Walk Leader
Steve Hartley LRPS
Capacity
10
Bath is a very green city and this two-mile walk will include up to two parks and four gardens, all providing very different subject matter providing opportunities for a wide variety of photographic styles.
We will meet at the café in Sydney Gardens; a very pleasant space with a folly or two, a bridge and some spaces for outdoor activities. Sydney Gardens is the oldest park in the city of Bath. It was planned and laid out by the architect Harcourt Masters in 1795 and throughout the end of the eighteenth and into the nineteenth century it was the popular place to see and be seen by the fashionable visitors to Bath.
Next will be Henrietta Park, which boasts ‘the Grandest Tree’ and some interesting walkways. Opened to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria of 1897, Henrietta Park contains many fine trees, a pergola covered with roses, extensive shrubberies and beautiful flower beds, along with a Sensory Garden which is planted with many sweetly scented flowers and shrubs.
Parade Gardens are a tourist hotspot and an entrance fee of £2 is payable. The bedding displays are among the finest in the country and are particularly noted for their displays of traditional carpet and sculptural bedding. The bandstand provides an interesting focal point. There is a café selling sandwiches and drinks, and benches for picnics, so it may provide a useful spot to take a lunch break.
The Georgian Garden is not visited by very many tourists as it is slightly hidden. It is a formal garden restored to its original form.
Next, we come to the Royal Victoria Park with its tree lined walkways, a duck pond and some wide open spaces. There is a café, a beach (don’t ask) and a bandstand. Just a short stroll from the city centre, the area is a beautiful expanse of green parkland, spanning 57 acres. Originally an arboretum, it is still home to the beautiful Botanic Gardens and the Great Dell Aerial Walkway.
The follow up talk is planned to take place at RPS House in Bristol, with remote access to anyone unable to travel to Bristol for the meeting.
A zine will be produced with the shared images (up to three per attendee).
Walk Location
51.385813422293, -2.3507238951065
Walk Directions
Starting place is behind the Garden Cafe in Sydney Gardens, which is behind the Holburne Museum, Be aware, if you arrive early the cafe only opens at 10:00!
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Jz7LrBfPqLVxUTLE9
What3Words: ///claim.facing.drop
There is very limited car parking near the start point and car parking in Bath is eye wateringly expensive. The start is about 10-15 minutes walk from the train station, bus station and Park & Ride drop off points.
Accessibility
The whole walk is about 2 miles, plus meanderings in the parks and gardens.
The walk is on fairly level pavements in public spaces.
There is a £2 entrance fee for the Parade Gardens.
Feedback Meeting Type
In Person
Feedback Talk Date and Time
Feedback Talk Address
Royal Photographic Society
RPS House
337 Paintworks
Arnos Vale
Bristol
BS4 3AR
United Kingdom
Feedback Talk Location
51.443793919924, -2.56461395
Feedback Talk Directions
RPS House is located at the "Photo Hub" at Paintworks creative quarter on the A4 (Bath Road).
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Getting here:
Car
Sat nav: BS4 3AR
We are located to the south of Bristol City Centre, just off the A4 (Bath Road)
Please Note: Bristol has a Clean Air Zone. Charges and vehicle checker details can be found here.
Parking
Paintworks has signposted visitor parking throughout, which is limited to 4 hours. All spaces are pay & display through the RingGo app.
Alternatively, there is parking within a 5-10 minute walk at the local Sainsbury's. This is bookable at https://www.yourparkingspace.co.uk/locations/show/4294938009.
Park and Ride
The Brislington Park and Ride operates from Monday to Saturday, every 15 minutes. You should get off at Bristol Temple Meads. The journey duration is approximately 11 minutes.
You can walk (25 minutes), cycle, take a bus or get a taxi to RPS House from Bristol Temple Meads.
Train
Bristol Temple Meads is the nearest railway station. You can walk (25 minutes), cycle, take a bus or get a taxi to RPS House from Temple Meads. For tickets and live departure boards visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Bus
Buses run from the centre of Bristol, from Temple Meads and Bristol Coach Station and between Bristol and Bath. The number 1, 522, 349 and X39 services all stop at the Paintworks bus stop. For bus times please visit: https://www.traveline.info/.