The old wool town of Bradford-on-Avon (Bradford = "Wide Ford") enjoys a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Avon about 8mi/13km south east of Bath. Its narrow streets rise in a series of terraces up the hillside. There is a delightful walk up to the viewpoint at St Mary Tory, starting from the
old bridge across the Avon and proceeding via Silver Street, the main shopping street, Market Street with its 17th and 18th century houses, and Church Street. The latter, passing several fine town houses as it climbs the hill, including Old Church House (1610), Hill House (18th century) and Abbey House (also 18th century) leads first to a row of 17th century weavers' houses in Top Rank Tory and finally to the chapel of St Mary Tory (12th century, restored in 1877) from where there is a marvelous panoramic view. Bradford-upon-Avon's chief tourist attraction, however, is St Lawrence's Church, one of the finest of the small number of Anglo Saxon churches to have survived more or less intact.
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