MacMillan Way and Box Tunnel

Distance
8.5km

Height Gain:
210m

Duration:
2.5hrs

Difficulty:
Medium

Possible Starting Points:Box

A great circular walk a little way out of Bath around the village of Box.

This walk climbs the hill out of Box along the MacMillan Way, a long-distance footpath from Boston to Abbotsbury which passes right through the middle of Box.

The climb is a slow and gentle one passed a local Market Garden and up to the little village of Henley. From there it is flat all the way on a large arc through Norbin Farm and around to Chapel Plaister.

The walk back down to Box is fantastic. Through the woods and fields until you end up right next to the entrance to Box Tunnel. Box Tunnel was built between December 1838 and June 1841 for the Great Western Railway (GWR) under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has a very interesting war history.

From there it is a short walk back to the car park in the Recreation Ground.

The Queen’s Head and The Birdhouse Cafe are worth a visit at the end of the walk. The Quarryman’s Arms is also worth a diversion as you approach the Tunnels section of the walk.

See the Walk in 3D

View Map

We loved this walk but what did you think?

If you have completed this walk please leave your comments and top tips to help other walkers get the best out of this walk. Thank you in advance for your help!

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Other Local Walks You May Like

Castle Combe & Ford Wonderful Valleys Walk

If you are looking for a 3 hour walk around Castle Combe then look no further. This is one of our best walks to date. A stunning walk around the Valleys between Castle Combe and Ford. The walk has two natural refreshment stops, with multiple pubs and cafes in Castle...

Solsbury Hill and Charmy Down Walk

Charmy down is a great place to walk but there are very few ways to the top from the Batheaston side that do not require a heart-thumping steep hill. This is the easiest way up Charmy Down and uses a private road that gently ascends the hill and takes you right to the...

Ashwicke to Marshfield

An easy flattish walk that can be started from the layby in Ashwick or from Marshfield High Street. The walk is on open footpaths and bridleways and has many patches of flowing garlic and Bluebells in April. The route from Marshfield to Askwick is along an open...

Corsham Court Walk

To the east of Corsham there is a large open park that can be seen from the main road between Corsham and Chippenham. However, it is not until you venture into the park that you realise just how large it is and the significance of Corsham Court. This is a great sunny...

Limestone Link and Cotswold Way

This walk combines two long-distance paths through two of the most picturesque valleys to the East of Bath. The route starts from Cold Ashton, a small hidden village where the A46 meets the A420, and descends to the Monkswood Reservoir via the Limestone Link path....

Colerne to Box – Wonderful Valleys Walk

This is my first walk from Colerne and I can say that it will probably be the first of many. I walked this on a grey March day but the views were still fantastic. There are so many valleys on this walk that you constantly stop and look up or across a new view. The...

Batheaston and Larkhall Lunch/Coffee Walk

This is one of my favourite shorter walks, often done on a Saturday morning with a coffee stop (and sometimes cake or lunch) along the way. The walk can also be started from central Bath by joining the canal at Sydney Gardens and walking to the Larkhall Path off the...

Two Pubs, Two Aqueducts and Two Train Stations Walk

This walk has many different starting points and I would recommend that you choose your starting point based on what time you want to arrive at a pub or cafe on the way. The walk has the added benefit of passing two railway stations (Freshford and AvonCliff) so it is...

Kennet and Avon Canal with Bath Skyline Walk

This is a long walk that starts with a long flat stretch between Bath and Dundas Aqueduct and then heads up onto the Bath Skyline walk for about 2/3rd of the Bath Skyline (the parts with the best views of Bath!). The walk takes in the two canal locks at Widcome and...

Bathampton Meadow and Bannerdown Common

A great walk that starts at Batheaston across the Bathampton Meadows before moving across to Bathford and follows the contours and fields to Ashley. The route then crosses the London/Bath railway via a footbridge and starts the slow (but long) climb to the top of...

« Older Entries