Stocking fillers
Nigel Vile offers his thoughts on local walking guidebooks for a great little Christmas gift
1. Where Wiltshire Meets Somerset by roger Jones (ex libris PRESS)
When I first moved to West Wiltshire in 1979, there were very few walking guidebooks on the market. This book, first published in 1982, filled this void and soon appeared on nearly every local walking enthusiast’s bookshelf. Superbly illustrated by Edward Dowden, an artist who now lives in Yorkshire, this book features 20 walks on the Wiltshire/somerset border in the vicinity of Bath, Frome and the West Wiltshire communities of Bradford-onavon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster. The 2021 updated edition is available on the Ex Libris Press website for £7.95.
2. beyond Where Wiltshire Meets Somerset by roger Jones (ex libris PRESS)
In 2015, some 36 years later, this sequel finally appeared. Gone were Edward Dowden’s illustrations, and in their place were Roger Jones’s own photographs. These walks were slightly further afield from the Wiltshire/somerset border, and included locations such as Corsham and Heytesbury, Swineford and Nunney. Once again, an almost obligatory addition to any local walker’s bookshelf, with 20 ‘interesting and enjoyable’ circular routes in this beautiful neck of the woods. The 2019 revised edition is available on the Ex Libris Press website for £7.95.
3. Country Walks From bath by andrew SWIFT (akeman PRESS)
To quote from the book’s back cover: ‘Bath is surrounded by countryside of extraordinary beauty and diversity, much of it little changed since the city’s 18th-century heyday. These 14 walks, all of which start in the city centre, explore this fascinating landscape, following ancient holloways and green lanes to visit civil war battle fields, lost pleasure gardens, country pubs, old canals, iron age hillforts, Roman roads, abandoned quarries and much more.’ What marks this book out is its wealth of historical background information. Quite literally a weighty tome, some 238 pages in fact, the book can be purchased from the Akeman Press website for £15.
4. guide to bristol & bath Pub Walks by nigel Vile (Countryside books)
Discover the beauty of the countryside around these two fine cities with this guide to some of the finest walking in the area. The 20 circular routes vary in length from four to eight miles and are each centred on a broad variety of welcoming pubs recommended for their good food. Explore the Severn Estuary, climb above Cheddar Gorge and visit picturesque villages such as Castle Combe in Wiltshire. A handy pocket-sized book that can be purchased from Countryside Books of Newbury for £5.99.
5. beyond bristol 24 Country Walks by robin tetlow (redcliffe PRESS)
A collection of 24 walks, many of which are actually closer to Bath than Bristol. Illustrated with colour images, and with official OS mapping, this is an excellent book. Each walk is described with distances and estimated times, detailed directions and advice on refreshment stops. With distances ranging from six to 11 miles, this is definitely a book for the more serious walker. The Marshfield and Solsbury Hill walk, for example, comes in at 11 miles with an estimated time of six hours. The book can be purchased online from Redcliffe Press for £15.
6. beyond bristol 2 – 24 More Country Walks by robin tetlow (redcliffe PRESS)
A sequel, and once again many of the walks are close to Bath. Included among the local walks are routes at Old Sodbury and
Cold Ashton, Box and Wellow, with none of the locations being more than one hour’s drive from Bath. The book can be purchased online from Redcliffe Press for £15.
7. bristol & bath hidden Walks by Michael Wilberforce (a-z MAP Company)
I stumbled across this book, one of a series devoted to town and city trails across the UK, purely by chance. It seems to have appeared on the market with very little fanfare. If you wish to discover lesser-known circuits and secret spots in both Bath and Bristol then this is the book. Walk 18 ‘The Village within the City’, for example, is a fascinating 2½-mile stroll around Widcombe in Bath. With the usual A-Z street maps and detailed directions, it is impossible to get lost. The book can be purchased on Amazon for £5.99.
8. Country Walks around bath by tom Mowl (Millstream books)
Illustrated with black-and-white sketches, this collection of 13 walks evoke a keen sense of atmosphere and comes with a distinctive commentary. This should come as no surprise with Tim Mowl being Emeritus Professor in the history of architecture and designed landscapes at Bristol University. Other than the walks at Badminton and Mells, all of the remaining routes are on Bath’s doorstep, making this a very local walking guidebook. Although out of print, good quality secondhand copies of this book are available on Amazon from as little as 1p!
9. Circular Walks in the timsbury area by Peter bradshaw, larry Cunningham and Sue Fraser
This is not one book but four! The original title was Twenty Circular Walks in and around Timsbury which subsequently spawned the titles Close to Timsbury, Near Timsbury and Not Far From Timsbury. There is also a book based on Radstock. The three authors are all local walking enthusiasts, with a wealth of knowledge about what is a former mining area. Copies can be purchased from the Oldfield Park Bookshop and Radstock Museum for just £6 or check out www.timsbury.org.uk for further information.
10. bristol & bath year round Walks by nigel Vile (Countryside books)
A collection of walks for each season of the year, including bluebell walks in the spring, seaside strolls in the summer, autumnal colours and wintering wildfowl. With five walks for each season, and the book coming in a handy pocketsized format, this would make an excellent stocking filler. Copies can be purchased from Countryside Books of Newbury for £5.99.