🦢 Visiting Bradford-on-Avon

(updated 2021-11-11)

Here's a list of some places I've visited in BoA so far. The places in each section are listed from my most favourite to my least favourite, though I've enjoyed visiting all of the places I've listed. I denote with a star the places I particularly like. Phone numbers are included because I've found it useful when out and about with my phone to click on the number and just talk to a human. The area code for Bath and BoA is 01225⁽ᵃ⁾, or +44 1225 from overseas. Other area codes are given along with the rest of the number if necessary.

(a) geopunk.co.uk — via https

Another option is to travel outside of BoA to nearby towns and cities like Bath or Frome, and for this, there's a separate list of recommendations⁽ᵃ⁾.

(a) Visiting the area around Bradford-on-Avon

The distances shown after each place's name are measured from the town bridge⁽ᵃ⁾.

(a) bradfordonavonmuseum.co.uk — via http

☕ Cafés and tea rooms

HARTLEY FARM KITCHEN⁽ᵃ⁾ · 2.6km, 1⅝ miles · ☎ 864948⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Visiting this place on a 150-acre farm is now a weekly habit. Good food, smoothies and coffee.

(a) hartley-farm.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225864948

MERKINS FARM⁽ᵃ⁾ · 2.4km, 1½ miles · ☎ 869487⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · A place to go after a nice walk to sit unrushed overlooking fields, with a generous portion of cake and some good coffee.

(a) merkinsfarm.com — via https

(b) tel:+441225869487

CANAL TRUST CAFÉ⁽ᵃ⁾ · 680m, ⅜ mile · ☎ 868683⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · A small tea room and café situated at a lovely spot on the canal with friendly staff, good cakes and coffee.

(a) facebook.com — via https

(b) tel:+441225868683

🍽 Restaurants

★ RAVELLO⁽ᵃ⁾ · 60m, very near · ☎ 781666⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Fresh and delicious Italian food. Lots of choice on the menu and they are happy to accommodate special diets. Great service.

(a) ravelloboa.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225781666

★ TIMBRELL'S YARD⁽ᵃ⁾ · 160m, ⅛ mile · ☎ 869492⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Every ingredient in every dish that ended up at our table had been thought about in detail. We couldn't stop stealing food from each other's plates to see what it tasted like. Very nice.

(a) timbrellsyard.com — via https

(b) tel:+441225869492

THAI BARN⁽ᵃ⁾ · 130m, ⅛ mile · ☎ 866443⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · A wide choice of food options, and good for gluten-free people, vegan, vegetarians, etc. My own fault, but next time I'm going to let them know I like spicy food because the Tom Yum soup was delicious.

(a) thaibarn.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225866443

THE SWAN HOTEL⁽ᵃ⁾ · 90m, very near · ☎ 868686⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · An old coaching inn, serving Thai food every day and a carvery every Sunday. We liked the Thai food and the laid-back, friendly atmosphere. A variety of live music nights happen here too.

(a) theswanbradford.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225868686

🍻 Pubs

THE DOG AND FOX⁽ᵃ⁾ · 1200m, ¾ mile · ☎ 862137⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Traditional honest English pub with a fire, real ales and a friendly landlord.

(a) dogandfoxinn.com — via https

(b) tel:+441225862137

THE SWAN HOTEL⁽ᵃ⁾ · 90m, very near · ☎ 868686⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · An old coaching inn, serving Thai food every day and a carvery every Sunday. We liked the Thai food and the laid-back, friendly atmosphere. A variety of live music nights happen here too.

(a) theswanbradford.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225868686

THE CROSS GUNS⁽ᵃ⁾ · 2.3km, 1⅜ miles · ☎ 862335⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · A sixteenth century pub with a fire, timber beams and a riverside garden with views of the valley and the Avoncliff Aqueduct. A couple of minutes' walk from Avoncliff rail station (a request stop).

(a) crossgunsavoncliff.com — via https

(b) tel:+441225862335

THE SEVEN STARS⁽ᵃ⁾ · 2.7km, 1⅔ miles · ☎ 722204⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Pleasant pub dating from the 1700s in the old part of Winsley. Welcoming staff and good food.

(a) sevenstarswinsley.co.uk — via http

(b) tel:+441225722204

BOAT HOUSE⁽ᵃ⁾ · 1600m, 1 mile · ☎ 309318⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Serves traditional British pub food and overlooks the marina on the canal.

(a) boathouse.pub — via https

(b) tel:+441225309318

🥡 Takeaways and delivery

HARLEES⁽ᵃ⁾ · 190m, ⅛ mile · 🚚 will deliver · 🗺️ map⁽ᵇ⁾ · Fish and chips to eat in, take away or even for delivery within a two mile radius.

(a) harlees.co.uk — via https

(b) openstreetmap.org — via https

Options for delivery of food to your home are unfortunately few and far between in BoA. The delivery van symbol 🚚 is used to show the few places that will deliver food. The nearest town with lots of options is Trowbridge, about 5km away down the A363⁽ᵃ⁾ (though some parts of Bradford-on-Avon are only about 1500m from some parts of Trowbridge). In spite of this situation, you can try Just-Eat⁽ᵇ⁾, Uber Eats⁽ᶜ⁾ or Deliveroo⁽ᵈ⁾ to see what's on offer.

(a) sabre-roads.org.uk — via https

(b) just-eat.co.uk — via https

(d) deliveroo.co.uk — via https

🛒 Interesting shops

THE CHEESE SHOP⁽ᵃ⁾ · 140m, ⅛ mile · ☎ 920240⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Good cheeses and deli foods.

(a) cheese-shop.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225920240

CRU WINES⁽ᵃ⁾ · 110m, ⅛ mile · 🚚 will deliver · ☎ 862289⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · Also known as 'Cru Wine Emporium'. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Delivery is same-day within a three-mile radius with no minimum order.

(a) cruwines.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225862289

👀 Sightseeing

THE TITHE BARN⁽ᵃ⁾ · 560m, ⅓ mile · 🗺️ map⁽ᵇ⁾ · A fifty-metre-long, fourteenth century stone barn with a cruck frame roof. The barn is situated beside the Kennet and Avon canal and Barton Farm Country Park, so there are plenty of good picnic spots nearby.

(a) english-heritage.org.uk — via https

(b) openstreetmap.org — via https

CHAPEL OF ST. MARY TORY⁽ᵃ⁾ · 360m, ¼ mile · ☎ 863819⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · High on the hill (an old word for which is tory) is this chapel, providing a great viewpoint over the town below among a network of footpaths.

(a) saxonchurch.org.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225863819

🚕 Taxis and getting around

Note: It's sometimes worth checking ride-hailing apps like Uber (availability⁽ᵃ⁾; counterpoint⁽ᵇ⁾), which don't usually take requests to travel FROM BoA, to see whether they have cars in the area from other jobs.

(a) uber.com — via https

(b) stallman.org — via https

It's good to support local businesses, though, and so far, these guys seem like the main taxi company in town:

BRADFORD ON AVON TAXIS⁽ᵃ⁾ · 230m, ⅛ mile · ☎ 862277⁽ᵇ⁾ · 🗺️ map⁽ᶜ⁾ · So far they've been consistently prompt to turn up and pleasant to deal with.

(a) bradfordonavon-taxis.co.uk — via https

(b) tel:+441225862277

Public transport may be a good alternative option. There are several bus routes that go through Bradford-on-Avon⁽ᵃ⁾ and there are several local railway stations on the so-called Heart of Wessex Line⁽ᵇ⁾ and Wessex Main Line⁽ᶜ⁾, namely Bradford-on-Avon⁽ᵈ⁾ (`BOA`⁽ᵉ⁾), Avoncliff⁽ᶠ⁾ (`AVF`⁽ᵍ⁾) and Freshford⁽ʰ⁾ (`FFD`⁽ⁱ⁾). Departure boards and route planning are available on traintimes.org.uk⁽ʲ⁾.

(a) bustimes.org — via https

(b) en.wikipedia.org — via https

(d) en.wikipedia.org — via https

(e) traintimes.org.uk — via https

(f) en.wikipedia.org — via https

(g) traintimes.org.uk — via https

(h) en.wikipedia.org — via https

(i) traintimes.org.uk — via https

(j) traintimes.org.uk — via https