to catch bus no. 31 to Lansdown Road Park and Ride, which departs at 9.30am.
An attractive walk through the Cotswolds offering wide views from the beginning. We set off from the Park and Ride stop, our walk fringing Bath Racecourse. We pause to enjoy the view at Hanging Hill. Our walk continues northwards from where we should get a view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. We then loop eastwards through fields on the site of the civil war Battle of Lansdown, to reach our lunch stop.
Refreshed, we explore the hills further before crossing the disused former RAF runway at Charmy Down, en route to Little Solsbury Hill, also offering a great view of the Cotswolds. The walk finishes in Batheaston, from where we will catch the bus back to the city centre.

Sunday – Avoncliff to Odd Down (8½ miles, Leisurely, Linear)
Meet in Brunel Square, outside Bath Spa Station (what3words: ranks.back.door) in time to catch the 09:25 train to Avoncliff. Please allow enough time to buy your train ticket (a single to Avoncliff) in advance.
From the small village of Avoncliff we start with a gentle walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal. We make our way towards the Dundas aqueduct, which offers a beautiful view along the River Avon. We then pass through quiet lanes to reach Tucking Mill Reservoir. We will stop for lunch in the disused railway station of Midford, with the option of a drink at the adjacent Hope and Anchor pub.
In the afternoon, we follow the Cam Brook to Coombe Hay and then make our way to the Millenium Viewpoint. Our walk will finish at Odd Down Park and Ride, from where we will catch the bus back to the city centre.

Any questions?
If you've not been to a Stag Walkers weekend away before, they are a great chance to explore somewhere new and to spend some time socialising with other members of the group.
If you have any questions about the weekend, please post on the Meetup event page.

About the organisers

This event is hosted by Stag Walkers - we are a Ramblers group aimed mainly at people in their 20s and 30s but all are welcome and we have members of all ages. We run weekly walks, on Saturdays or Sundays, varying in length from around 5 to 15 miles, and we host regular social nights. Walks and socials generally take place across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and south Cambridgeshire.
For details of how to join the Ramblers and how much it costs please see our website.