It has the best of both worlds, the paper wrote, perfection "for the city slicker and the country bumpkin".
Widbrook Grange is just half a mile from Bradford on Avon's town centre. It's an easy walk or cycle along the canal to discover the historic sights, mooch around the independent shops and live like a local in the many cafes and restaurants. Bradford on Avon is achingly quaint and beyond Instagram worthy.
Discover a rich tapestry of history and places to visit, all on your doorstep:
Bradford on Avon's architecture
Only eight miles from Bath, Bradford on Avon may be a mini version of the city but is none the worse for it. Like its neighbour, the town has many fine examples of architecture from the Saxon, Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Industrial Revolution periods. Also, to the north of the town, there was an Iron Age Fort and, recently discovered, a very important Roman villa.
Saxon church
The Saxon Church of St Laurence dates from the early 11th century and is one of the most complete examples of a chapel of that period. It is an unforgettable experience to stand in the tall, narrow stone-built nave and admire the two flying angels set high on the wall above.
Tithe Barn
The stunning Tithe Barn was built in the mid 14th century and inspires the same sort of awe that one feels on entering a great cathedral. Used as a setting for several TV dramas (most recently Wolf Hall), it is 168 feet long with a massive timbered roof spanning 33 feet beneath stone tiles weighing 100 tons. It retains its threshing floors and other features from its agricultural past.
Barton Grange Farm
Set in the beautiful Barton Farm Country Park, with its ancient packhorse bridge and bordered by the River Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal, is a range of medieval buildings. This was the grange of the nuns of Shaftesbury Abbey who were granted the manor of Bradford by King Ethelred in AD 1001.
Town Bridge
The name of the town originates from the ‘broad ford’ across the River Avon and the bridge is a natural focus. Although widened in the 17th century, it still retains two of its original 13th century arches. A notable feature is the Blind House, built in the 18th century to serve as the town lock-up.
Chapel of St Mary Tory and the Mills
This tiny chapel, high up on Tory, was largely rebuilt in Victorian times. The town retains many reminders of its dependence on the cloth trade – from the 17th century weavers’ cottages to the later mills which still line the River Avon in the town centre.
Kennet and Avon Canal
The canal, which came in to service in 1810, runs from Reading to Bristol. One of its deepest locks is in Bradford on Avon. Boat hire and boat trips are available from the working wharf and the particularly attractive mile-and-a-half stretch to Avoncliff is a popular walk.
Avoncliff
Built of stone from local quarries, the magnificent Avoncliff Aqueduct carries the canal over the River Avon and the railway line to Bath. A nearby picturesque old pub with its riverside gardens is a popular pit stop.
Town centre
The Shambles – the meat market in medieval times – is now a bustling pedestrian walkway lined with a range of small, independent shops. Among the many attractive stores and eating places is the Bridge Tea Room, which has been named by the prestigious UK Tea Guild as the ‘UK’s Top Tea Place’.
Museum
Bradford on Avon's museum is home to a diverse and fascinating collection illustrating the history of the town. Of particular interest is the Christopher Pharmacy, an exact reconstruction of the Victorian chemist’s shop which used to serve the town.