Combe Down sits on a ridge around a mile and a half south of Bath city centre, a village-like neighbourhood of Bath stone terraces surrounded by woodland, and the starting point for some of the best walking and cycling routes in the area. It's a genuinely different pace from the centre, and worth the climb if you want a break from the crowds around the Abbey and the Roman Baths.
What the area is like
Combe Down is built up mostly from 18th and 19th-century Bath stone villas, terraces and workers' cottages, in the same honey-coloured stone that lines the streets of central Bath, plus the Foxhill estate of council and former council housing built after the Second World War. It has a handful of independent shops, pubs and delis rather than a full high street, and Firs Field, a large green open space with a children's playground, sits at the heart of the village.
Why visitors come here
Most visitors reach Combe Down for what surrounds it rather than the village itself: woodland, walking trails and two of the area's best outdoor attractions sit right on its doorstep.
Prior Park Landscape Garden
Prior Park, a National Trust landscape garden with a Palladian bridge, one of only four of its kind in the world, is a short walk from Combe Down. There's no on-site car park, so most people either walk up from the city or come via the village; see our full guide to Prior Park for the details on getting in.
The Bath Skyline
Combe Down borders large areas of woodland, including Rainbow Wood, Fairy Wood and Klondyke Copse, much of it owned and managed by the National Trust, and these woods carry part of the Bath Skyline walk, the circular trail with some of the best views over the city.
Combe Down Tunnel and the Two Tunnels Greenway
Combe Down Tunnel, at 1,672 metres, is the longest cycling and walking tunnel in Britain, built as a railway tunnel in 1874 and reopened in 2013 as part of the Two Tunnels Greenway, a traffic-free walking and cycling route between Bath and Midford. It runs with interactive light and sound installations inside, which makes the tunnel itself worth the trip even if you don't cycle the whole route; see our guide to the Two Tunnels Greenway for the full route.
Getting to Combe Down
There's no train station in Combe Down, so you'll either walk up from the city centre (it's a genuine uphill climb, so allow more time than the distance suggests) or take a local bus. If you're planning to cycle the Two Tunnels Greenway, many people start from the city centre end and treat Combe Down as the high point of the route rather than a separate destination.
Should you visit?
Combe Down isn't a place with sights to tick off in the way the Roman Baths or the Circus are, and that's rather the point. It works best as an outdoor half-day: walk up through the woods, take in the Skyline views, see Prior Park, and either walk back down or head into the Combe Down Tunnel for the return leg. It's best for a quieter, greener side of Bath rather than city buzz, and less practical if you're relying entirely on public transport rather than walking or cycling.
Practical tips
The climb up from the city centre is steep in places, so wear proper shoes rather than city sightseeing footwear if you're walking. There's limited parking directly in the village, and Prior Park itself has no visitor car park at all, so check our Bath parking guide before you set off if you're driving.