About Monkton Combe and the Midford Valley

Monkton Combe

The village of Monkton Combe in the beautiful Midford Valley has a rich history, dating back at least as far as the Roman occupation of Britain. In nearby Bath, the Romans built a temple and baths which can still be visited today. In addition to these, a Roman villa was built a few hundred yards uphill from where Monkton Combe village is now. Though mapped in the 1800’s the villa was lost due to later quarrying, though Roman artefacts occasionally turn up in local gardens.

The village of Combe (meaning steep valley) was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 and supported around twenty families engaged in agriculture. During the medieval period, the village was given to Bath Abbey and 'Monkton' was added to the name, noting this ownership and distinguishing it from other nearby 'Combes' .

In 1800 the Somerset Coal Canal was built along the Midford Valley and the village expanded. The canal allowed the Somerset coalfields, with up to 80 collieries, to export coal east towards London. A small length of the canal, where it joined the Kennet and Avon canal, can still be seen near Dundas Aqueduct, though the majority was sold in 1902 and parts of it used to form the Bristol and North Somerset Railway. At that time Monkton Combe had a station “Monkton Combe Halt” and parts of the Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt were filmed there. The position of this can still be seen at the lower end of Mill Lane.

The walk from The Old Workshop to Southstoke along the Midford Valley takes you past parts of the old railway line and canal. The Combe Hay lock flight which originally had 22 consecutive canal locks is now empty of water and disused but some of the old locks can still be seen.