Woods & River
We recommend you use a map with this description, either on the OS Maps smartphone app or an OS map such as the Bradford on Avon Walking Wheel map.
The walks starts from outside Explore BoA (Tourist Information) and follows in a clockwise direction.
With your back to Explore BoA turn right to the road, crossing at the pelican crossing. Turn left, then right into Bridge Street.
Follow the road to the rail crossing and just after this bear off right up into the woods, known as The Strips. The path climbs up gently, keeping the fence to the left; you follow the orange waymarkers of the Inner Circle of The Wheel for a little while now. This fence becomes more substantial further along, follow it to the end when it opens out into a tarmaced area. Turn right up a short hill then turn left onto the tarmac path that runs along the back of houses.
Just after the small play area on the right the path joins a road, turn left and follow this down and round. At the end turn right then left soon reaching a field. Here you pick up the blue waymarkers of Spoke 3 of The Wheel.
You now go straight across 3 fields with the River Avon on your left; in the last field you pass the sailing club building. Cross a wooden footbridge through 2 gates to enter Widbrook Woods (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust).
Go straight ahead on a wide path which soon enters an open area with a willow pond ahead to the left. You're still following the blue waymarkers. Go straight on, passing the pond, on your left. As you near the river bank look out for the blue waymarkers on a wooden post directing you right to a short climb, then steps to take you up to the canal towpath.
Turn right back towards BoA as far as the first bridge. Don't go under this but turn right up the wooden steps then to the road. Turn right and follow the pavement for about 150 metres then turn right down a track.
Follow this for about 250 metres, then continue on the path straight ahead that passes behind houses and bungalows. At the end of this path you turn left to rejoin the path you came out on. You now follow the orange waymarkers all the way back to the start.
Follow round up the road, joining the footpath between the two houses in the right hand corner. Pass the play area, now on your left and at the end of the path turn right down the hill as far as the green, metal fence.
Turn left onto the path and after about 100 metres bear slightly left away from the fence. Follow the well trodden path through the woods; this eventually broadens right out and at the end joins another tarmac path behind houses and with the Scout Hut on your right.
At the end of the wall it is recommended that you go into the small car park for one of the best views over the town.
Leave the car park, go down the slope and after the garages turn right to descend the steps to the road. Turn left at the bottom back into Bridge Street. At the end cross at the crossing and back to your start point.