The Best: Shots for Your Instagram

If it’s not on Instagram did it really happen? Document your journey on the Great West Way by uploading these shots to your feed then sit back and watch the likes roll in.

Capture the icons
Some places are simply iconic, and no Great West Way Instagram journey would be complete with them. First up, Bath. Forget top hashtag #romanbaths and head up above it all to the rooftop of the Thermae Bath Spa for a swim with a view. Arrive first thing, swim to the far side of the pool, lean your arms on the ledge and gaze out wistfully at Bath Abbey as someone else takes the shot. Be quick though, you won’t get even a small square of the pool to yourself for long.

At Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol the best shot means a trip to the pub. The terrace of the White Lion pub is elevated above the gorge and stares straight out at Brunel’s most famous engineering marvel. Order a drink (Aperol spritz for a pop of orange, perhaps) and pose with a smile and the bridge spanning the gorge behind you. Even better, visit in August during the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and you’ll get a sky full of brightly coloured hot air balloons rising above it all as well.

Stonehenge is a tough one to get a decent shot of, mostly because the designated path keeps visitors several metres away – plus there’s always a crowd clustering into shot. Eschew standard opening hours and book the early morning Stone Circle Access tour instead. You’ll be allowed inside the circle so can get plenty of up close shots of the stones. It’s a small group too so getting a shot without a crowd in the background is easy. You still can’t touch the stones though so if your perfect shot is of you hugging a prehistoric standing stone, head instead to Avebury where you can touch the stones or even sit in the Devil’s Chair, a natural seat in the stone.

Want a shot of Windsor Castle? The best are from Windsor Great Park, where the Long Walk acts like a catwalk leading up to the castle. Head out along it to the Copper Horse, a statue atop Snow Hill with sweeping views back to the castle. 

Bragging rights
Want to show off? The Great West Way has plenty of places you can pose for an action shot. In Bristol the brave can climb the rigging of Brunel’s ship the SS Great Britain. Harness up and start your climb, leaving someone on the ground to snap a shot of you rising above the harbour. In Bath you’ll need a waterproof case for your phone, so that you can take it out stand up paddle boarding on the River Avon.

The most Instagrammable moment comes at Pulteney Weir, a horseshoe of tiered water that you can paddle board right up to. Stand at its base and pose in front of Georgian Pulteney Bridge for the best shot. 

More watersports action shots can be snapped at Cotswold Water Park, where there’s waterskiing, wakeboarding and windsurfing. Or take a jealousy-inducing ‘gram of a sunny al fresco swim at Lido Bristol or Thames Lido in Reading. 

Quintessentially England
Getting a quintessentially English snap is easy on the Great West Way, just head off the beaten track to find crowd-free spots worth sharing. Instead of Bath, try Bradford on Avon, where the Town Bridge is the centrepiece of a pretty market town on the River Avon. You won’t have to wait long for a picturesque swan or two to enter your shot of the river here and as a relative unknown, the town doesn’t get even a fraction of the crowds of Bath.

In Castle Combe in the southern Cotswolds you’ll find an even prettier river scene, where a stone arched bridge crosses the tiny Bybrook river. Arrive first thing in the morning to get it to yourself and point your lens uphill for a shot of the main street of honey-coloured buildings stretching up to the woodland beyond. 

Close by is the village of Lacock, seen on screen in everything from Harry Potter to Downton Abbey. Visit the cloisters of the Abbey as early as you can for the best chance of getting its glorious fluted arches to yourself. A great shot is the one of the Warming Room, where you can pose with the cauldron used in Professor Quirrell's Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons.

One of the Great West Way’s most impressive sights is little-known and sure to spark discussion on your feed. Caen Hill Lock flight, just outside Devizes is a series of 16 locks scenically marching up the hillside. Stand at the bottom lock for the best shot of the flight. If you’re feeling patient you could wait for a narrowboat to sail up to the first lock, adding the perspective you need to show your followers how significant the lock flight is.

More watery shots can be snapped in Cookham, where the River Thames wends its way through classically English countryside. Take a walk along the Thames Path between Cookham and Marlow, looking for the perfect boathouse to grab a picture of. Author Kenneth Grahame grew up nearby and his classic tale The Wind in the Willows is said to have been inspired by the river views along here. See what they can inspire in you.

A feast for the eyes
The Great West Way is home to dozens of very photogenic places to eat, but some are more Instagrammable than most. In Bristol take a seat at Oowee Diner and position your oozing cheeseburger in front of the pink neon sign on the walls, or call in to HMSS Bristol for Instagram-ready cocktails including the Strawberry Field, served in a bright red ceramic strawberry burgeoning with leaves and the Twister, a swirl of cool white and mint green topped with a lolly stick. Also in Bristol, the Florist seems designed entirely for Instagram, with many a flower wall to pose with, while in Bath Sally Lunn’s is a picturesque tearoom where the chunky wooden tables provide the perfect backdrop to their delicious buns, served with either sweet or savoury toppings. 

In Wiltshire, the Red Lion at East Chisenbury serves up beautiful Michelin-star meals with a cosy pub backdrop, complete with wood-burning stove, while closer to London you’ll find one of the most Instagrammable places to eat on the Great West Way – Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond. Here bright blooms hang from the ceiling and jars of gorgeous fresh flowers stand on every table. This is primarily a garden centre, but the food is excellent too, with plates of beautiful Italian-inspired dishes served up amid the flowers.

To see what other amazing features of the Great West Way you can capture, take a look at our See & Do pages.