The programme for this year’s Bathscape Walking Festival has been announced and bookings are now being taken, with over 50 free walks being offered for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The Festival features 50 free walks covering a variety of themes and distances.
All the walks are led by knowledgeable leaders and supported by volunteers. They start at various locations around Bath and explore every corner of the city and surrounding countryside.
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “If you’re visiting Bath for the first time, or have lived here all your life, whether you want to walk longer distances, enjoy stunning views, find out more about local history or want a shorter, thought provoking experience, there’s a walk for you.
“It’s a really exciting range of walks, and we are grateful to our walk leaders, funders and players of the National Lottery for making it possible.”
The packed programme includes historic walks where you can learn more about John Wood, Ralph Allen, Emperor Haile Selassie and William Beckford.
There are walks about death and dying, gardens and climate change and plants and foraging.
Many of the walks are child-friendly, including a number of bat walks. There are also walks aimed at those living with dementia, people wanting to improve their health and wellbeing or taking their first steps to fitness. You can even help Bathscape create a meadow.
Over the weekend of 14th – 15th September, there will be opportunities to explore further afield with the Somer Valley Walking Festival.
The grand finale is, as ever, the Julian House charity annual sponsored walk, The Circuit of Bath Walk, on Sunday 22nd September.
Walkers can enrol now for this 20-mile challenge and start fundraising to help this important local charity.
Cathy Adcock from Julian House said: “We are very grateful to all those walkers who enjoy the most spectacular views of Bath whilst raising vital funds to help the city’s homeless. We would also like to thank our sponsors Thermae Bath Spa.”
Peter Rollins, Marketing and Communications Director at Thermae Bath Spa, one of the key sponsors, added: “We are really pleased to be supporting the Bathscape Walking Festival and Julian House’s Circuit of Bath.
“The health benefits of walking are well known, and this natural affiliation between walking, spa and wellness lends itself well to our ongoing partnership with the Walking Festival”.
To find out more, visit www.bathscapewalkingfestival.co.uk or call 01225 477265.
To register for the Julian House walk visit www.circuitofbathwalk.co.uk/.