Description
Being a resident of Timsbury and frequent walker of the footpaths in the area I know how horrid it is to walk along the direct road from Farmborough to Timsbury because of the volume of traffic that uses the narrow, twisty road with no pavement and a 40 mph speed limit.
So I have been considering another route for the leg between Farmborough and Radstock.
My route starts by going near the Farmborough Community shop and then a short way along the Timsbury Rd. It then turns off up Common Lane towards Farmborough Common which is a prominent local landmark. There is no public access to the top. At this point there is easy access via a short detour to the shops and cafe in the centre of Timsbury. From there my route passes round the edge of Timsbury along the very quiet Parkway Lane and heads by way of Meadgate and a short stretch of road down to Camerton with its connections to the North Somerset Coalfield. We cross the line of the Somerset Coal Canal and past the remnants of Camerton Old Pit and spoil heap (known locally as a "batch"). Then up to pass through the gardens of Camerton Court and on up towards Camerton Woods. Then across the A367 (with great care). At this point the obvious route to Radstock is down the Old Bath Road which is quiet but does have some traffic. Otherwise a more scenic route would be to continue on down the lane towards the fishing lakes at Woodborough and finally via the impressive old miners' houses at Lower Whitelands down into Radstock centre.
The length of this route at 5.1 miles (as given by the OS map website) is about 0.2 miles longer than the original route of Farrad but that is well worth the extra distance to avoid the majority of the Timsbury-Farmborough road
Being a resident of Timsbury and frequent walker of the footpaths in the area I know how horrid it is to walk along the direct road from Farmborough to Timsbury because of the volume of traffic that uses the narrow, twisty road with no pavement and a 40 mph speed limit.
So I have been considering another route for the leg between Farmborough and Radstock.
My route starts by going near the Farmborough Community shop and then a short way along the Timsbury Rd. It then turns off up Common Lane towards Farmborough Common which is a prominent local landmark. There is no public access to the top. At this point there is easy access via a short detour to the shops and cafe in the centre of Timsbury. From there my route passes round the edge of Timsbury along the very quiet Parkway Lane and heads by way of Meadgate and a short stretch of road down to Camerton with its connections to the North Somerset Coalfield. We cross the line of the Somerset Coal Canal and past the remnants of Camerton Old Pit and spoil heap (known locally as a "batch"). Then up to pass through the gardens of Camerton Court and on up towards Camerton Woods. Then across the A367 (with great care). At this point the obvious route to Radstock is down the Old Bath Road which is quiet but does have some traffic. Otherwise a more scenic route would be to continue on down the lane towards the fishing lakes at Woodborough and finally via the impressive old miners' houses at Lower Whitelands down into Radstock centre.
The length of this route at 5.1 miles (as given by the OS map website) is about 0.2 miles longer than the original route of Farrad but that is well worth the extra distance to avoid the majority of the Timsbury-Farmborough road
Status
This route has been reviewed by 3 people.
There are no issues flagged.
Photos for Farrad two
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Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 3
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (3)
There are currently no problems reported with this route.
Downloads - 5
Surveys
What is this route like?
Surveys are submitted by fellow users of this website and show what you might expect from this Slow Ways route. Scroll down the page to read more detailed surveys.
| Grade 4X based on 1 surveys | Sign up or log in to survey this route. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Note | ||
| Grade 4: Route includes very rough surfaces including deep ruts, steep loose gravel, unmade paths and deep muddy sections. Wheelchairs may experience traction/wheel spin issues. Access grade X: At least one stile, flight of steps or other obstacle that is highly likely to block access for wheelchair and scooter users. |
Grading is based on average scores by surveyors. This slow way has 1 surveys. | ||
| Full grading description | |||
Only people who have completed our training can become Slow Ways surveyors and submit a survey. We do not vet contributors, so we cannot guarantee the quality or completeness of the surveys they complete. If you are dependent on the information being correct we recommend reading and comparing surveys before setting off.
Survey Photos
Facilities
Facilities in the middle third of this route.
Challenges
Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.
Obstacles
Obstacles on this route.
Accessibility
Is this route step and stile free?
Measurements
Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.
The narrowest part of the path is 50.0cm (1)
The steepest uphill gradient walking East 40.0% (1)
The steepest uphill gradient walking West 27.0% (1)
The steepest camber gradient across the path 5.0% (1)
How clear is the waymarking on the route: Unclear in places (1)
Successfully completed
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Recommended by an expert
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Terrain
We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.
40.0% of the route is on roads (1)
14.0% of the route is lit at night (1)
58.0% of the route is paved (1)
5.0% of the route is muddy (1)
5.0% of the route is over rough ground (1)
0.0% of the route is through long grass (1)
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1 surveys
Information from verified surveys.
Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Farmborough
Grid Ref
ST6623060621
Lat / Lon
51.34367° / -2.48623°
Easting / Northing
366,230E / 160,622N
What3Words
limit.chainsaw.badge
Radstock
Grid Ref
ST6896154772
Lat / Lon
51.29122° / -2.44651°
Easting / Northing
368,961E / 154,772N
What3Words
clings.backers.reduction
| Farmborough | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | ST6623060621 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.34367° / -2.48623° |
| Easting / Northing | 366,230E / 160,622N |
| What3Words | limit.chainsaw.badge |
| Radstock | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | ST6896154772 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.29122° / -2.44651° |
| Easting / Northing | 368,961E / 154,772N |
| What3Words | clings.backers.reduction |
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reviews
JohnMyerson
15 Mar 2024 (edited 03 Jun 2024)A good countryside walk although some steep ups and downs. The two ends of the route are linked by the hourly 522 bus (Bath to Bristol). Out of Farmborough village there's no pavement for about 200 metres. Some of the fields tend to be wet in places. Parkway Lane down to Meadgate is pleasant then I used Camerton Road (500 metres) rather than divert across another wet field path. This road is 20 mph and has a footway marked in places. St. Peter's church Camerton is passed and has seats in the Lych gate. There's a pretty stretch through the gardens of Camerton Court. Approaching the A367 Fosse Way I avoided another wet and cropped field by continuing straight on in the meadow (see map in photos). It's not a PROW but an obvious path with no gate at the road and a much safer crossing. The other path has a dangerous exit onto the 50 mph road with no verge. Bath Old Road opposite (when traffic allows!) is about 1.3 km without a pavement but is reasonably quiet.
Brian
15 Sep 2022Pleased to say I read the description by Chris, and review by Panifex, which ensured I avoided Farrad one. Farrad two is as described and reviewed by both. The road sections from Farmborough and towards Camerton are unpleasant, busy, but luckily short, and based on these, Farrad one is a non starter. All in all a great way to get between Farmborough and Radstock.
Whilst there are no facilities in the middle third, it is a 0.5 mi one way diversion to Timsbury.
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Panifex
09 Jan 2022This route is a great way to get between Farmborough and Radstock, avoiding most of the problems of Route 1. It is fairly direct, the paths are mostly obvious and, with a couple of exceptions, it is away from traffic. The exceptions are:
1) the very first part from Farmborough to Common Lane along the main road to Timsbury - where care really must be taken. It is a busy road with no verges to speak of.
2) The hill down to Camerton. This is a surprisingly busy road (even on a Sunday morning when I walked).
Neither of these sections are avoidable without significant diversions - and they link up such good walking in between that they are worth it.
Overall, a great walk with some fantastic views. Definitely deserves to be in the Slow Ways network.
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