docfrome valley booklet - Frome Valley Walkway
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frome valley booklet - Frome Valley Walkway
Y FRO Y W AL KW Y AL KW A Key for Route Maps Frome Valley Walkway Promoted Recreational paths Y FRO E VAL LE E VAL M LE If you have ideas or would like to raise an issue please contact: 0117 952 2141. W The ‘Friends of the River Frome’ is committed to promoting and improving the Frome Valley for relaxation, recreation and wildlife. A forum of local groups, parish councils and other agencies meets regularly at different venues along the river. M A Local Paths Motorway FRIENDS OF THE RIVER FROME Road Railway Line Woodland Urban areas Public open space\countryside Cliff/quarry Railway Staion PH Public Houses Leisure Centres T T Designed by Graphics & Mapping South Gloucestershire Council Tel 01454 863763 Printed on recycled paper Following the River Frome from the centre of Bristol to the Cotswold Hills Public Toilets Public Telephone Frequent bus service to/from Bristol City Centre Other Bus Stops P Parking K ii ll o K om meettrreess 0 0.25 0 0.25 0 0M i l e s Miles 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 FRO Y RN VE A A3 8 SE The Bristol & Bath Railway Path Charfield 5 Tytherington Cromhall Alveston Wickwar Olveston SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE Tockington M4 Rangeworthy Hawkesbury Upton 3 A4 Hawkesbury Jcn 20 HI Coalpit Heath Jcn 19 32 LD Henbury Old Sodbury Yate Stoke Gifford A4 1 7 4 32 Winterbourne M 32 Jcn 1 M4 A4 17 Clifton 4 Downend Pucklechurch Hinton Mangotsfield Easton A420 Long Ashton Hanham Doynton Warmley Wick Cadbury Heath A420 Oldland Knowle Longwell Green Willsbridge Dyrham Siston con str Kingswood Un de r Leigh Woods uct ion Staple Hill TS BRISTOL A4 CO 01 A4 Filton A4 A4 Bradley Stoke A38 M 49 Patchway 46 Badminton M4 5 Horton Tormarton Jcn 18 A42 0 Cold Ashton Marshfield Upton Cheyney 31 Bitton WO Jcn16 Chipping Sodbury Iron Acton A Jcn15 A46 Almondsbury 3 LL Pilning M • • • • • • • • • • • • S R VE The Severn Way Thornbury M 8 03 Monarch’s Way Jcn 14 M4 A4 KW Please follow the Country Code at all times Avon Walkway Tortworth Oldbury-on-Severn Jcn 21 Aust RI AL The Country Code Community Forest Path Falfield Littleton -on-Severn Jcn17 Y The Cotswold Way The Jubilee Way E VAL LE Frome Valley Walkway Recreational Path Network Severn Beach M W N Swineford Kilometres 2 Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council. LA09065L/99/14. 1 1 Miles 0 0 1 2 1 3 2 Enjoy the countryside respect its life and work Guard against risk of fire Fasten all gates Keep dogs under control Keep to public paths Use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedges and walls Leave livestock, crops and machinery alone Take your litter home Help keep water clean Protect wildlife, plants and trees Take care on country roads Make no unnecessary noise W AL Y Y FRO E VAL LE M KW A The Frome Valley Walkway Castle Park, Bristol he Frome Valley Walkway is a 29km (18 mile), long path which follows the River Frome from the River Avon in the centre of Bristol to the Cotswold Hills in South Gloucestershire. The route links with the Cotswold Way National Trail at one end and the Avon Walkway at the other, as well as connecting with a number of other well established recreational routes, notably, the Jubilee Way, the Monarch’s Way and the Community Forest Path. The path passes through a variety of landscapes including open countryside and meadows in South Gloucestershire, the historic town of Chipping Sodbury, wooded valleys south of Winterbourne Down, the pretty village of Frenchay and landscaped parks in Bristol including Oldbury Court estate, originally an old hunting lodge within the Royal Forest of Kingswood. In Bristol the route runs through city parks and along pavements. Some sections of the River Frome are culverted near to the City Centre, including the point where it enters the River Avon near Castle Park. T AL Y Y A FRO E VAL Y KW W W AL History of the River Frome M LE Y FRO E VAL LE M KW A Walking in the Frome Valley Quarrymen’s Cottages at Snuff Mills The Cotswolds from Chipping Sodbury he name Frome is derived from Anglo-Saxon ‘Frum” meaning rapid or vigorous. The social & economic history of the local area along the path is well documented, which passes a number of medieval churches, old quarries, mines and mills. Bristol, meaning ‘Bridge Town’, was an important trading centre by 1000AD and during the Middle Ages became prosperous from the increase in imports & exports. The marches along the Frome & the Avon were drained and reclaimed as the City grew, and industries expanded to supply goods for the colonial and slave trades. The ships grew larger and required deeper waters leading to a decline on the wharfs of the Frome. Upstream a number of mill operated industries existed and leisure activities such as boating & fishing were popular. Originally, there were 13 one arch bridges along the city section of the Frome, but these were all destroyed by the gradual covering over of the river in the 18th & 19th centuries and by the M32 motorway construction. he Frome Valley Walkway provides a great opportunity for everybody to enjoy the local parks and woodlands in Bristol and to explore the open countryside in South Gloucestershire. The path follows the River Frome, as it gently winds its way, creating an easy and level walking route for much of its length. The route in Bristol, between Castle Park and Frenchay Bridge, mostly follows off-road tarmac paths close to the river or pavements for short sections close to the City. The middle section of the route, extending out from the edge of the City between Frenchay and Winterbourne Down, wanders through riverside woodlands and runs over unsurfaced and surfaced paths, which include the occasional gate, stile and bridge. The upper section of the walkway runs through open countryside on field footpaths, narrow in places, with regular stiles. The path officially ends in Old Sodbury, at the foot of the Cotswold Hills, although continuing on to Tormarton along the Cotswold Way you pass the source of the Frome and there are spectacular views from the top of the escarpment. T T E VAL to Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station Temp le W ay Avon Walkway A4 32 0 Stapleton Road Railway Station Ea s 2 M3 G oo dh in d St re et Lebeqs Tavern PH Pen nyw ell Rd Ro ad Engineers Arms Riverside PH Park PH White Elephant . St Riverside Park t. st S We ad Ro Castle Park St. ket Mar d l O Three PH Blackbirds St. Pauls Roundabout nd dla Mi T P Lwr. Ashley R d ay W ir We ad o r B St. tle Cas Lwr P fair Horse t. nS Pen e Th The Old Fox PH Inn n to Bond Street t ee Str d lan nd u o wf Ne ad Ro et n tre to S g lin el r W ve Ri St. Ma tthi as P k La mb W Y Y FRO LE ristol Castle, around which the City grew, originally stood on what is now Castle AL A KW Park. The Castle was surrounded by a moat created by the Avon and the Frome. The River Frome runs down the centre of River Street under what is now the car park. This long wide road used to be a ropewalk where long ropes were spun. The Quaker Meeting House and the New Street flats stand on the site of what was possibly Britain’s first workhouse, established by Bristol Quakers in 1698. The now busy St. Paul’s Roundabout used to be the site of Britain’s first successful commercial brass factory, established by Quakers in 1702. Slag from this industry was used in building blocks and can be seen in a number of structures, including the walls alongside the river. B St ap le to n M © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 N The charming ‘Old Fox’ pub once stood on the banks of the River Frome and is worth a visit for its display of photographs depicting Victorian Easton and local coal miners. The pub was the first to be bought by CAMRA ( Campaign for Real Ale) and it was a haunt of the world famous cricketer, W.G. Grace, who was a local doctor. 1 S Frome Bridge d k r Pa a Ro Colston ll Be Wickham Court P T Bla ckb err y Hil l Wickham Bridge Hi ll W Y Y FRO LE outh of Eastville Park, flooding of the Frome and the Avon has caused serious and AL A KW widespread damage in the past, especially in Eastville, St. Werburghs and Broadmead. A number of flood prevention schemes in the City culminated in the completion of the Northern Stormwater Interceptor in 1968, which can be seen at Eastville. H ill E VAL W ick ha m M l Hil Weir Merchants Arms PH Heath Road Mu ller Roa d M 32 Mul ler Roa d Eastville Park PH on et pl a St The Black Swan ad Ro Eastville Park P T Fis hp on ds Ro ad The Queens Head PH N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Wickham Court can be seen above the river north of Wickham Bridge. This 17th Century farmhouse was reported to have been the meeting place of Cromwell and Fairfax in 1645 before the attack on Bristol in the Civil War. 2 M E VAL Frenchay Hospital Frenchay gb ro ok Park P St. Johns Church ill sH ce ar Pe Frenchay Common ill hay H Frenc Be Ro ad W Y Y FRO LE he picturesque cottages facing the river at Snuff Mills were originally quarrymen’s cottages. Old AL A KW quarry workings can be found along the valley, particularly around Snuff Mills park. The Pennant Sandstone was loaded onto barges and taken down-river to Bristol. The remaining mill is one of several which used to work this section of the river. The waterwheel seen turning was the last one to be used on the site. T The White Lion PH Fr en ch ay Pa rk Weir Frenchay Mill Weir Oldbury Court Estate Fre nc ha y Rd Gi ll Av en ue Weir at Snuff Mills Frenchay Bridge T P Snuff Mills Weir Weir Halfpenny Bridge Manor Rd Frenchay Bridge N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Downend Road 3 M E VAL ad Ro Road eath ley H Brom Cleeve Mill Cleeve Bridge Hill s ce ar Pe Frenchay Common Grange Park ve ee Cl St. Johns Church Frenchay ol Road P Y Park 4 Beckspo k Frenchay Hospital A417 ay French FRO gb Be Frenchay 4 Y W ro o M LE renchay, a corruption of ‘Fromeshaw’ meaning small wood by the Frome, was originally AL A KW a community of millers and quarrymen. Serious flooding has occurred along this stretch in the past and the stormwater channel with concrete sides was constructed to act as a measuring weir so that the flow could be controlled. The Grove at the bottom of Frenchay Hill is associated with Edward Higgins, a notorious highwayman who arrived from America in 1763. His ill-gotten gains allowed him to become established in Bristol’s high society before he was executed in 1767 despite attempts to forge a reprieve. Adjacent to Cleeve Road, on the opposite side of the river lies Cleeve Mill, one of the best preserved mills along the river, with some stone-work dating back to the 17th Century. Originally a corn mill, it was adapted to make agricultural tools in 1798 before operations ceased in 1885. At the turn of the century when boating was popular it was a tea room before becoming a privateresidence. Cleeve bridge hides an earlier arch, possibly medieval, which can be seen beneath. During the 18th Century money taken at the tollgate was used to upkeep the roads. A post marked ‘Turnpike Trust 1823’ can still be seen today. F ll Hi The White Lion The Grove PH Lower Mill N Frenchay Bridge © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 4 E VAL W Y Y FRO LE ust south of Winterbourne Down a short diversion can be taken to climb Bury Hill, upon which sits an AL A KW ancient Celtic fort, built about 700 BC. The double earth ramparts are well preserved except on the western side, where they were destroyed by quarrying along with a Roman wall. The Romans later occupied the fort, facing the River Severn, to defend against invasions from South Wales. J The Crosshands Down Road oad rch R Chu Harco mbe H ill M PH Winterbourne Viaduct Huckford Quarry Community Forest Path Winterbourne Down Ston e Th La ne Damsons Bridge Di n gle e M o ad Ro ne La Bury Hill The Hambrook B4058 PH Community Forest Path PH The White Horse Winterbourne Viaduct Hambrook Mill 4 h Road H e at ley m Bro Hambrook A417 ne o La cko Cu nd R oad Mill e or lls rre Wo M4 4 17 A4 N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 The impressive Winterbourne Viaduct dominates the surrounding landscape with its 11 huge arches rising up to 100 feet above the river. It was built with huge blocks of local stone and completed in 1902 as part of the Wootton Bassett to Patchway railway, now part of the London - South Wales main line. Just to the south of the Viaduct the walkway passes close to Huckford Quarry which provided sandstone for the railway. The quarry is now managed as a Local Nature Reserve providing a pleasant area to explore the woodlands, grasslands and rocky slopes. 5 Y AL KW A N PH Live & Let Live Inn d Nightingales Bridge Ha rris Ba rto n Park Lane End Roa d ry Ro ad Wa tley ’s en u e Fa ct o Bri sto lR oa W ightingales Bridge is the only surviving arched bridge of three that once existed in the village of Frampton Cotterell. Y FRO E VAL LE M v ne La Winterbourne St Fra n ci s Drive s oll ch Ni kA Par Frampton Cotterell Cloisters Road The Old Hat Factory Nightingales Bridge Avenue Bradley N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Over the other side of the river, up the hill on Factory Road, a large dwelling can be seen which originally was the Watley’s End Hat Factory. In the 19th Century over 100 people were employed here to make beaver hats. 6 P St. Peter’s Church Frampton Cotterell Bris tol Roa d W Y Y FRO LE t Frampton Cotterell the path passes around St. Peter’s Church, rebuilt in the late 19th AL A KW Century but retaining the original tower from medieval times. The old pound gate can be found in the churchyard wall, although the original pound, where stray animals found in the village were kept, was on the opposite side of Church Road. An old tramway can still be seen today behind St Peter’s Church. This is the location of the now disused Roden Acre Mine, where iron ore was worked at the end of the last century and transported, via the Tramway, to Iron Acton where it then went on to South Wales. A Frampton Cotterell Mill Church Road St. Peter’s Church ry cto Re ad Ro ol o Sch The Globe PH ad E VAL Fra mp to n ad Ro o E nd R M Clyde Road Park Lane PH Live & Let Live Inn N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Frampton Cotterell 7 W Y Y FRO LE mill was recorded at Algars Manor as early as the Doomsday Book (1086), although AL A KW the last mill ceased working at the end of the 19th Century and the wheel was later removed. A well preserved mill race can be seen in the attractive gardens of the Manor, originally a tudor house rebuilt in the 18th Century. The walkway passes close to Chill Wood which is a Local Nature Reserve owned by Iron Acton Parish Council. Circular depressions mark the position of abandoned vertical shafts from 17th Century mines. A nature trail runs between Algars Manor and Chill Wood. The wood includes the not so common Wild Service Tree and all three of the UK woodpecker species may be found here. A B4059 E VAL Yate Road The White Hart PH Iron Acton High Stree t PH Bristol Road The Rose and Crown Br ist ol Ro ad P Stati on R oad M B4 05 8 Algars Manor Chill Wood Cog Mill Farm The Frome at Algars Manor N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Fra mp ton End Road Weir 8 M E VAL W Y Y FRO LE ubbs Bottom Weir is to the south east of Chill Wood, and was built to alleviate floods lower AL A KW down the river. In the 18th Century the land beside the river was mined for coal with simple ‘bell’ pits with a windlass to raise the coal to the surface. Excavations for sewer pipes revealed a coal seam only a few metres below ground level along the valley. The Weir and Mill Leat (now dry), to the north of Nibley used to supply water to the 17th Century Nibley Mill. T e an sL r e Dy The River Frome near Stover Bridge Yate Chill Wood ad Ro e op H ad Ro er ov St Road Bridge Weir Stover Bridge Nibley Mill The Swan Inn PH ad Ro on t n i dm Ba Nibley Tubbs Bottom Weir N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 A plaque on Stover Bridge states that it was built in 1898. The word Stover is a corruption of Stanford, which means stony ford. 9 M E VAL W Y Y FRO LE oose Green Fields is a site of Nature Conservation Interest consisting of low lying wet AL A KW grassland, marsh and scrub. South Gloucestershire Council now own and manage the site in partnership with a local wildlife group. G y reen Wa Goose G Goose Green Fields Nature Area s ay nw ee Gr y Wa on t c Way nA rong Iro Armst Ro ad d Roa ook r b l Yate Mil Railway Station Road Sto ve rR oa d h Nort Stover Bridge d Roa ourt gh C nlei Cra Yate The Railway Inn PH N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 Station Road Goose Green Fields Nature Area 10 M E VAL LE W Y Y FRO t Chipping Sodbury the path passes around the edge of Barnhill Quarry. The quarry was AL A KW started in the late 19th Century and then extended to the north of Love Lane in 1958 and extended further still in 1977 by tunnelling under the Wickwar Road. The quarry contains fossiliferous limestones and is a Site of Geological Importance. A Jubilee Gardens ar ckw Wi Ch urc hR oa d St. Marys Church Yate The White Lion B4 Barnhill Quarry Disused 06 0 PH The Swan P ad Ro PH Chipping Sodbury Station Ro ad P ay hns W St. Jo Former Workhouse Buildings (Ridgewood) Kenne dy Wa y Bo w lin g Cow Mill H ill Jubilee Gardens na Alter St John the Baptist High St, 32 Bowling Road N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 PH PH PH Hounds Road A4 e tiv te Rou Tudor House rs Hatte e n La Horse St. 11 M E VAL Y FRO Y W ay W s ’ rch na Mo LE o the east of Chipping Sodbury, the steep scarp slopes of the Cotswold Hills can be seen in the AL A KW distance. They are crowned by an Iron Age hill fort south of the farm on the skyline. Two air shafts protrude from mounds of waste marking the site of the Great Western Railway tunnel. The workers were lowered down six such shafts and they brought up the excavated material the same way. T y Wa ns Joh St. Chipping Sodbury G or la nd s Ro ad View looking towards Old Sodbury e rs Ho et re St Cotswold Road Road inton Badm Chipping Sodbury Station Disused Frome Bridge Aqueduct M on ar ch ’s W ay A432 N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 12 W Y Y FRO LE ocated on the route of the walkway, at the junction of Badminton Road and AL A KW Commonmead Lane, is a former 19th Century tollhouse, which is being converted to residential flats. The path officially ends at the foot of the Cotswold Hills, although a pleasant extension to the walk is to continue along the Cotswold Way to Tormarton Village for spectacular views over the valley from the top of the escarpment, and where parking and a bus service is available. L e le bi Ju Cotswold W ay E VAL ay W Comm onme ad La ne M St. Johns Church A432 Road Badminton e an ld L o w ts Co Old Toll House Chur ch La ne PH The Dog Inn Aqueduct Old Sodbury Chapel Lane N © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. South Gloucestershire Council Licence No. LA09065L/99/14 oad Mill Lane arton Torm The Old Toll House W ay Badminton R Co tsw ol d 13 AL Y Y A FRO E VAL Y KW W W AL Public Transport Information M LE Y FRO E VAL LE M KW A Public Transport Information BUS SERVICE ACCESS POINTS Eastville Park RAIL SERVICES Bristol Temple Meads Station Bristol Bus Station and Stapleton Road Railway Station. Yate. Hourly trains to Stapleton Road Station, Monday to Saturday but NO Sunday service. Stapleton •Frequent bus services to/from Bristol City Centre and Stapleton Road Station •Hourly local trains from Bristol Temple Meads and Stapleton Road Railway Station. Severn Beach. Also infrequent trains from Bristol Parkway, Yate and Gloucester. •Frequent bus services to/from Bristol City Centre, Blackberry Hill •Frequent bus services to/from Bristol City Centre. Frenchay Common •Nearest bus stop for frequent services is on the B4058 at Begbrook Park. Frequent services to/from Bristol City Centre . Whiteshill •Hourly bus service from Bristol Bus Station and Yate Railway Station. Kendleshire •Frequent bus service to/from Bristol Bus Station and Yate Railway Station. Frampton Cotterell Church •Hourly bus service to/from Bristol Bus Station and Yate Railway Station. Chipping Sodbury •Frequent bus services to/from Bristol Bus Station and Yate Railway Station. Old Sodbury •Nearest bus stop for services to/from Yate and Bath is at The Dog Public House on the A432. •Trains run at irregular intervals between Bristol and •LocalYatetrains from Gloucestershire, Bristol Parkway, Stapleton Road and Bristol temple Meads. Also served by buses to/from Frampton Cotterell and Chipping Sodbury. Please note that bus and train services are subject to change at short notice. The information in this leaflet is intended as a guide only. References to frequency apply to Monday to Saturday daytimes. Not all services run daily and most run less frequently on Sundays and Bank Holidays. For all bus timetable information please ring TRAVELINE on 0117 955 5111 (between 0800 and 2000 daily). Bus services numbered between 500 and 999 are provided with financial support from local councils. For all train information, please ring NATIONAL RAIL ENQUIRIES on 08457 484950 (24 hours daily). W AL Y Y FRO E VAL LE M KW A Further Information Frome Valley Walkway Community Forest Path Avon Walkway The Forest of Avon Team: (0117) 953 2141 Walks and Leisure activities in Bristol Bristol City Council: (0117) 922 3719 Severn Way Bristol City Council: (0117) 903 6841 Jubilee Way Monarchs Way Local walks in South Gloucestershire the Public Rights of Way Team, South Gloucestershire Council: (01454) 863646 Cotswold Way Cotswold AONB Partnership: (01451) 862000 The Forest of Avon is a special place in and around Bristol where the landscape is being transformed into a unique and exciting environment. Through hundreds of projects many organisations and individuals are working together planting thousands of new trees and managing existing woodlands for wildlife and sustainable timber production. Improved recreational opportunities in The Forest of Avon are ensuring that the local people have space to relax and engage in sport and leisure for a healthier lifestyle. The Frome Valley Walkway is one of many recreational routes which will help you explore the Forest and surrounding countryside. Contact the Forest of Avon on (0117) 953 2141 or visit our website on www.forestofavon.org for more details.
