We returned to Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire for our last January walk. The town has long been a favourite of ours and in summer we love to stroll along the towpaths of the Kennet and Avon canal which connects the river Avon in Bath to the Thames at Reading and to stop for a drink at one of the canal-side pubs.

The canal is very popular with narrow boats and there are always dozens moored along the banks. Some have been converted to use as houseboats.

It has been a mild but very wet winter and I was pleased to spot patches of snowdrops and crocuses under the trees. Beavers have been recently reintroduced to the area and we noticed some tree damage. Bradford on Avon is on the southern edge of the Cotswolds and many of the older houses are built of Cotswold stone.

Bradford on Avon history

As this was a history walk we also took in some of the historic sites which attract tourists. Bradford on Avon became important in Saxon times when the land was given to the nunnery of Shaftesbury in Dorset.

Churches and Chapels

St. Laurence Church

St Laurence church which dates from about 1000 A.D. is one of the few surviving stone Saxon churches in England. The high walls and small windows are typical of the period. It may have been built to house the bones of King Edward the martyr, brother of King Aethelred the unready.

St. Mary Tory

St. Mary Tory is high on a hill top above the town. It dates from the 15th century when it was a chapel and hermitage for pilgrims. The name comes from tor, a west country word for hill. (note access is via lots of steps.) We were rewarded with sweeping views over the town from the church yard.

Civic buildings

Equally famous is the large medieval tithe barn which forms part of the Barton farm estate. It is 51 metres long and its size shows how prosperous the region was. Nearby buildings house a teashop, art gallery and craft centre. In medieval times the area was a centre for wool cloth manufacturing and you can still see the remains of the old cloth mills and weavers’ cottages. One was later used to manufacture rubber.

The name Bradford is a corruption of broad ford. The town bridge in my top photo dates from the Norman period although it has been widened. Two of the original arches remain. The small domed building in the centre is a former chapel which was later used as the town jail.  The fish pointer on the weather vane is a christian symbol which has become the symbol for the town. In a couple of weeks time participants in the annual Shrove Tuesday pancake race will run across the bridge brandishing their frying pans. When we were there, the townsfolk were preparing for a Wassailing ceremony to wake up the apple trees in the community orchard.

Another favourite of mine was this old doorway.

It is situated in the shambles and the house once belonged to the Tolsey who was responsible for collecting fees from market stallholders. Shambles comes from an Anglo-Saxon word for a stallholder.

The museum.

There is a small free museum above the library which houses an interesting collection of old photographs and artifacts from local trades. One of the most interesting exhibits is a replica of the Victorian chemist shop which stood on Silver Street.

Visitor information

shopping and eating

Bradford on Avon has a large selection of independent shops and a good choice of places to eat and drink.

Getting there

Train: the best way to get to Bradford on Avon. Bath Spa 12 minutes, Bristol 30 minutes, Salisbury 40 minues, London Paddington 1 hr 50 minutes.

The station was designed by I. K. Brunnel and is largely unaltered since it was built in 1848.

Car.  There is a large long stay carpark close to Sainsbury’s and short and long stay car parks at the railway station.

Bicycle It is part of a long distance cycle path along the Kennet and Avon canal. Bicycles can be hired locally.

Bradford on Avon walking wheel

The Bradford on Avon walking wheel is a series of walks connecting Bradford on Avon to local villages. Two circular walks form the outer rim of the wheel and spokes connect Bradford on Avon to nearby villages.  using footpaths, quiet country lanes and the canal tow path. You can get a laminated plastic map for £5.00 from the library or Ex libris bookshop in the Shambles.

Find out more. Bradford on Avon visitor guide.