Beckford’s Tower

A gentle walk across Bath Racecourse to Beckford's Tower Monument.

Technical sheet

25876407
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.17 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 1h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 17 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 17 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 228 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 210 m

Description der Wandertour

Start: The Charlcombe Inn, Lansdown, Bath, Somerset BA1 9BT
Tel +44 (0)1225 421995

(S/E) From the front door of The Charlcombe Inn, turn right and right again through the kissing gate onto the racecourse (A). Duck under the rails and cross the course, then bear half-left to the far corner, where a gap in the wall leads into a road.

(1) Turn left, then take a footpath on the right through a wooden kissing gate. Walk along the bottom of the playing fields, bearing right and left as the hedge bends. Beyond the buildings, join a track that continues towards Beckford’s Tower (B), looking out for a kissing gate on the right.

(2) Take the signposted footpath, bearing left to a metal kissing gate, and follow the path across the hillside beyond, initially close to the wall then dropping below some trees. Go through two further kissing gates in quick succession and pass below Beckford’s
Tower.

(3) After the next kissing gate, turn left to a second gate into a track, which leads out to the road. Take a few steps to the right then cross over and follow Granville Road opposite. After a third of a mile, when the road bends sharp right, turn left onto a metalled driveway, following power lines.

(4) Pass a house on the left then turn left before the gateway of Charlcombe Grove Farm and follow the drive round to the right. At the next gateway, take a path on the left that skirts the property. After a gate into a field, turn left and follow a path at an angle away from the wall on the left. Cross three fields separated by slab stiles and a kissing gate.

(5) At the end of the third field follow a narrow path to a farm drive. Take the path opposite, swinging right then left and along a wall to another slab stile, cross over the stile and then skirt the next field.

(6) Just after the far corner, another slab stile leads into the next field; cross diagonally to a farm drive, where you cross a cattle grid left to the road. Turn right to return to The Charlcombe Inn (C). (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 227 m - The Charlcombe Inn
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 222 m - Road
  3. 2 : km 1.19 - alt. 220 m - Beckford's Tower
  4. 3 : km 2.14 - alt. 221 m - Kissing Gate
  5. 4 : km 3.07 - alt. 226 m - Charlcombe Grove Farm
  6. 5 : km 4.03 - alt. 222 m - Farm Drive
  7. 6 : km 4.65 - alt. 224 m - Slab Stile
  8. S/E : km 5.17 - alt. 227 m - The Charlcombe Inn

Practical information

In the nearby area

(A) Bath Racecourse is Britain’s highest flat-racing course. Racing was first recorded in Bath in 1728 but the first major meet was held in 1811. Notable races includes the Lansdown Fillies’ Stake (April) and the Beckford Stakes (October).

(B) Beckford’s Tower is a neoclassical folly built in 1827 and used by its owner, William Thomas Beckford, a wealthy novelist and art collector, as a retreat and library.

(C) The Charlcombe Inn is a classic countryside free house, with a comfortable interior, large garden overlooking Bath Racecourse, rooms and refreshment available.
The menu offers a good range of pub classics plus some more exciting dishes, cooked fresh and wherever possible, using locally sourced ingredients.

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