Wicbat two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Walked this route with my team as part of a community event. The route was not too hard, definitely achievable for people used to walking up to a couple of hours. There is one hard uphill slog, probably felt worse due to it being in 28 degrees and no shade, but other than this, the route contains gentler up and down hills. Due to various stiles, uneven ground & general obstacles, it is not suitable for wheelchair users, buggies, etc. As already mentioned, ignore the field around Kingswood and continue on the footpath due to the field having new fencing erected all around it. The end of the walk enjoys lovely views of Bath; Lansdown, the Royal Crescent and the parks. A very enjoyable walk that I would do again, a great start at the pub in Wick and convenient end at Bath train station.

Overall this was a lovely route, which takes in some lovely views of Bath and the surrounding area. Lots of fields to walk through a fair amount up and down hills. Part of this route takes you through a field before Kings Wood, do not go through the field - when we walked it there had recently been a large fence erected around this field, covered in barbed wire, blocking the route through, there's a path around this field, use this instead. I'd walk this route again, although probably on a less sunny day (28 degrees when I walked it and a fair amount wasn't shaded). Apart from the field mentioned before the route is fairly accurate, you are now asked to skirt around the edge of Lansdowne race course rather than through. It has the usual access issues like various different types of turnstiles which some walkers, like wheelchair users, may find difficult or prohibitive. It was easy to find the start in Wick and finishes at the train station in Bath for easy access to trains home.

We completed this route as part of a longer walk from Bristol to Bath at the beginning of September on a baking hot day. We had stopped for lunch at the Rose and Crown in Wick. The start of the route was easy find just round the corner from the pub. Footpaths were easy to follow on clear paths as thou make the ascent of Hanging hill the path is quite twisty and the plotted route differs from the actual path but it is clear which is the correct way. After this the route was easy providing fantastic views. At Lansdown racecourse you have to skirt the perimeter of the field and here there was little shade from the sun. As you approach kings woods school the route takes you across a field ignore this and follow the footpath to the road to save you having to double back. Enjoy the views as you descend into Bath taking in the royal crescent to the finish outside the train station.

A stress test for wet weather, with a fun stream crossing and views of the flooded Avon. This is a lovely walk from Wick to Bath, with excellent views of Bristol, a chance to punt at the racecourse during the season and to visit the wonderful Mr B's bookshop in the centre of Bath. There is little I can add to the other reviews. It's slippy at times around Lansdown; the descent into Bath might test your acceptance of the privileged in society, but don't let that stop you.

We happily seized a good day after a week or so of seemingly never-ending January rain to walk this Slow Way.

I knew that I was likely to enjoy this slow climb into the edge of the Cotswolds with lots of big views, and also the descent into Bath via some of the over-the-top neoclassical architecture for which the city is famous, and I did. The only question was whether my feet were going to stay dry in ageing walking boots, which I’d glued back together last night in the hope they would last a little longer. The answer was, amazingly, yes, which is testament to this route’s comparative dryness (there is a LOT of standing/gushing water everywhere at the time of writing and we were looking down at the heavily flooded Avon Valley where a couple of the Slow Way options in and out of Keynsham were thoroughly inundated). While there was some saturated ground and ordinarily winter-muddy sections of path, and it was a little slippery in places along the fields under Beckford Tower, the only minor challenge to my socks was crossing the stream in the brake east of Grandmother’s Rock (w3w admire.stray.stump) which I suspect barely exists in the summer.

The route is easy to navigate. One small change to note. The plot routes through a little corner of woodland on the way into and out of the edge of Bath, but this has been fenced off because the ash dieback in it is severe and the likelihood of falling trees and branches high. Going east it is now necessary to descend into the south-eastern corner of the field to join the road (w3w nuns.month.fumes) or, going west, to keep on to the end of the road instead of turning up into the woods.

Food and drink is available on the way at the Lansdown Golf Club clubhouse or the pub right next door.

Having undertaken Wicbat one, I too encountered the same problems as the other reviewers. For this reason alone I uploaded Wicbat two, which irons out the route error at the start. I took the opportunity to alter the route slightly in Bath, to take in the Royal Crescent.
Other than that, the route is the same.

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