Last weekend, we cycled to Bath from Bradford-on-Avon. I loved this cycling route through a bucolic, typically English setting! It is a cycle path along the canal, so it is traffic-free and full of charm. It is an ideal outing for discovering the Wiltshire countryside before arriving in Bath, which, for me, is the most beautiful city in the south of England! London aside, of course. For this sporty and rural outing, I was with my Titpuce: a mother-daughter escape that my teenager enjoyed just as much as I did! We loved passing locks and aqueducts in a green setting. A wonderful and original favourite for discovering Bath and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes!
From Bradford-on-Avon to Bath by bike: in brief
- The route: along the Kennet & Avon Canal between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath, on the towpath.
- Distance: 9 miles (14 km) one way, so 18 miles (28 km) return between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. The full Kennet & Avon Canal route is 82 miles, between Reading and Bath, so sportier cyclists can set off on a bigger adventure!
- Duration: around 1h30 each way, so about 3 hours return (with, for us, a long break to visit Bath. See below.)
- Level: very easy because it is flat! That is the advantage of following a canal!
- Type of path: this is a shared route for pedestrians and cyclists. So do watch out for walkers!
- Start of the route: at the Canal & River Trust car park in Bradford-on-Avon. At least, that was the paid car park we were aiming for, but we found a free space in the street a few metres before. There were quite a few spaces in the streets at 9am, when we arrived. Note that you could also start in Bath; the direction does not really matter.
- Is it doable with children? Yes, definitely! I was with my Titpuce (14 years old), but it would also suit younger children. More details below.
- Walking alternative: this route is also very popular with walkers. In that case, allow about 3 hours one way, and you can return by train.
- Bike hire?
Map of our cycling route between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath:
From Bradford-on-Avon to Bath by bike: the stages
After a generous English breakfast in our B&B, we set off at 9am from Bradford-on-Avon, a very pretty Wiltshire village with old stone houses and a medieval bridge. It has the feel of a Cotswolds village, which is no surprise since the Cotswolds are not far away!
We parked outside the centre, not far from the lock, near the Canal & River Trust car park.
The plan? Follow the canal! As soon as we set off, we saw our first narrowboats. There are some all along the route. I was already under its spell! What a pleasure to find ourselves on a traffic-free path!
The first sign we passed announced 10 miles, but I think it is closer to 9.
Right at the beginning, we passed the lovely Bradford-on-Avon lock:
Avoncliff Aqueduct
We then reached Avoncliff Aqueduct, a historic aqueduct 100 metres long. Everyone crosses it: boats, pedestrians and bikes! It connects the River Avon to the canal. Although we had had no doubt about the route until then, we had a moment of hesitation after crossing the aqueduct, because neither my girl nor I have much of a sense of direction! So I checked Google Maps to continue on the right side of the canal. It is the only place where I had a doubt, but with GPS it is simple! You need to keep heading west, on the right bank of the canal.
From the aqueduct, the view over the surrounding landscape is superb!
We continued through an increasingly green landscape. The distance between my young teenager and me kept growing! Ah, children overtaking their parents… it makes you feel old :-).
Dundas Aqueduct
We then arrived at the second aqueduct on the route. Dundas Aqueduct dates from the 19th century and links the Kennet & Avon Canal with the Somerset Coal Canal. This is roughly halfway. There are 5 miles left. Very clear signs point towards Bath.
We then continued quietly along the canal in the same peaceful setting. We passed through the village of Bathampton just before arriving in Bath.
On either side of the canal, the landscape is hilly. Luckily, our cycle path is perfectly flat!
As we arrived in Bath, we could already see rows of beautiful Georgian buildings in the distance. Along the canal, there are more pedestrians. You just need to slow down properly when passing them, and a bell is useful to let them know you are there!
After the canal, the cycle path continues as far as the Holburne Museum, an art museum in a smart residential part of Bath. From there, there is no longer a cycle path, but only a few hundred metres remain to the centre, and the traffic is not stressful at all.
All that was left was to ride up the broad Great Pulteney Street before reaching the famous Pulteney Bridge, which marks the entrance into Bath. It is magnificent! Like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, it is lined with shops.
One last little turn and we found ourselves facing Bath Abbey, where we parked our bikes! We were delighted with our little adventure! It really is a beautiful way to arrive in Bath!
Our visit to Bath after the bike ride:
We already know Bath, but how could anyone tire of such a beautiful city? It is my favourite in the south of England! As we had already done the essential visits on previous stays, this time we mainly wanted to wander through the elegant streets of the city.
A free guided tour: Free tour of Bath in English
To let ourselves be guided, without having to think about where to go, we joined a free tour organised by volunteers, mostly retired people. Tours take place every day at 10.30am and 2pm from Sunday to Friday, and only at 2pm on Saturdays (no booking required: very handy!). See the website of The Mayor of Bath’s Honorary Guides. Our guide was a lovely lady. Even when you already know Bath, you learn new stories, anecdotes and of course see the best-known buildings again, such as those on the Royal Crescent and The Circus. If you speak English, I strongly recommend it! The tour lasts 2 hours. My Titpuce also found it interesting.
Strolling and shopping in Bath
Here is just a glimpse of the city’s beauty, with a few charming spots such as the area by the river where Parade Gardens is located:
The streets around the Abbey, including the magnificent Abbey Green square:
We did a little shopping and window-shopping in the following streets: Northumberland Place, North Parade Passage, Old Bond Street, Milsom Street and George Street.
My Titpuce loves books, so of course we went to Topping & Company, an impressive independent bookshop!
From Bradford-on-Avon to Bath: our good addresses
Lunch by the water in Bath
A big favourite: the Bathwick Boatman restaurant, by the River Avon in Bath! A lovely goal to celebrate our little cycling adventure! And after all those miles, we certainly had an appetite. We loved everything: the food, the lunch menu and the magnificent view from the balcony of this boathouse! Wonderful!
Italian dinner in Bradford-on-Avon
In the evening, we had dinner at Ravello in Bradford-on-Avon. Our pasta dishes were very good, and we recommend the little arancini as a starter.
Our Bed & Breakfast in Box
The Saturday evening before our cycling trip, we slept at Lorne House, a very well-kept Bed & Breakfast in the pretty little village of Box, 20 minutes from Bath by car and also 20 minutes from Bradford-on-Avon. We recommend this address, which we really liked: the setting is very English, the house is in a typical Victorian style and the breakfast is excellent! As an anecdote, the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, author of the children’s books “Thomas the Tank Engine”, lived in this house at the beginning of the 20th century.
The location is excellent: the day before our cycling trip, we went to Lacock, which is 15 minutes by car from this Bed & Breakfast. Lacock is a very old village, known for its abbey and filming locations from the Harry Potter films.
If you prefer to sleep in Bath to do the outward journey one day and the return the next, I recommend this Bed & Breakfast (which had no availability the weekend we were there): 2 Crescent Garden Guest House, a 5-minute walk from the Royal Crescent:
A bike ride for families?
My Titpuce is 14, so this was an easy route for her. But it is perfectly doable with younger children too, as the cycle path along the canal is flat and traffic-free. We have already done similar cycling routes as a family when the children were 6, so that is the age I would recommend. The most important thing is to know what distance your child is able to cover. For this route, the return distance is 28 km, so it is not for complete beginners either.
Depending on your child’s age and experience, there are shorter variations:
- Option 1: do the route only one way and return by train. Bradford-on-Avon and Bath are very well connected.
- Option 2: sleep in Bath to split the adventure in two.
- Option 3: take a ride along the canal from Bath or from Bradford-on-Avon and turn back whenever you like! I recommend reaching at least one of the two aqueducts.
***
In conclusion, we loved our bike ride along the canal as an original way to discover the area around Bath! It was a lovely mother-daughter escape that you can adapt to your fitness and your tastes. We really enjoyed the landscapes between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. I think that next time, we will try the western section with the cycle path linking Bath to Bristol! To be continued!
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