Cold Ashton to Batheaston
Introduction
The path follows the course of St. Catherine's Brook to the River Avon.
Distance: 8.6 kilometers
If driving to Cold Ashton, walkers are requested to park in the Parish Hall car park, SN14 8JT, 200m West of the Old Rectory.
Historical background
A. Cold Ashton
The 'Link' starts on the oolitic limestone of the Cotswolds, seen in the attractive buildings of this village. It is thought to have been John Gunning, Mayor of Bristol, who built the beautiful manor house about 1629 in a style befitting an important Bristol merchant. It was to this village - probably to the Rectory - that Sir Bevil Granville was brought to die during the Civil War after the Battle of Lansdown. The King's men lost many of their finest cavalry attacking the Roundheads in this broken and precipitous terrain. The Rectory, now a private house, was built about 1509.
A charter exists recording a grant made by King Aethelstan in AD 931 to Bath Abbey of 5 hides (a measure of land) at Aesctune, and names various points on the parish boundary.
B. St. Catherine's Valley
St. Catherine's Brook rises near Marshfield and flows down to the former mill site where it is joined by its tributary stream. The latter starts at the springs just below Cold Ashton. The brook is fast-flowing, dropping 500 ft. in the few miles of its course, and so many water mills were working along it in days gone by. Apart from the one above, there was a mill near where the 'Link' first comes out on to a lane. This was a paper mill on Monkswood Brook and had a group of cottages nearby which have now been demolished. The ‘Monkswood Hoard’ of Bronze Age date found near here consisted of many kinds of bracelets and sickles.
Monkswood Reservoir was opened in 1896 to supply Bath; Monkswood Brook joins St. Catherine's at the next mill, Beek's; then there was a mill by Ayford Farm and several other sites down to Batheaston which had a paper mill.
C. St. Catherine's Court and Church
The Court and Church: the monks of the Benedictine monastery of Bath built a grange, or manor house, church and fishponds in this quiet and remote valley. The present house dates from 1490 with additions from the 17th century. The fishponds were in the small side valley just to the north; the tithe barn remains.
The present church was built by Prior Cantelow of Bath about 1490. One of the stained glass windows shows him kneeling below St. John, with a request that people should pray for his soul.
Later the Court belonged to a godson of Queen Elizabeth, Sir John Harington of Kelston. In 1591 he leased, and later sold, the estate to John Blanchard, a wool merchant of Marshfield. There is an elaborate memorial in the church to his son William, died 1631.
The Blanchards built the terraced gardens and planted the yew hedges, also built a porch on the north front and made other extensions. In the 24.11.1906 issue of 'Country Life' there is an article by Gertrude Jekyll on the gardens, with many pictures of how they looked then.
The house fell into decline but was bought by Col. Strutt M.P. of Essex in 1841 and his family owned it for over 100 years. They restored the house and church and built a new farmhouse. The extension to the south-east dates from the present century. St. Catherine's spring flows up in an aperture in the retaining wall of the terrace.
D. Little Solsbury Hill
For panoramic views climb Little Solsbury Hill by taking the turning opposite the R.C. church and then first right. This hillfort was occupied for 2-300 years before the Romans came and was defended by a ditch and rampart. Traces of houses have been excavated and many weaving combs and spindle whorls found up there. The name means 'Salt Hill', the A46 road nearby having been a medieval saltway.
Map of Stage 1
Download route:
Route description
[1] The Cotswold Way comes into Cold Ashton, on the path by the side of the church. Turn right on reaching road, and in a few yards, opp. gate of Old Rectory, left through wooden field gate into field. [100 m]
[2] Down this steep field towards trees at bottom. Over WKG into small enclosure with springs. Straight on down to bottom of valley. [200 m]
[3] Cross stream, turn left and keep on track beside stream (on left). NB running water on path.
The track opens up into a field. Continue to descend on the obvious path with the stream to the left.
At the bottom of the field, an MKG is visible in the hedge in front. [450m]
[4] Go through MKG and turn right on rough narrow path with another stream on left. NB path collapsed down bank, passable with care. [200 m]
[5] On entering field at the top, turn left and double back, still above this stream to the left but now on the other bank. Descend to MKG beside field gate. [150 m]
[6] Through MKG (also very muddy both sides) and continue across field to MKG. Keep on with hedge on your left, ignoring MKG on left, as the path follows the contour, gradually turns to the right and climbs slightly. [500 m]
[7] Angle down gently to more prominent path half-way down field. Continue under the electric wires, through a WKG. [250 m]
[8] Follow the track leading gently down with a hedge to the left. Pass through a muddy dip [many walkers have clearly abandoned the track here, and climbed up the bank on the right]. Pass over old stile by field gate, and up rise to the lane through MKG. [500 m]
[9] Enter the lane, turn left, then almost immediately turn left again at F/P post.Over stile beside field gate, and down ridge in field, straight on. At the bottom, pass through MPG in corner by stream. Cross lane to MKG opp. by building (Beek's Mill). [250 m]
[10] The next section is quite long, but straightforward, proceeding through a series of fields with St Catherine’s Brook aways to the right. Keep parallel to and above stream on your right., following footpath posts across field and ignoring bridge to right. Go through MKG, over footbridge with 2 gates, then keep level to WKG. Then over a large field to MFG (Bristol) by stream. NOT up track to left, under electric wires but along by stream through Bristol gate (NB deep mud, and fallen tree right across path after the gate ) and on to next gate and onto road (Ayford Lane) at F/P sign. [1150 m]
[11] Turn left on road go up hill then follow the road round to the right. The path turns off to right as the road starts to rise again. [200 m]
[12] Turn right at F/P sign before house (Ayford). This is a muddy (running water on path) and overgrown track which led to the former mill. Keep between hedges with stream on your left, over a pole fence and into a small wood. Cross stream and up muddy path to stile into field. Cross the next long field, with St Catherine’s Brook to the right. St Catherine’s Court can be seen in the distance on the far side of the valley. The path across this field is not very distinct, but aim towards the far right corner, where two stiles eventually come into view. Cross the left stile. [650 m]
[13] Go over the left hand stile and aim slightly left away from stream and make for 2nd.elecricity post in middle of field (waymarked). There is a good view of St Catherine’s Court on the hillside opposite. Path crosses under power lines towards metal water tank. Bear right past the tank towards Bristol gate. [400 m]
[14] Through the gate, veer left on obvious path. After 200 m the path meets a hedge on your left. Continue to the end of the hedge. Where the hedge ends, join track going right downhill to bridge. After crossing the bridge by the gate, veer right following the edge of the river. Pass under a power line and head to the MKG at the far corner of the field, to the left of the houses. [650 m]
[15] Go through the faded white gateposts directly opposite, and down the drive of Mill House, St Catherine, then turn left before the bridge. Through open gateway, cross the driveway, then through then metal pedestrian gate, and straight on through long narrow field. Through a wooden stock gate in a new wire fence and on to Bristol gate onto road. [400 m]
[16] Turn right over bridge, passing gates of Wessex Water on your right. Past metal gate on the left, go through MPG into field, with the stream now on your left. Go to open gateway in far left corner. Turn left on a track, then immediately right over pedestrian bridge with MPG, into a field with the stream on your right again. [300 m]
[17] You will be walking across fields above the stream on the right for the whole of this section.
In next field boundary go through WPG in right hand corner by F/P post, passing weir and farm track. On through WPG and 2 MKGs, then angle slightly left up to MKG on sloping ground 50m above stream. Walk by left hand hedge, then through MKG to road opposite Stambrook Park. [950 m]
[18] Turn right over bridge, up road and left at top, down main street to Batheaston church. Notice Eagle House (Suffragette history) , Middlesex House and Pine House. Past church, and cross Church Lane, see F/P sign 'Public Footpath to Bailbrook' up some steps. [600 m]
[19] Take this path through WKG and by hedge on left to gated bridge over stream. Up hill to left and through MKG to road by the former Hill Farm, then turn left and down Solsbury Lane to T junction. [450 m]
[20] At road junction bear right and cross to R.C. church, down steep path to left ending in steps to main A4 road. Buses run from here to Bath. Turn left, passing shops and two pubs, cross road at traffic lights to entry to car park. At end of car park join the path which runs beside R. Avon. [300 m]