Although this month’s walk from Andrew Swift is only 3.5 miles long, it has more variety – and more challenges – than many which cover far greater distances…
Distance: 3.5 miles
Accessibility: Care is needed on rough and slippery paths, especially alongside those above the river.
Getting there: The starting point is by St John’s church at Frenchay (BS16 1LJ). There is plenty of free parking around the common, including several three-hour parking spaces near the church (not available on Sunday mornings). First Bus 50 runs from the city centre (Mon-Sat) to a stop near
St John’s church.
March’s adventure starts and ends in Frenchay, one of South Gloucestershire’s most fascinating villages, where great houses line a gloriously unkempt common and quarrymen’s cottages huddle beside the fast-flowing River Frome. Venturing across the river, it explores the grounds of a long-demolished mansion, replete with cascades and paths cut into the steep sides of a rocky gorge over two centuries ago.
Muddy, slippery, with broken-down steps and steep climbs, it is far from a gentle stroll, but, if you are shod appropriately and take reasonable care, it is a walk to savour. And, at journey’s end, there is a welcoming pub – the recently-refurbished White Lion – on Frenchay Common.
The walk starts on the common, by St John’s church, which, curiously enough, was only built in 1834 – much later than most of the grand houses lining the common. The reason, it seems, is that many of those houses were built by Quakers or Unitarians, who had little need of a parish church.
From the church gate, follow a path heading south. Carry on at the end past the faded glory of Frenchay Garage and turn right along Quarry Road past the White Lion, built by George’s Brewery in 1899, with some glorious Jacobean-style strapwork.
At the end turn left downhill and, when you come to a bridge over the Frome, turn right across it. On the far side, turn right into the Oldbury Court Estate and follow a broad track uphill. After levelling out at the top, the track heads across a meadow. As it starts to drop down into woodland, turn right along a narrow muddy path, with a stream below you on the left. As you carry on, you will see that the stream has been dammed to create two ponds.
The heart of the estate
After passing the second pond, turn left across a footbridge, head up steps and bear right. At the junction of four paths, carry straight on up a flight of steps. When you reach the top, you are at the heart of the estate – just ahead is the site of Oldbury Court. Dating from around 1600, its grounds were landscaped in dramatic style a couple of centuries later by Humphry Repton.
The estate was acquired by Bristol Corporation in 1936 as an open space for all to enjoy. The house, after falling into disrepair, was demolished in 1960, but much of the landscaping survives. You have already seen a stream dammed to create ponds and cascades. Now you will see how Repton took advantage of the estate’s dramatic location high above the River Frome.
Bear right to follow a path along the edge of the escarpment. After 75m, when the path forks – just beyond a hollowed-out tree stump – bear right. After heading downhill for a little way, with a fence protecting you from a sheer drop, the path levels out along a revetment. The climax of this vertiginous woodland walk comes as you pass beneath an overhanging rock, just beyond which steep steps lead down to the river.
On the far side of the weir across the river lay King’s Mill, a flour mill dating back to at least the 15th century, and later converted to a snuff mill which closed around 1840. Turn right along the riverside path.
After 850m, you come to a flow monitoring station. The derelict building behind it was connected with Frenchay Mill, which stood beside the weir a little further along and survived until 1905.
Here the sides of the valley start to close in. The path narrows and steps lead up to a rough dramatic section high above the river. At the end, climb a broad flight of steps and turn left to cross back over the river. After turning right on the far side, look back to see a plaque recording the building of the bridge in 1788.
Behind a house on the left you can see one of Frenchay’s many quarries. Pennant stone from these parts was once highly prized. The former flock mill, on the right, started life as an ironworks in 1761. Hard today to think of this picturesque valley as a hub of industry.
A little further on, look out for Grove House on the right. This was the home of Edward Higgins, the Frenchay Highwayman, whose nefarious occupation allowed him to live here in grand style – until his misdeeds caught up with him and he was hanged in 1767.
Turn right along Chapel Lane and carry on through a squeeze stile along a muddy track past a former Methodist chapel. After 300m, you will see another bridge through the trees ahead. This is Cleeve Bridge, whose 18th century arches can be seen underneath those added in the 19th century when it was raised and widened.
Follow the track up through a squeeze stile and a step stile onto a road. Turn left and left again through a kissing gate onto Frenchay Moor. Bear right up a track, go through a kissing gate and climb through woodland to another kissing gate at the top. Head straight across to a gap in the hedge to go through a further kissing gate and turn right alongside the hedge.
At the end, go through a final kissing gate, cross the road and turn left. The tower on your right is a former dovecote converted to an electricity substation. After passing the village hall on your left, bear right along Beckspool Road, which is lined with Frenchay’s grandest houses. When you come to Riverwood Road, look across to see one of the grandest – Frenchay Manor, built in 1736 for Joseph Beck, a Quaker merchant.
Cross over to head back along the road, bearing right when it forks. The Quaker Meeting House, which you pass on the right, was built in 1809 on the site of a meeting house established in 1673. After passing a high wall and the gates of Cedar Hall, bear right again as the road forks. The west wing of Frenchay House, with carved female heads in the keystones of the ground-floor windows, dates from 1772, although the rest of the building is later. Then comes Clarendon Lodge – also late 18th century – and Clarendon House, built around 1840.
Cosmic links
After passing another wall, you come to the appropriately named Old House. The Unitarian chapel next door was built in the late seventeenth century, but the tower is thought to be a later addition, and it has been suggested that the comet weathervane indicates a date of 1758-59, when Halley’s Comet appeared. Its appearance had been predicted by Edmund Halley using laws devised by Isaac Newton, and was a triumphant vindication of the validity of Newtonian physics. As both Newton and Halley were Unitarians, it would have been natural for the Unitarians of Frenchay to celebrate the event in this way. At the far end of the chapel’s small but fascinating graveyard is a bodysnatcher’s stone, once placed over newly-dug graves to deter the ‘resurrectionists’ who exhumed and sold corpses for dissection in medical schools.
If you carry on along the road for another 150m you will see, over to your right, Frenchay Park. Built around 1780, it was converted to a hospital in World War Two and later used as offices before being restored to a family home. From here, you can cut across the common to return to the starting point, or head to the White Lion for some well-deserved refreshment.
Discover more of Andrew Swift’s books and writings online from akemanpress.com | All photos courtesy of Andrew Swift
