Bath Skyline Walk [Complete Guide & Free Map]

If you want to see Bath from its most breathtaking angles, the Bath Skyline Walk delivers far more than just pretty views. This circular route lifts you above Bath’s Georgian streets and Roman landmarks to reveal the landscapes that shaped the city. Along the way, you’ll pass prehistoric burial mounds, sweeping limestone downs, canal paths, and wide panoramas over the Avon Valley.

This Bath walk guide explores a longer route than the previous one, extending well beyond Bathampton Down to reveal more of the surrounding landscape.

Related Content: Bathampton Down Walk

Logistics of the Bath Skyline Walk

Map of the Bath Skyline Walk

Do you want to do this walk? Download the GPS map for free by clicking on the button below. Learn how to upload the map onto your navigation app by following my step-by-step guide here.

Highlights of the Bath Skyline Walk

The Bath Skyline Walk

So now we’ve covered the basics, let’s get to the walk!

Bath

Bath’s history begins in the Bronze Age. Burial mounds on Bathampton Down reveal the area’s importance long before the city existed. The Romans later transformed Bath by building baths around the natural hot springs and naming it Aquae Sulis, making it a centre for healing and social life. These Roman foundations still shape the city today.

Bath was mainly shaped in the 18th century, when it became a fashionable spa town and its famous Georgian architecture was built, including the Royal Crescent and The Circus. Jane Austen lived in Bath for a few years, and the city features in her novels. Today, Bath attracts visitors with its rich history, elegant streets, and UNESCO World Heritage status.

Kennet & Avon Canal

We start our walk at Bath Spa Station. Take the footpath underneath the railway to reach the rear of the station. Cross over the bridge and follow the River Avon. Continue until you reach the crossroads with the A36 and go to the other side, where you will find the start of a footpath alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal.

This historic waterway links London to Bristol. Completed in 1810, it carried coal, stone, and food between the Thames and the River Avon. Stretching for about 87 miles, it was once a vital trade route but fell into decline with the arrival of the railways. After years of restoration in the late 20th century, it was fully reopened in 1990.

Cross over the bridge on your left and start the climb up to Bathampton Down. As you walk up, don’t miss the view over the city behind you!

Bathampton Down

Bathampton Down has been important since prehistoric times. It is best known for its Bronze Age burial mounds, or barrows, which show the area was used for ritual and ceremony over 3,000 years ago. Later, the Romans used the high ground above Bath as a strategic route, and parts of Roman roads still influence paths today. Its open landscape has always made it a natural viewpoint over the Avon Valley and the city of Bath.

Geologically, Bathampton Down is made of limestone from the Jurassic period, the same stone that gives Bath its distinctive honey-coloured buildings. A warm, shallow sea once covered this area, forming the limestone, leaving behind layers rich in marine fossils. The chalky grassland that grows on this rock supports rare plants and wildlife.

Tip: When you arrive at the top, you can make a a short detour to Sham Castle, a folly built in 1762.

Bathampton Woods

We leave the open fields of Bathampton Down and venture into the woods. The first woodland section we walk through is Bathampton Woods, characterised by dense vegetation, uneven terrain, narrow paths, and muddy sections, so make sure to pack waterproof shoes.

The path leads to Bushey Norwood, a former woodland area, which now showcases oak, maple, and ash trees scattered across meadows.

University of Bath

You emerge from Bushey Norwood on the edge of the University of Bath sports fields. The university is relatively young and received its Royal Charter in 1966. Built on Claverton Down above the city, the campus reflects the post-war vision of modern higher education, with a strong emphasis on science, engineering and sport. Today, the university is ranked among the top 10 institutions in the UK.

Cross Claverton Hill and continue straight along the path beside the Limekiln rugby pitches.

Claverton Down

Claverton Down is the high ridge just east of Bath that overlooks the city and the Avon Valley. Like nearby Bathampton Down, this land served for centuries as open grazing, and its elevated position made it a natural route across the hills.  The area sits close to historic routes linking Bath with the surrounding countryside, and today it’s best known as the location of the University of Bath.

The isolation hospital on Claverton Down was built in 1876 to treat people with infectious diseases such as scarlet fever, diphtheria and later polio. Authorities deliberately built the hospital on high ground away from Bath to prevent outbreaks from spreading. In the 1930s, more permanent buildings replaced the original wooden wards.

The hospital continued in use after the NHS was created, caring for many children during the post-war polio epidemics. Among them was the famous English food writer Mary Berry, who contracted polio at age 13 and spent several months there. As vaccinations reduced infectious diseases, the hospital became less necessary and eventually closed in 1986; the site is now occupied by the Wessex Water headquarters, with no visible trace of the original buildings.

This part of the walk takes you through the woodland areas of Larch Wood, Long Wood, Fairy Wood, and Rainbow Wood, which has a designated viewpoint offering breathtaking views over Bath’s Georgian skyline.

The Way Back to Bath

It is time to start our descent towards Bath. As we leave Rainbow Wood, the first leg of the descent is quite steep, losing 60 metres of elevation over 400 metres. Take care if it has rained before your walk, as this section can become muddy and more challenging.

As you reach Widcombe Hill Road, you have a short section on the road before finding the continuation of the footpath a little further down on your right. We are now descending through Smallcombe Vale, passing the Community Nuttery and skirting Smallcombe Cemetery. As you approach a flight of stairs, you pass a field of what appear to be Jacob sheep, a British breed that can be found in the Avon Valley..

Cross the road to enter Bathwick Fields, which we encountered on the way up. This time we walk down across the fields, easily recognisable thanks to the limestone houses lined up along the right side.

Once you reach the end of the field, you are back at the stairs leading to Sydney Buildings. Retrace your steps back to the train station where we began by walking along the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Avon.

What do to do after the Walk?

If you are doing this walk during the festive period, don’t miss the Bath Christmas Market, often ranked among the best Christmas markets in England.

Bath Christmas Market began in 2001 as a relatively small festive event created with local traders and artisans. Over the years, it has grown into one of the UK’s best-known Christmas markets, spreading through the streets around Bath Abbey and the historic core of the city. Today, the market typically features more than 250 stalls, many run by independent businesses from Bath and the South West, staying true to its original aim.

Reward yourself with a hot dog, a mulled wine and some Christmas shopping; you deserve it!

Happy discovery!

FAQ

Like this walk? Pin it!