The sky is the limit! - Bath Skyline parkrun #534Â - 11/07/26
- aqasanu
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
A trip to Bath to celebrate my sister, Samenua Sesher's 60th birthday, provided the opportunity for some parkrun tourism, the highly recommended Bath Skyline parkrun.
Commencing in Claverton Down, next to Claverton Community Hall, 251 participants arrived from all directions, along with a 38-strong volunteer team and many ‘friendlies’ and supporters. The sun was high, the sky perfectly blue, the cows subdued. All the pieces were in place for a wonderful run.Â
Today’s Run Director, Edward, gave everyone a warm welcome. He explained that the event was celebrating Pride with many volunteers wearing Pride attire. He shared today’s milestones and gave a shout-out to the couple who got married yesterday, here today to run the parkrun with all their wedding guests.Â
The event radiated West Country warmth and inclusivity, and I could well understand why Haile Selassie, who visited Bath back in 1935, following the invasion of Ethiopia by Italian forces, decided to settle here whilst in exile.
The Bath Skyline course is a figure-8. We set off from Claverton Down, grass underfoot and potholes to be avoided, then joined a path that stretched for another 500m, then made a 90-degree right turn that joined the Skyline proper. This section of the course offers sweeping vistas of Bath's Georgian architecture with the Abbey and Holburne Museum clearly visible. It took my breath away.
At the end of this ridge way, we climbed some steps, then across a meadow, joined the path from earlier, followed it down and then turned left to go through some ancient woodland. I LOVE the sensation of darting between the trees and the crunch underfoot that forest running can provide. At the end of this section, you take a left to run alongside more meadows. There were sheep grazing and perhaps wondering why these humans were running around in such hot conditions. A marshal then directed us left towards the original field, with the finished funnel now at the end of it.
After after my token was scanned, I cheered in my wife and yesterday’s bride, who clearly had friends and well-wishers running alongside her #amazing. Â
The Bath Skyline walk is actually a 9.6k circular trail that loops high above the city; only one section of it is incorporated into our course; however, it really was stunning. The total route includes canal towpaths and passes through Sham Castle, Bushey Norwood, and prehistoric sites. Â
We didn’t go on to complete the walk as we needed to shower and get changed for my sister’s celebration, which was taking place in Fairfield House!
The birthday celebration included a tour of Fairfield House, which captured and celebrated so much of what makes me proud to be British.Â
I learned how Britain allied with Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in Ethiopia's liberation. With this and other international support, the Italian occupation was vanquished. His Imperial Majesty Conquering Lion of Judah, returned to Ethiopia triumphantly in 1941. He returned to Bath in 1958 and '...in appreciation of the warm welcome extended to Him by the people of Bath has graciously offered to donate said freehold and leasehold properties to the Corporation [of Bath] for use as a home for aged people'.Â
Today, Fairfield House is used as a day care centre by Bensca. It has also become a community hub for the local people of Bath hosting many organisations, the Rastafari community, and the Ethiopian community in the UK.Â
Bath Skyline is the second parkrun I’ve completed in Bath, the other being Brickfields parkrun, and
I would absolutely recommend them both. I’d highly recommend a visit and a tour of Fairfield House, as the spirit of parkrun resides there, too.Â
Happy running, walking and volunteering, the sky really is the limit.Â
You can read about how parkrun was created by the founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, a care leaver, in his book ‘One Small Step’, The Definitive Account of how a run became a Global Movement by clicking here.
You can read more about the life of Haile Selaissie by clicking here.Â
