Thornbury Wayfinders

As part of our mission to improve local bus services, we have devised routes linked to the remaining bus services. The idea is you get the bus out of Thornbury and walk back into town.

The 5 to 9 series uses the T1, 60 and 62 buses to reach Falfield, Almondsbury, Abbot’s Wood, Hortham, Charfield, Berkeley, Tortworth and the Aztec West Roundabout to access walks from 5 miles long to 8.7 miles, which visit three historic deer parks (one which is still active), two arboretums, a quarry, several woods, an iron age hill fort with plenty of views and countryside as well as passing a couple of prisons, some churches a castle and other places with historical associations.

The second series explores “Links to the Forest of Horwood”, the ancient forest that covered this area until it was disafforested in 1228. These walks are longer, between ten and fifteen miles. The attacks on public transport have reduced the reach of the buses, so for some of these, you will need to book a ride on a West Link minibus, and you need to change buses to get to Chepstow. It is worth the effort, because you will get to explore the Frome Valley, another deer park, an outlaws’ haunt, a mythological landscape, part of the Cotswold Way, the biggest stretch of woodland in the district and the last days of an ancient forest.