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NATURE ESCAPE
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Nature escapes
For October’s walk, Andrew Swift guides us from Bath to the plateau east of the Avon valley, a little-known corner of Wiltshire, with green lanes, ancient villages and, on a clear day, distant views of the high downs ringing the horizon
The climb out of the Avon valley leads through the back lanes of Bathford, past abandoned quarries, to a Victorian folly on the edge of the escarpment, while the return leg follows a muddy bridleway which was once part of the Old Bath Road.
You can either start the walk in Bath or –to cut five and a half miles off the distance –in Bathford. If starting in Bath, head to Sydney Gardens, go through the gate to the c anal, turn left through a tunnel and carry on along the towpath for 2000m. After passing the George Inn at Bathampton, continue under a bridge and after another 150m, when you come to a gate by a house, head over to the lane on the left and carry on in the same direction (ST779665).
At the end, go through a kissing gate (KG) – if the light is green – and cross the railway line. Go through a KG on the other side, h ead down steps and through another KG to follow a track across a field towards a pylon. High in the woods ahead, you will see a tower. This is Brown’s Folly, which you will soon be getting a much closer view of.
Just past the pylon, go through a KG, follow a path up the embankment and carry on across the railway bridge. At the road, cross and turn right, following the pave ment a cross a footbridge. Cross the road and go up Ostlings Lane to the right of the Crown Inn (ST787669).
At the top, with St Swithun’s church ahead, turn left to walk along Church Street, lined with 17th and 18th century buildings. Facing you at the end, behind a high wall, is Rock House, built around 1723.
Turn right and head up to the right of the Village Shop and Café. Carry on up a footpath, cross a road and continue up D overs Lane, which may date from Roman times. After passing Chapel Lane and the Baptist schoolroom, as the lane dwindles to a track, take time to survey the superb views behind you. The cottages hereabout were built for the men who worked in the quarries higher up.
When you come to a lane, carry straight on uphill using the rough track on the left. After 300m, just past a car park, tur n right t hrough a KG to follow a footpath into the woods (ST797663). The path forks immediately, but keep straight on with the fence on your left. These woods are riddled with quarries, many of them underground.
After 400m, you emerge on the edge of the escarpment with stunning views over the Limpley Stoke valley. Bear left to follow a
The avenue at Monkton Farleigh
FACT FILE
n Distance: From Bath 11.5 miles; from Bathford 6 miles.
n Level of challenge: Some rough and muddy paths, and a steep ascent and descent; five stiles.
n Map: OS Explorer 155 & 156.
rough path along the escarpment and after 175m you come to Brown’s Fo lly, c ommissioned in 1848 by Wade Browne to provide work for local quarrymen laid off due to lack of orders.
As you continue along the escarpment, trees hide the view but there are some spectacular excavations (if you have a dog, you may want to put it on a lead at this point). After 225m, when you come to an information board, turn left to follow a footpath between moss-covered walls leading from Somerset into Wi ltshire. Go through a gate (ST795658) and carry on along a strip of greensward. Deep underground lies a labyrinth of underground quarries, covering over 100 acres. After quarrying ended in the 1930s, the tunnels were used by the War Office as a vast ammunition dump. When you come to a lane, turn right and after 50m turn left along a footpath. If it is clear, you should be able to make out, 11 miles to the s outh, the Westbury White Horse.
The industrial buildings on your left, as you pass through a handgate, stand on the site of Sheep Drove Quarry, where a vertical shaft drops down to tunnels far below. At the end of the track, cross a stile onto a lane, and carry straight on across another stile to follow a path past a conduit which supplied water to a nearby Cluniac priory.
After crossing a stile at the end ( ST805657), carry on past Home Farm and bear right along a lane. At a T-junction, bear left past a lodge with an ornamental chimney. Carry on through Monkton Farleigh, past old stone cottages and a house with a shell porch and a 1736 datestone. The church, a little further on, has a 12th-century doorway and a 13th-century tower, although the rest of it was rebuilt in 1844.
After another 100m, t urn left, following a s ignpost to Kingsdown. After 300m, when you come to a bench, look up to the left to
Looking east from Monkton Farleigh
see the manor house, which includes fragments of the Cluniac priory and commands a view along the avenue of trees stretching 2000m eastward.
Carry on and, when you come to a T-junction, take the right fork to carry straight on (ST810660). After 250m, turn left along a tree-lined road built in the mid20th century.
After 200m, turn right to follow a
footpath alongside a row of young beeches. Con tinue along a path with woods on your r ight, cross a stile at the end and head diagonally right to another KG which leads into a field with cows.
Towards the end of the field, when the hedge swings right, follow it towards a fivebar gate and cross a stile. Follow a track with a hedge on your left and carry on as it curves between trees.
When you come to a busy road, cross and climb a flight of steps (ST 812671). Head for a clump of trees ahead, follow a path through it and turn left downhill. Continue as the path narrows and enters woodland. At the bottom, carry straight on along a lane leading steeply downhill and after 175m turn right along Wormcliffe Lane (ST809671).
Carry on for 250m, before turning left along a bridleway signposted to Bathford (ST808673). This was once a busy road; after 600m, when a footpath joins from the left, it was one of the most important roads in England, for this muddy byway was the Old Bath Road, along which stagecoaches rattled in the days of Beau Nash.
Eventually, mud gives way to tarmac. Just before you reach Bathford Hill, look for the ghost sign on the blocked-up widow of No 3 on the right, dating from when it was a beerhouse.
As you turn right down Bathford Hill, look out for the old lock-up across the road, opposite the turning to Portals Paper Mill. To return to Bath, retrace your steps across the footbridge, over the railway bridge, through the field and along the canal – although there is a bus service should you wish to make use of it. n
Andrew Swift’s books include Country Walks from Bath and On Foot in Bath, a new and revised edition of which has just been pub lished by akemanpress.com.
“Eliminating gluten cleared up my health issues”
Christina Colligan, CNM Graduate in Naturopathic Nutrition
From aged three, I suffered from severe atopic dermatitis. In my teens, I developed asthma. My gut health was compromised, often causing me to be constipated.
I saw several doctors and specialists, as well as herbalists and homeopaths. I underwent some blood tests when I was 15 and I discovered that my vitamin and mineral status was low. I removed dairy from my diet and took the supplements that were prescribed by my homeopath.
In 1999/2000 I had unexplained weight loss. Then in 2001, I was severely ill and anything I ate gave me diarrhoea. My local GP didn’t know what was wrong with me; however, through my own research, I learnt about gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. I was experiencing the exact same symptoms that presented with these conditions.
I eliminated all gluten products for four days and I felt so much better. A blood test later confirmed I had coeliac disease. I was advised to also exclude dairy from my diet for six months to allow my intestines to heal. After doing this, my eczema and asthma
disappeared and my gut health improved; I also gained weight. After seeing how food impacted my body and affected my symptoms, I developed a keen interest in nutrition.
Unfortunately, after many years of compromised absorption, I was left with low cortisol levels and unbalanced gut flora. I only wish I’d met a nutritional therapist after my diagnosis who could have explained the 5R gut healing protocol to me. Simply cutting out gluten is not enough when you are diagnosed with coeliac disease; you also need to heal your gut which has been damaged by the gluten.
I used to be a project manager for a large corporate. Starting a family made it impossible for me to continue with my demanding role. Instead, it was an opportunity for me to immerse myself in a big interest of mine and study nutrition.
I decided to study Naturopathic Nutrition at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) as I was attracted by their hands-on approach to learning and the fact that the lectures are taught by experienced practitioners. I loved the variety of teachers and learning about their experiences. The diversity of students in my class was amazing and I was blown away by how generous everyone was in sharing their knowledge and experience. My time at CNM prepared me for setting up my own business and it was a great platform for networking and opportunities.
Having recently relocated to Sweden, I now work at the Nordic Clinic in Stockholm three days a week. I see a variety of clients, supporting them with a wide range of ailments including pre-diabetes, autoimmune conditions, IBS, hormonal issues and optimising performance through nutrition.
CNM has totally changed my life. I love my work now. I’m passionate about what I do as it feels meaningful and I’m making a difference to other people’s lives. I don’t ever see myself stopping work; it’s my way of life now. I love that the learning never stops; every client is unique and I’m continually expanding my knowledge
Christina Colligan
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