Bathampton: Hillfort, Church and Avon Landscape

Bathampton brings together early history, architectural and burial history, and a landscape along the River Avon and the Kennet-&-Avon Canal. Specific points of interest include the Iron Age hillfort of Bathampton Camp, St Nicholas parish church, Bathampton Mill and Bathampton Meadows. If you are planning a stay in the village, you can focus your interests on these themes: an archaeological site, historic buildings, riverside scenery or a bike ride along the canal. This will give you an idea while planning of which aspects of the village match your travel interests.

Bathampton Camp on Bathampton Down

Bathampton Camp is a Scheduled Monument, meaning it has been legally designated as a monument. The hillfort, dating to the early Iron Age, lies on Bathampton Down, overlooking the River Avon valley. Despite its later use as a golf course and some quarrying, it is comparatively well preserved. For travellers interested in prehistoric sites, Bathampton Camp is a specific historical point of interest: its early date, its position above the river valley and its comparatively good state of preservation all come together here.

Church, tombs and mill

Bathampton’s parish church was originally Norman and was largely rebuilt by Ralph Allen around 1750. A group of five chest tombs lies to the northeast of the chancel of St Nicholas parish church. They date from the late 18th or early 19th century and form a good collection of classical and traditional local tomb types. Admiral Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, is buried in Bathampton parish church. The church and tombs therefore offer different points of reference in time: the Norman origins were followed by the extensive rebuilding, while the tombs belong to a later period.

Bathampton Mill is a grist mill. An inscription on it bears the date “G.E.A. (George Allen), 1818”; it is probably a conversion of an older building. The year refers to the inscription, while the interpretation as a conversion of an earlier building remains a supposition. Together with the church’s history, the mill offers another perspective on Bathampton’s varied historical traces, without reducing all its building phases to a single date.

Avon landscape and canal

Bathampton Meadows extend along the River Avon and form a floodplain that protects Bath from extreme weather events. The River Avon at Bathampton Mill is also designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. Two distinct aspects of the riverside landscape are therefore evident: the Meadows’ protective function for Bath and the designation of the river by the mill.

The Kennet-&-Avon Canal offers another specific point of interest for your stay. From Bathampton, you can cycle along the towpath to Claverton Pumping Station. This Grade I listed museum, run by volunteers, is located nearby. Bathampton is also a starting point for family outings to explore the canal. The village also has a permanent mooring area with some boat services. The canal connection thus includes a cycling route, a possible setting for a family outing and a dedicated boating-services facility.

Getting there by bus

Bus route 265 runs from Bath city centre to the village of Bathampton. As routes can change, check the timetable before travelling. This gives you a specific reference point for getting there, while the other themes of your stay range from the history of the hillfort and church to the riverside landscape and the canal.

Discover more destinations: Bishop Sutton, Bath, Temple Cloud, Kelston, Saltford, Ubley, Farrington Gurney, Batheaston.

For the broader travel overview: Bath And North East Somerset.