Stage ten - Toghill House Farm to Bath Abbey

03 November 2023

Conclusion of a lovely walk. And what an epic journey it has been.

We awoke and got ready for what was to be a lovely breakfast feast. We'd arranged to be down for breakfast for about 08.30, but typically we found we were up and ready before then. As we walked downstairs we saw our dried boots waiting for us in the hall. The day outside was a little dull, there had been some morning drizzle, but we knew it was set to perk up. The lovely breakfast was a great start.
Very soon we were fed and watered and ready to make a start. One or two obligatory start of day photos later and we were away.
We retraced our steps across the field back toward Greenways lane. This time the flock of sheep were in the first field, as though they had followed us and had been waiting all night. Onto the metalled road and the day started with the worst possible terrain for me; steep downhill on tarmac. Aching as I was (I usually require a few minutes to get all the joints working properly again), this was not too pleasant a start. Next the route leaves the road and a very soggy footpath passes over a stream and began climbing uphill again through fields. We missed a sign somewhere and had to duck under a barbed wire fence to rejoin the route as it climbed ever more steeply up to the site of the battle of Lansdown.
Skirting around the field, the path then takes you past the Sir Bevil Grenville's monument, erected in the honour of the Royalist commander who died there.
Crossing (you guessed it) the A46 again, the path now leads around the Avon fire and rescue service building, before turning left and running along the crest of Hanging Hill
A little further the route skirts the edge of Lansdown golf club, where we found a small collection of sculptures by David Michael Morse 
After a good look around the sculptures we continued on our way, which runs first west then south, affording stunning views all the way across to Bristol.
Reaching the southernmost end of the escarpment, at a perfectly located bench, we stopped for a few minutes to enjoy a brief sit down and some snacks and a cup of tea.
From here we got our first glimpse of the western extremity of the Bath boroughs. Prospect site viewpoint directly overlooks Kelston Roundhill, a pretty little conical hill protruding to the south. From here the rest of the route looked decidedly downhill. Looks can be deceiving though, as we were later to discover.
The path runs down through fields into the suburb of Weston before turning sharply uphill to scale the southwest flank of Primrose Hill as far as Purlewent village green. The steep little alleyways really took the wind out of us, albeit in fairly short bursts. From this point it was pretty much all downhill, as we descended through Bath Approach golf course and then into Royal Victoria park, passing the Victoria memorial obelisk. Next the route skirts past Royal Crescent, a beautiful Georgian crescent overlooking the park below.
From here the markers are much more subtle and Andrew McCluggage's guide book helped us out one last time, just to make sure we took the official route to the end.
And then, suddenly, before we knew it, we were standing right outside the magnificent western entrance of the Abbey and we had done it. We'd made the complete journey and finished in very lovely weather arriving about 3.30pm. 
Before we checked into the Hampton by Hilton hotel, we decided to go and get some food at the Raven pub in Queen street, on the corner of Quiet street. We were later to be very pleased we did that, as once into the hotel and showered and clean, we really did not want to leave again and instead, spent the evening lounging on our beds, watching TV.

04 November 2023
In the morning, after a very pleasant breakfast, including the hotel's signature home made waffles, we ventured out to look around the city at our leisure, taking in the Roman Baths, the weir, the Parade Gardens and riverside walk. Not having visited the city for some 20 years, we rediscovered just how beautiful it is.
After one last drink in my new favourite pub, it was time to wander down to the rail station to get our train home. We routed via Severn Tunnel Junction and changed for the train to Cheltenham Spa, calling at Gloucester a little later than scheduled, but home nonetheless.

On the very crowded train home Elena ended up sitting next to someone she recognised; Giuseppe Dell'Anno the winner of the 2021 Great British Bake off, a programme that she enjoys very much. They had a very lengthy chat during the 45 minutes or so they were seated together. A nice surprise and a fitting end to a very wonderful journey, one we will all remember for many years to come.
"Stand ye in the ways and see ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls."
























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