When planning a stay in Petty France, two distinct interests come together: walking the Walks Around Hawkesbury No. 01 circular route and exploring historic architectural and decorative details. Bodkin House, a cast-iron pump and former farm buildings give the second option some specific landmarks. You can plan your stay around whether you mainly want to set aside time for a walk or explore architectural and historical connections.
The circular walk as a clearly defined time slot
The Walks Around Hawkesbury No. 01 circular walk passes through Petty France. It is 4.5 miles (7 km) long, takes 1.5–2 hours and is graded easy/moderate. The starting point is the Village Hall car park in Hawkesbury Upton. The leaflet is dated August 2010; check trail conditions and markings locally before setting out.
The route through Petty France follows Bodkin Hazel Lane, which remains as a wide grassy track. This detail adds a specific route reference to the basic information: the distance and duration describe the walk as a whole, while Bodkin Hazel Lane identifies one section.
For your day’s schedule, you can set aside a separate block of time for the walk. Allow additional time for travel, breaks and other plans; the stated walking time does not automatically represent the length of a whole outing. This lets you treat the walk as one part of your stay, rather than building your entire day around it.
Historic architectural and decorative details
A pump and trough stand 15 yards south of the Petty France Hotel. The cast-iron pump dates from the mid-19th century and was made by Winwood and Co. of Bristol. The pump and trough are topped by a Beaufort badge featuring a portcullis encircled by the Garter. Its material, date and maker give this decorative feature a different character from a house or a group of former farm buildings.
Bodkin House is an early 18th-century house. Jane Austen is said to have visited it around 1794, when it was called the Old Beaufort Arms Inn. This brings together two distinct historical connections: the building’s history and a cautiously phrased personal association. The visit remains a possible connection, not a confirmed fact.
The former stables, barns and stablemen’s quarters, 15 yards south of the Petty France Hotel, include buildings from the early 18th and 19th centuries. These dates add other historic agricultural and residential buildings to the picture alongside Bodkin House and the pump.
The historical connections offer distinct themes to explore: the pump draws attention to material, maker and emblem, while Bodkin House connects a period of construction with the only suspected Jane Austen story. The former stables, barns and stablemen’s quarters broaden the view to earlier building types. You can focus on architectural details or the literary connection without presenting the suspected visit as established fact.
In the wider geographical context
Petty France is part of the Parish of Hawkesbury, which the Cotswold Way passes through. This places the village within the wider context of the parish.
Discover more destinations: Yate, Filton, Winterbourne, Wickwar, Doynton, Alveston, Marshfield, Chippenham
For the broader travel overview: South Gloucestershire.
