Bathscape  is perhaps best known for organising Bath’s annual walking festival, showcasing why the city and the surrounding area is such a fantastic walking destination. Check out the latest dates and self-guided activities.  

The festival falls in September, but the team behind it work year-round to get people out enjoying the local area throughout the seasons. Here they share some tips for enjoying the Bath countryside all year round. 

Autumn 

Autumn is festival season in Bath – the well-known festivals are The Jane Austen Festival, Bath Children’s Literature Festival and The Great Bath Feast.  For those wanting to walk off the food or stretch their legs, September’s Bathscape Walking Festival provides a range of free guided walks led by knowledgeable local experts and historians. The walker leaders will help you find the lesser-known pathways, give you an opportunity to meet the locals and to find out something new about Bath’s social history.  

The Festival includes a collection of self-guided walks for you to try at any time of year.

Bathscape group walking above Bath

Image – group walking above Bath, by Paolo Ferla 

As the seasons change, the mist hangs in the valleys, creating those unforgettable views across the city.  And of course, autumn brings the trees in full colour. Bath City Farm is a great location to look into the bowl of the landscape city and enjoy the everchanging colours, or stop off at one of the parks and enjoy the trees. 

Autumn in Royal Victoria Park
Image - Royal Victoria Park in the autumn

Winter  

Take a break from the hubbub of the Bath Christmas Market and other shopping treats, and these same footpaths will take you to frosty meadows and misty mornings. Walking and exploring the outdoors in winter has many advantages. The quality of the light soon after sunrise, the views revealed by the still bare trees, the mellow golden afternoon sun reflecting off the warm stone. 

Snowy view of Bath skyline
Image - view of Bath from Bathwick Fields in the snow

Seeing nature is known to improve your mood, and it’s even more important at this time of year.  It’s a great time to see and experience the different shapes, bark colour and texture of trees or spot your first snowdrop.  All followed by the cosy pubs, cafes and restaurants to warm up afterwards.   

Boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal

Image - Kennet and Avon Canal

Spring 

Spring is a lovely time to visit Bath for walking. From the centre, you can walk to the countryside in 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy views across the city.  

As winter comes to an end, tree leaves will be bursting through. You’ll see willow dripping in catkins and the white flowers on blackthorn, one of the first trees to blossom. Early spring brings daffodils, and early woodland flowers like celandine and primroses.  Everywhere nature is bursting into life. 

April and May are full of the smell of wild garlic and carpets of bluebells, one of the highlights of an English spring, you’ll find them in our parks and woodlands. Try Beech Wood and the southern slopes of the city, near the village of Combe Down.   

Image - Bluebells and wild garlic in flower 
Image - Bluebells and wild garlic in flower

Summer 

Everyone who visits Bath in the summer should take a trip to the wildflower meadows! Within a surprisingly short walk from the city centre – try this one – you can quickly be amid the flowers and butterflies, and then look over the whole of Bath. Best time to visit is in June, but the flowers will be putting on a good show into August. 

Another walk we’d recommend at this time of year, as there’s plenty of shade, is up to the lookout in Alexandra Park.  This route will take you there. You’ll be able to see the city from a different angle (it’s a steep climb up, but well worth it) before meandering through a hilltop paradise at Lyncombe Hill Fields and back through the fine residential areas of Lyncombe Vale and Widcombe, perhaps stopping at one of the cafes on Widcombe Parade at the end.   

In summer you’ll see plenty of butterflies, including the marbled white, birds, bees and the meadows in full bloom.  Along the canal look out for dragonflies and damselflies. 

Image – Marbled White Butterfly on a thistle flower 
Image – Marbled White Butterfly on a thistle flower

Find out more 

You can find out about lots of walks in the Explore section of the Bathscape website and about more regular walking groups and our year-round nature-based activities.  Find inspiration from our website, or by listening to our fabulous podcast – Footprints – Series 1 is all about walking and Series 2 explores the landscape and Bath’s social history. 

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