Todays route will begin in the beautiful village of Wanborough with a special launch service. It will then lead us across Swindon stopping off at churches and schools before finally bringing us to St Mary's Church, Purton.

The walk begins at St Mary’s Church, Purton (SN5 4EB) and ends at Malmesbury Abbey (SN16 0AA). The first abbey was founded by St Aldhelm in the 7^th century, and the current 12^th century building is the third abbey to stand on this site.

The first half of the route is along footpaths and bridleways to Ravensroost Wood, which is a good place for a picnic lunch. The second half is mainly on quiet country roads, following the North Wessex Way (the historic route between Oxford and Bristol) through Garsdon and Milbourne, before walking through the historic town of Malmesbury to arrive at the Abbey.

Distance: 14 miles

Duration: 6 hours, not including breaks (depending on the ground conditions, as the bridleways can be very muddy at certain times of the year)

Level of difficulty: Easy, but long

Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer 168, 169

Car parking: limited on street parking at Purton Church, long stay parking in Malmesbury at Station Road Car Park (SN16 9QY)

Public transport: see www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/

Refreshments:  cafés and pubs in Purton and Malmesbury, Malmesbury Abbey café. No amenities along the route, except for some benches in Ravensroost Nature Reserve.

Toilets: Purton Church, Garsdon Church (when open), Malmesbury Abbey, Malmesbury Town Hall.

Suggested websites:

    St Mary’s Church, Purton www.stmaryspurton.org.uk/

    Ravensroost Wood          www.wiltshirewildlife.org/ravensroost

    Garsdon Church              www.woodbridgegroup.co.uk/garsdon/

    North Wessex Way          www.northwessexway.co.uk/

    Malmesbury Abbey           www.malmesburyabbey.com/

Download full route with maps and details instructions

Leaving Christ Church, Downend, we will pass Frenchay Parish Church which serves a village once known for its Quaker heritage and grand estate. 

Nearby, we will call in at Hillside House, the offices of the Bristol Diocese

The route then heads west, navigating a landscape that illustrates a century of urban growth. We pass through suburbs built from the 1930s through to the 2020s, where modern housing is tightly interwoven with the Bristol ring road,  M4 motorway and the main railway line.  Despite this, our route is designed to stay off main roads, using quiet residential streets and green spaces.

We reach St Michael’s, Stokes Croft, adjacent to Bristol Parkway station.  Continuing through the mid-century developments of Patchway, we visit St Chad’s, a church established to serve the community during the post-war expansion of the local aerospace industry.

Climbing up to cross under the M5 and leaving Bristol North Fringes behind, we will descend steeply to our journey ends at St Mary’s, Almondsbury. This 13th-century church is famous for its lead-covered spire and its position on a high ridge with views across the Severn Vale toward the Severn bridges.

Practical Details

• Distance: ~16 km (10 miles)

• Estimated walking time: 4–5 hours at a moderate pace, excluding stops.

• Start/Finish: Christ Church, Downend → St Mary’s, Almondsbury.

• Terrain: Level suburban footpaths with some greenway tracks, with a significant climb and descent at the end to reach Almondsbury.

• Stops: Hillside House, St Michael’s (Stokes Croft), St Chad’s (Patchway), and St Mary’s (Almondsbury).

• Equipment: Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, small backpack, water, optional prayer or reflection notes.

Our route today takes us through a mix of rural, urban, rich and poor communities.

Leaving Almondsbury we will walk through Easter Compton and onwards until we cross under the M5 an important route for travel and commerce.

It will continue through parts of Lawrence Weston and up to the church of St Mary's, Henbury where the tomb of Scipio Africanus will remind us of a harrowing and challenging part of our shared history.

The walk will then pass through the beautiful grounds of Blaise Park with a short detour up to the folly and beautiful views of Bristol and the surrounding countryside.

Finally we will follow the river valley down to Sea Mills where we will share in a special Deanery celebration and a Brazilian dinner.

The route for Day 8 will be published shortly

For our final day we catch public transport from our overnight stay in Stockwood to St Mary Redcliffe church. From there we will walk a circuit around Bristol City Deanery passing by the Railway Station and all the new developments and heading in towards Castle Park. Leaving the City Centre we will head for Eastville via Old Market and Easton before turning back through St Pauls and up Cotham Hill, before finally descending to the Cathedral for evensong together. The final act will be a 'last supper' at St Stephen's Church.