Trowbridge to Avoncliffe

After Trowbridge the line branches into two (at Bradford South Junction) with one line heading north to Melksham and the other to Bradford on Avon in the west, going under the Kennet and Avon Canal at Ladydown Aqueduct. The western branch sweeps around towards Bradford on Avon following the line of the River Avon...

• Bradford on Avon

The name of Bradford On Avon derives from the 'broad ford' that once marked the point at which people and their animals crossed the River Avon. Today, the river is crossed by a magnificent bridge, on which sits the town's lock-up. The industrial buildings of Bradford's past give the town a gritty northern feel, which is hardly surprising when you realise that, like its neighbour and rival Trowbridge, Bradford is built on the cloth industry. In the fifteenth century the town flourished following the arrival of Flemish weavers. Today, the buildings are occupied by modern industry or have been converted into apartments. Other notable buildings include the Tithe Barn - a fine example of vernacular architecture and used today for the occasional public performance - and the Saxon church of St Lawrence, which lies across the river and is well worth a visit.

• Kennet and Avon Canal

The Kennet and Avon Canal was completed in 1810 and links London and Bristol via the rivers Thames and Kennet in the east and the River Avon in the west. It is 87 miles long and, following a period of restoration, was reopened by Her Majesty the Queen ln 1990. The canal at Bradford on Avon has become an important visitor attraction and there are opportunities to hire boats and bikes to explore the canal at leisure.

• River Avon

The river provided the driving force - quite literally - for much of the industry in West Wiltshire. Today, with many of the old mills no longer in use, the Avon has returned to its former watery haven for wildlife.

At Bradford, the railway, the river and the canal are forced along the narrow Avon valley towards Avoncliffe, passing through Barton Farm Country Park.

• Barton Farm Country Park

This 36 acre park provides plenty of space and fresh air for anyone who doesn't want to be too for away from Bradford on Avon's town centre. The park offers a superb circular walk, which encapsulates the fourteenth century Tithe Barn, River Avon, Kennet and Avon Canal, the Avoncliffe Aqueduct as well as the village of Avoncliffe with its pub (the Cross Guns) and tearooms.

Beyond the station at Avoncliffe the line continues on towards Bath...

• Avoncliffe

This hamlet, which clings to the wooded hillside that forms the Avon Valley, rubs shoulders with river, the canal and the railway and, like so many other communities in the vacinity, owes its existance to the weaving industry. Dominating the scene is the Avoncliffe Aqueduct which carries the canal over the Avon and was built by the Kennet and Avon's engineer John Rennie in 1804. As an example of industrial architecture its classical design seems almost out of place, particularly when you stop to consider its functional use. However, Rennie's design is a testament to the sympathetic way he chose to blend classical architecture and industrial necessity with the rural landscape.

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