A Climb up to Find a Panoramic View

Each month I go for a walk with my Walk and Talk group. When I discovered that we were intending to do a walk that we had attempted in the winter but had cut short because of the weather I knew this was an opportunity for a photo. The walk climbs slowly up from a village called Swineford to the top of Lansdown just outside Bath. It reaches a height of 230 metres. An ideal chance to get No. 16 A Panoramic View When Standing Someplace High in the Air for Rinda's photo challenge.

The walk up is along a bridle path with high hedges so there is very little view until you are quite high up. Then you have a spectacular view back over the River Avon.

The weather was not as clear and sunny as it has been for the rest of the week which did not give such good visibility but was easier for walking in. We climbed on up to Prospect Stile, a famous viewpoint on the edge of Lansdown Racecourse. It is reputed that you can see 5 counties from here. We were a little stumped counting these. Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and the fifth? This is of course the old counties which now have been subdivided.

We had a view over Bath and could distantly pick out Westbury White Horse. Closer to us was Kelston Roundhill.

The walk took us on around the edge of the racecourse and a golf course with fabulous views all the way.

Looking towards Bristol we could pick out both of the Severn Bridges.

Quite a lot of the walk followed the Cotswold Way. We met a number of walkers and runners including two gentlemen walking from John O Groats to Lands End making our walk seem very inferior.

Fortunately they had passed by before we stopped for a Tai Chi lesson.

It was a lovely walk with superb views. I fear I will be a little stiff tomorrow from that climb up and down.