See the screenshots from my OS map showing where we decided to strike out to the road (which was a very pretty option, with tall hedgerows on either side) and re-join the plotted route further down. The second OS map shows a clearly marked gate opening heading north, so you'd have a different experience and perhaps be better positioned to find the gate if you walked from Bath to Marshfield. As an FYI, the route travels through grazing lands for cows, and navigating their space can be a bit unnerving if you're unfamiliar with a herd of large animals moving somewhat quickly in your direction. :-) We positioned ourselves on the other side of a metal gate at a safe distance for about 20 minutes, and the herd gradually lost interest in our presence and moved away from the path, allowing us to continue....

Laura Zurowski

This route is more indirect than Marbur two, and this is its main weakness, but it is a really nice walk, and having walked Marbur one, which is a flawed route overall, but used the lovely path through the lBroadmead Brook valley, I felt that it would be good if that option was kept available to Slow Ways walkers. From West Littleton the route takes a gravelly track east along the edge of a shallow valley. Once across that, it is a tranquil, pleasurable walk along the valley of the Broadmead Brook, with access through iron field gates with little chains that you need to lift over the gateposts to undo them....

Mockymock

Turn right for a few metres towards the road sign and you will see your ongoing path on the other side of the carriageway into the field corner opposite. There follows two straightish miles along a quiet minor road to the hamlet of West Kington. From now on the route is more off-road, first making its way around the yards and access road of a farmstead to join a footpath along the edges of horse pastures to Nettleton Green....

Mockymock

This is a very frustrating route this because the middle section along the Broadmead Brook valley is beautiful and the Burton end is fine too (unless you have an aversion to horses - a lot of them about!) but the section between Marshfield and the entrance to the valley is pretty unsatisfactory....

Mockymock

This route is lovely - some delightful meadows, and fantastic views back over Batheaston towards Bathampton Downs from the edge of Clift Wood. Two warnings: 1) I don't think the route is quite accurate where it leaves the Catherine Valley east of St Catherine's Court - it should follow the red dotted lines just west of the indicated route. and 2) the initial climb from Oakford Lane to Ashwicke Road is very steep. Overall, it's probably better for walking south from Marshfield to Bath rather than vice-versa - to go north, Batman One is easier....

PaulBBath

While you don't get the big, swooping valley ascents/descents or some of the longer views of that option, it is still lovely, there is far less hill climbing, and it takes a flat, off-road waterside route into Bath city centre, which I like better than the urban approach taken by Batmar one. Just before the end of the valley, the Slow Way takes to the road through the old Bath stone village of Northend (here, the Limestone Link veers off in a loop through the fields to the west instead. It is a nice walk if you want to do that but more hilly and more effort). The plotted route goes down some steep steps here but you can also jink go round by the road instead. At the end of the fields the Slow Way exits through a kissing gate and joins a hard access path up a gentle slope to the canal and winds its way into town on the towpath. The route finishes along Widcombe High Street, which has shops and cafes, before heading over the canal on a footbridge and through a tunnel to reach the railway and bus station area, with Bath City Centre ahead of you. The way into Bath along the Avon Valley has some steps and sometimes muddy sections of path through the meadows but also a lot of hard surfaces, and it is easy walking....

Mockymock

I've only walked part of this route (Chipping Sodbury - Hounds Rd Bus Stop via Tormarton to a point on the west bound road to Hinton), I didn't go all the way into Marshfield, instead I was following the Cotswold Way down to Cold Ashton. This bit is pretty but there is a steep clamber up through the manicured sheep fields to higher ground and closer to the A46, not good for wheels here but good views North West open up behind you. A46 at this point is a busy road and you are crossing at a partly blind corner, the Cotswold Way is not well routed here. The route to Marshfield carried on south, up a small hill on open ground. I enjoyed it for the views, peace & quiet and the climbs that were not too vicious but, crossing the A46 does have to be taken seriously as this is not a good crossing point with heavy fast traffic and not much of a view....

David

The only variation to the route I did, was in Biddestone, adjacent to the White Horse pub, rather than turning left up track [ ST 864444 73519 ], I continued along main road, turning left at Biddestone Manor ( it is exactly the same distance ) and cuts out, fields, cows, and 6 stiles.........to me a no brainer!...

Brian

I will upload my slightly different route, the difference being a set of steps down to the pub in Ford, and cutting out Biddestone centre...

Brian

This route shows the difficulty in getting around the farm just north of Biddestone...

Brian

There is a very slight issue with the route as it leaves Corsham - the gpx takes you the wrong way through the housing estate, and the right way is not easy to spot (see photo - I’ve shown the correct route in red)....

panifex

I undertook this walk in reverse, from Marshfield down into Bath, and recorded the route as 8.10 mi, with an ascent of 1023', but if undertaken from Bath the ascent is 1545'! Undertaken on an extremely hot day, so the slopes were a tad challenging.For aficionados of pedestrian / field / and kissing gates.......this is the walk for you, nearly 30 in total, together with a couple of stiles, and multiple steps......marvelous If undertaking from Marshfield, beware a couple of paths not to take which on the ground appear the clear route, ie in the first field from Marshfield, obviously 99 % of all foot traffic takes the middle path, whereas you need to follow the left hand path...

Brian

A beautiful, easy to navigate walk that seems to me to meet the criteria for a good slow way....

panifex

This is a great slow way - along well used and easy to navigate footpaths....

panifex

This is a cracking Cotswold edge walk , one of several possible routes down the beautiful St Catherines Valley from the lovely village of Marshfield into the Georgian gem that is Bath....

Steve_Roser

The route makes its way over the plateaus and into the delightful stream-cut folds of this beautiful part of the lower Cotswolds, with a couple of moderate hill climbs and plenty of views. It passes through the lovely St Catherines Valley, with its mixture of pastures and woodlands, then crosses the skylark-favoured expanse of the long-abandoned wartime airfield at Charmy Down and eventually skirts the ramparts of the ancient fort at Solsbury Hill, before heading into the city via the likeable laid-back suburb of Larkhall (which has good local shops, cafes etc) and along the canal path. The only awkward place is the short section along the scrubby side of Solsbury Hill where it can get squelchy underfoot at wet times of year and the path through isn't always obvious and not quite as shown on the OS map....

Mockymock

Agree, improvement on published route during winter...

Mike Parry

a ) removes uphill Fosse Way section, followed by very steep muddy downhill section with a stepping stone brook crossing, field have lively horses, this is replaced with a shorter tarmac road section up Doncombe Hill ADVISED TAKE THIS ALT IN WINTER ( see photos in survey )...

Brian

Change 2, takes out short section of Middlewick Lane and section of busy A4, with questionable road crossing, replaced with section through quiet housing estate, adjacent to road central refuge Photos 1 and 2, show the steep downhill v muddy section down to and across the brook which floods in winter....these are avoided by taking Marcor two instead of Marcor one...

Brian

Having undertaken the original Marcor survey, this is hopefully only a temporary alternative, which whilst adding 0.50 mi to the walk, avoids seriously muddy section, which the photos do not do justice. Photos taken after long dry spell. This alternative also takes in the two changes in Marcor two....

Brian

Once past here, there is a lovely moderate descent of the Cotswold Edge to Doynton, with big views all the way to Wales. From Doynton, where there is a pub, the route briefly picks up the Monarch's Way through some arable fields and grass leys (sometimes with the path going around a headland, rather than straight across as mapped), with good views all around and back up to the Cotswold edge....

Mockymock

The pretty main street of Marshfield reminds you that you are on the edge of the Cotswolds, and this route takes you off the edge of the Cotswold plateau, following the AONB gateway walk #4 to Doynton https://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Marshfield-10.03.21.pdf before nipping off to Wick around the back of a large working quarry. This version of Wicmar slow way has a much safer end section into Wick and corrects a mistake in Marshfield. The start takes you into a lovely valley, where you might be lucky (?) enough to see the local hunt, before steeply climbing up to Cold Ashton....

Steve_Roser

It's not particularly busy and there is a wide verge along most of it, but there is a more enjoyable off-road alternative just across the fields to the west which gives better views of the country around and adds very little to the length of the route....

Mockymock

There is a pub in Tormarton, and from there the route continues on the Cotswold Way national trail across the busy, fast A46 and descends the Cotswold ridge through the manicured landscaped grounds of the Dodington Park estate to Old Sodbury, where there is another pub. The remainder of the walk is on flat ground through fields, then around the outer edge of Chipping Sodbury’s housing estate sprawl and into the town, all in the company of the River Frome....

Mockymock

The remainder of the walk is on flat ground through fields, then around the outer edge of Chipping Sodbury’s housing estate sprawl and into town, all in the company of the little River Frome, which leads through various villagey, hidden back lanes and footpaths before popping out rather startlingly opposite Yate’s huge modern shopping centre and a very useful bus hub. Not so much to see on the lower ground and it is a bit of a suburban walk around the edge of Chipping Sodbury, but the urban walk along the Frome river is fun....

Mockymock