Discover Bath: Let's Explore Combe Down

In 1726 Ralph Allen started buying downland in the hills above Bath to quarry the honey coloured Bath stone that the Georgian city is now world famous for. Two hundred years later and Combe Down has a wealth of history from that formative period onwards that is well worth an afternoon of exploration.

Our walk starts at the Museum of Bath Stone. This impressive little centre was funded as part of the huge engineering project undertaken over the last twenty years to pump thousands of tons of concrete into Ralph Allen’s underground stone quarries. In 1997 over six hundred houses were in danger of collapsing into the old quarry workings. We will hear the story of this recent historical event and its impact on the area.

In the village of Combe Down we will gain an understanding of how the stone quarries worked and how the stone was transported two miles downhill (a drop of six hundred feet) into Bath, before travelling on to Bristol and London and many country estates around the country.

Our four mile walk will also tell the story of William Smith, the Father of English Geology, and his efforts to replicate Ralph Allen’s successes with stone. We will visit Tucking Mill where Smith lived while he was surveying the Somerset Coal Canal. We will hear how he created the first geological map of Britain.

On our return route to Combe Down we will visit one of the local pubs

A Walk in the Past is a friendly group where regulars and newcomers are always welcome. Our aim is to combine a good walk with pleasant company in historic landscapes.

After this event a set of historical notes will be emailed out to walkers.