Through the Frome Valley
"Combine a glorious walk through the beautiful Avon and Frome valleys with a visit to a romantic hillside garden at Iford manor."
Walk directions
Turn left out of the car park, drop down past No. 10 Tea Gardens on your left, disregard the towpath signs and keep ahead along the track to pass Ancliff Square. As it veers left, maintain your direction through the gate and trees. Go through a gate and soon walk beside the River Avon to reach another gate. Pass through woodland to a gate, then head across water meadows to a gate and lane and the River Frome at Freshford.
Turn left, climb a stile on your right in 150yds (137m) and bear slightly left across the field towards new housing opposite a stile and lane. Turn right, walk beside the river and cross the bridge. Continue uphill on the lane and take the bridleway left in front of Dunkirk Mill Cottage. Bear right, then take the bridleway to the left, opposite Middle House.
Continue to a gate, keep walking left, down to a metalled track and turn left. Turn right opposite River House and The Coach House. Keep left through a field to a gate and walk through Friary Wood to a stile. Turn right along the field edge for 0.5 miles (800m) to a gate and lane. Turn left, pass Iford Mill and cross the river bridge to Iford Manor. Bear right and walk steeply up the lane to a junction.
Turn left along the verge for 0.25 miles (400m) and take the bridleway right, signed ‘Upper Westwood’. At a lane, turn right through Upper Westwood. Turn left opposite the entrance to Westwood Park then, where the lane curves left, take the left of two footpaths ahead that splits then rejoins further down. Walk downhill through the edge of woodland. Go through a gate, cross a drive and follow the lane left, downhill back to Avoncliff and the car park.
Additional information
Terrain
- Riverside, field and woodland paths, metalled lanes, several stiles
Landscape
- Canal, river valley, wooded hillsides
Dog friendliness
- Mostly good but on lead around livestock
Parking
- Avoncliff car park (charge)
Toilets en route
- None on route
About the walk
Virtually every precious ingredient of the ever-changing countryside is included in this glorious walk from the Kennet & Avon Canal at Avoncliff to Freshford and the River Frome, and sleepy Iford on the Somerset border. The river scenery by the Avon and the Frome is surprisingly dramatic and, for... good measure, there is a Tudor manor house at Iford with beautiful Italianate gardens. If that’s not enough to satisfy you, then you can extend your walk along the canal towpath from Avoncliff to elegant Bradford-on-Avon, and return to Avoncliff by train. Avoncliff Aqueduct West of Bradford-on-Avon, the meandering River Avon is accompanied by the Kennet & Avon Canal as it passes through the dramatic and steeply wooded hillsides that rise 400ft (122m) above the river, arguably the finest natural landscape in west Wiltshire. Stretching 87 miles (140km) from Bristol to Reading, the Kennet & Avon Canal was built with great skill by the canal engineer John Rennie, opening in 1810 to carry goods to and from London. To negotiate the steep and winding Avon Valley, Rennie had to construct two substantial aqueducts, one of which you can see at Avoncliff. Built between 1787 and 1801, it is 110yds (100m) long. Frome Valley Leaving the canalside, the walk enters the valley of the River Frome. On a steep hillside overlooking lush water meadows and the confluence of the two rivers stands the attractive village of Freshford. It prospered in the early 19th century through the production of broadcloth and has some handsome stone houses and a popular riverside inn. You’ve passed into Somerset now, but the scenery is just as fine. Ilford Manor Gardens Occupying a steep slope on the opposite bank of the River Frome, the romantic gardens of Iford Manor, a fine Tudor mansion with a striking classical front added in 1730, are a subtle blend of Italianate layout and English planting. This was the garden created by the distinguished architect and landscape designer, Harold Peto, who lived at Iford from 1899 to 1933. The topography of Iford lent itself to the strong architectural framework of steps, terraces and pools, and the predominant theme of the design is Italian, with plantings of cypress, juniper, box and yew interspersed with stone sarcophagi, urns, marble seats and statues, columns and loggias. You can see the unique and fascinating results of Peto’s labours on selected days during the summer months. Bradford-on-Avon When you’ve completed this walk, it is well worth taking a leisurely stroll alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal into the heart of Bradford-on-Avon. There you will find houses of Bath stone, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, rising steeply above the River Avon in a town made prosperous by Dutch weavers. A wander through the town will reveal its splendid 14thcentury tithe barn, one of the largest to have been built in England, and the town’s most historic landmark, the tiny Saxon Church of St Laurence, which dates from about ad 700.
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Been on this walk?
Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.
Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
Get an AA guide
Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.
About the area
Wiltshire’s charm lies in the beauty of its countryside, with expansive chalk landscapes of the Marlborough and Pewsey downs and miles of uninterrupted views deep into Dorset, Somerset and the Cotswolds. Stroll through quaint timbered and thatched villages in the southern Woodford and Avon valleys and explore the historic streets of the stone villages of Lacock, Castle Combe and Sherston.
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Self-Catering
Lime Kiln cottage
★★★★
"An accessible cottage in a peaceful countryside location...."
- Linens provided
- Towels provided
- Microwave
- Lawn area
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