Skip to main Content

Bathscape Access Project

Green field of yellow buttercups looking down to the variety of buildings of Bath including Bath Abbey tower in the centre

View across to Bath by Nicole Daw 2022

Ancient hilltops and hidden valleys, canals and aqueducts, towers and tunnels, gardens and riverside meadows…the Bathscape area has it all. It’s a rich and varied mix of stunning geology, wildlife, history and heritage, just waiting to be explored.

Bathscape Landscape Partnership LogoThe Bathscape Partnership first met back in 2013, a group of like-minded organisations with a shared ambition to address threats faced by the beautiful natural landscape surrounding Bath, and to better recognise its value to the health and wellbeing of all the communities in the city.

The Partnership’s vision was for an enhanced ‘Bathscape’, a landscape that was more easily accessed and actively enjoyed by a greater and more diverse number of people. The hope was for Bath to be recognised as one of the most complete landscape cities in the world, where the people in the city were more connected with the beautiful rural landscape around them.

Cotswolds National Landscape has been responsible for delivering the Bathscape Access Project:

    • Assessing and making physical improvements to the Circuit of Bath path
    • Assessing and creating 19 self-guided walking routes, in consultation with user groups
    • Engaging and training volunteers who will continue to maintain the key routes
    • Leading and promoting guided walks
    • Photographing the routes and contributing to Bathscape’s digital content and trail guides

This has involved consultation with local user groups, disability groups, and healthcare professionals on the suitability of routes for people with a range of health conditions, and testing the routes with them.

Nicole Daw joined us in June 2021 as our Trails and Access Officer working with the Bathscape team, supported by the Bathscape Volunteers, Bath Ramblers and Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, to deliver the the Access project by August 2023.

View our progress

    • Circuit of Bath
      Enjoy 21.5 miles of walking around the Bathscape. This walk offers stunning views, history, heritage, countryside and city, including Little Solsbury Hill. A beautiful walk in any season as it takes in river, canal, meadows, woodland and peaceful valleys.
    • Self Guided Walks (select Walking from the “Category” dropdown at the top of the Bathscape map)
    • Guided Walks
Nicole standing with two wardens at a marker post woth rolling green countryside hills and fields in the background

Installing the new Circuit of Bath Waymarkers July 2021 (c) Jess Gay (Julian House)

Jess Gay (Julian House) and Nicole Daw at Woolley with new Circuit of Bath Waymarker

 

Just some of the work undertaken by our wonderful volunteers

Completed mud steps reinforced with wood planks and handrail leading down the slope, and green rolling countryside fields beyond 4 wardens in yellow high vis jackets sitting on the part completed steps taking a well earned break 2 wardens in yellow high viz jackets installing a wooden pedestrian gate Two wardens preparing the mud track on slope where the steps will be going in to make access easier.Photo showing work underway putting in the wood planks that will be back filled to make the new steps.