Freshford and Monkton Combe anchor one of the best half-day valley walks near Bath, a hilly route that follows the River Avon, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the railway line out towards Bradford on Avon, crossing the water twice on historic aqueducts. It's a walk for people who want proper countryside and a couple of good pub stops, not a quick stroll: expect around three and a half hours and several climbs if you do the full loop.
The villages
Monkton Combe is a small village in a steep wooded valley just southeast of Bath, known locally for Monkton Combe School and its position on the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath. Freshford sits a little further along the valley, where the Rivers Avon and Frome meet, with a cluster of honey-coloured stone houses and its own request-stop railway station. Both are classic Bath-area villages: small, well-kept, and built around the valley's canal, river and railway rather than a high street.
The classic route: two pubs, two aqueducts, two stations
The best-known version of this walk links Freshford, Avoncliff, Limpley Stoke, Winsley and Monkton Combe into one route, with several possible start points depending on which pub or café you want to time your arrival at. The full loop runs about 11.75km (roughly 7.3 miles) with around 435m of height gain, so allow about 3.5 hours and expect it to feel more like a hilly walk than a flat towpath stroll, with three main uphill sections.
Along the way you cross the railway line four times, including once by level crossing and twice via the aqueducts, and cross the river twice, both times on the same aqueducts. The two aqueducts, Dundas and Avoncliff, each carry the Kennet and Avon Canal directly over the River Avon, a proper piece of canal engineering rather than just a bridge.
Three refreshment stops sit directly on the route: The Inn at Freshford, the Cross Guns at Avoncliff, and the Angelfish Café at Dundas Aqueduct. All three get busy on summer weekends, so it's worth calling ahead if you're planning to eat there rather than just pass through.
Getting there by train
Both Freshford and Avoncliff have their own railway stations on the line between Bath Spa and Bradford on Avon, which makes this an easy walk to reach without a car. The important catch: both stations are request stops. The train won't stop automatically, so you need to tell the conductor you want to get off, or you'll carry on to Bradford on Avon. The same applies on the way back, so flag the train down at the platform rather than assuming it will stop.
Monkton Combe specifically
If you're based in or starting from Monkton Combe rather than Freshford, the village connects to the same valley network via the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath, with a climb up to Brassknocker Hill linking through to the wider Limpley Stoke valley routes. It's a steeper, more wooded approach than the river-level paths around Freshford and Avoncliff, so it suits a there-and-back walk as much as a full loop.
Planning your visit
This isn't a flat, buggy-friendly towpath walk; the hills and steps make it better suited to those who want a proper countryside walk with a reward at the end. If you'd rather stay on the flat, the Two Tunnels Greenway out of Bath is a gentler canal-and-railway-path alternative. For another request-stop station walk in the same valley, see our guide to wild swimming at Warleigh Weir, which sits on the same stretch of river closer to Bath. For more walks of varying difficulty around the city, our best walks near Bath guide compares your options, and getting around Bath without a car covers the wider rail picture if you're relying on trains throughout.
Quick facts
| Monkton Combe & Freshford walk | |
|---|---|
| Full loop distance | About 11.75km (7.3 miles) |
| Height gain | About 435m |
| Time needed | About 3.5 hours |
| Difficulty | Medium; several uphill sections |
| Pubs and cafés on route | The Inn at Freshford, the Cross Guns (Avoncliff), Angelfish Café (Dundas Aqueduct) |
| Getting there by train | Freshford and Avoncliff stations, both request stops |