Happy New Year from all at Bathscape! It’s been a very soggy start but if you’re keen to get out now that we’ve got a reprieve from the rain then do read on – we’ve got lots of ideas for places to visit as well as several guided walks coming up over the next few months. There’s also details of the upcoming wellness festival – ReBalance Bath, a writing competition and our latest podcast episode.
Making It Easier to Explore
Looking to beat those January blues? Getting out in the fresh air does wonders for our health and wellbeing. It can be difficult to find the enthusiasm at this time of year but our website is full of resources to make it easier than ever to get out and explore. Our Bathscape Map details over 40 places to visit and 18 walking routes to try. We’re now adding video guides to many of our walks so you can get a taster of them before you head out.
We’re regularly told by long standing Bath residents that thanks to our activities and resources, they’ve found new places to explore on their doorstep. Visit the explore page of our website for inspiration or take a look at our events page to see what walks and activities we’ve got coming up. We have added an accessibility statement on our home page too.
Rebalance Bath Festival
In the cold, dark days of midwinter, Bath will be hosting a three-week wellness festival. This is a celebration of feel-good activities, mindfulness and motivation, exclusive hotel and spa packages, taster sessions and family fun. Taking place from 25th January -18th February, over 150 wellbeing experiences are on offer, including guided walks from Bathscape and Bath Urban Treescape. For full details see: welcometobath.co.uk/rebalance-bath-wellbeing-festival-whats-on/
Writing Competition
Bathscape has teamed up with ‘walk · listen · create’, for their latest writing competition. ‘walk · listen · create’ is a not-for profit social enterprise whose aim is to support artists, performers and writers who make work on foot or to be experienced on foot.
The competition starts on 7th January and runs to 2nd April, with the chance to win an original work of art and a cash prize for the best piece based in the Bathscape area.
Andrew Stuck of ‘walk · listen · create’ says: “What are the stories in the landscape around you? What are the views, the buildings, the trees, the parks telling you? We would like you to put these stories into short written pieces for the latest writing competition, in conjunction with Placecloud.io We are offering cash prizes for the winners and runners up, whose submissions will become geo-located audio podcasts. Please use this link to read more about the writing competition and how to enter.”
Judges will also choose a winner for a Viewpoint from the Bathscape Landscape Partnership area which best encapsulates rural views into and from the City of Bath – walk up to the surrounding hills for your inspiration!
Circuit of Bath Guided Walks
If you’re keen to walk the beautiful Circuit of Bath but would prefer to go with a group, we have several free guided walks coming up over the spring/summer, led by the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens. You can do the whole route in one weekend or in 3 stages over monthly walks. For further information and to book please see: bathscape.co.uk/events/ By arrangement, guides are available to assist blind and partially sighted people on these walks.
Footprints Podcast
The latest episode of Footprints looks back at our highlights of 2023. If you’ve not listened before this is the perfect introduction, and if you’re already a loyal listener this is a lovely look back at the best bits. More than 40 people took part in the shows last year and huge thanks go to them for making the episodes so fascinating and varied to listen to. They and the organisations they represent are at the very heart of the Bathscape and we will hear from many more in 2024. To listen go to: https://footprints.captivate.fm/ or search “Bathscape Footprints” wherever you normally get your podcasts.
Huge thanks as always to our podcast producer, Pommy Harmar.
Volunteer Research Opportunity
Bath has long been recognised as a place visit in order to improve your health & wellbeing. From the 18th century, as well as taking the waters, people were encouraged to take “cure walks” & carriage rides from the city out into the countryside. We are looking for a volunteer to research these historic cure walks, with a view to undertaking an assessment of their current status and producing interpretive material about the history of them. If this is of interest please contact info@bathscape.co.uk for more information or call Bathscape’s Volunteer Coordinator to discuss: 07967 466 807.
Volunteer Opportunities at Beckford’s Tower
You may have noticed that Beckford’s Tower has been under scaffolding for several months. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, works are well underway to restore the tower, transform the museum and reconnect the landscape. Once the works are complete there will be many volunteer opportunities at the site including gardening and landscaping work, giving talks and tours and running school workshops. If you would like to know more, Bath Preservation Trust are holding an open day for potential volunteers at the Tower on the Friday 12th January from 12-2pm. Just drop in, or for more info call them on 01225 460 705 tower@bptrust.org.uk.
