A Walking Tour of Ashcombe Old Town: Listening Answers & Explanations
IELTS Listening practice test · 9 questionsPart 2medium
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About this recording
The recording opens: “Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Ashcombe. My name's Peter, and I'll be your guide this morning as we walk around the old town.”
- Transcript length: about 406 words
- Questions: 9
- Question types: Plan / Map Labelling, Note Completion, Multiple Choice
“A Walking Tour of Ashcombe Old Town” is an original IELTS-style practice recording written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
A Walking Tour of Ashcombe Old Town answers with explanations
Questions 1–5: Plan / Map Labelling
Label the town map. Where is each place on the route?
Choose the correct location A–F for each place from the list.
- A. on the right as you enter the High Street
- B. set back on the left of Church Lane
- C. on the right of Church Lane, opposite the church
- D. at the bottom of Mill Street, on the riverbank
- E. next to the Watermill, on the same side
- F. in the middle of the Market Square
- 1
the Town Hall
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Answer: A — on the right as you enter the High Street
Why: The Town Hall is described as "the grand building with the clock tower, on your right just as you enter the High Street," confirming its location as A.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 3 “It's the grand building with the clock tower, on your right just as you enter the High Street.”
- 2
St Mary's Church
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Answer: B — set back on the left of Church Lane
Why: St Mary's Church is correctly matched to location B because the passage states it is "set back from the road behind some fine old yew trees, on the left-hand side of Church Lane.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 4 “It's set back from the road behind some fine old yew trees, on the left-hand side of Church Lane.”
- 3
the old Coaching Inn
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Answer: C — on the right of Church Lane, opposite the church
Why: The passage states that the old Coaching Inn is located on the right of Church Lane, opposite St Mary's Church, confirming that option C is the correct location.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 5 “Opposite the church, on the right of Church Lane, is the old Coaching Inn.”
- 4
the Watermill
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Answer: D — at the bottom of Mill Street, on the riverbank
Why: The Watermill is located at the bottom of Mill Street on the riverbank, as mentioned in the passage.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “Right on the riverbank, at the bottom of Mill Street, stands the Watermill.”
- 5
the Packhorse Bridge
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Answer: E — next to the Watermill, on the same side
Why: The Packhorse Bridge is correctly located at E because the passage states it is next to the Watermill, on the same side, which aligns with the description of location E.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 6 “Next to the mill, on the same side, is the old Packhorse Bridge, a lovely narrow stone bridge that's the most photographed spot in Ashcombe.”
Questions 6–8: Note Completion
Practical details of the walk
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- 6
Total length of walk (miles):(max 1 word)
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Answer: 2 (also accepted: two)
Why: The passage states that the entire tour covers a distance of approximately two miles, which is mentioned in the section detailing practical notes for the walk.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 “Now, a few practical notes for our walk.”
- 7
Time the walk takes (minutes):(max 1 word)
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Answer: 90 (also accepted: ninety)
Why: The passage states that the entire tour lasts approximately ninety minutes at a leisurely pace.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 7 “The whole tour is about two miles, and takes roughly ninety minutes at a gentle pace.”
- 8
Entry charge for the Watermill museum: £(max 2 words)
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Answer: 2.50 (also accepted: £2.50 / 2 pounds 50 / two pounds fifty)
Why: The entry charge for the Watermill museum is mentioned near the end of the passage, where the guide explains that visiting the museum after the tour requires a small fee of two pounds fifty.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 8 “If you'd like to go inside the Watermill museum afterwards, there's a small entry charge of two pounds fifty.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Where on the route are the first public toilets?
- A. in the Market Square
- B. at the Town Hall
- C. at the Watermill
- 9
The first toilets on the route are
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Answer: C — at the Watermill
Why: The passage states that there are no public toilets on the route until reaching the Watermill, indicating that the first toilets are located there.
What you hear · Transcript, paragraph 9 “There are no public toilets on the route until we reach the mill, so do bear that in mind.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 9 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Listening conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single recording is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 9 / 9 | 9.0 |
| 8 / 9 | 8.0 |
| 7 / 9 | 7.0 |
| 6 / 9 | 6.5 |
| 4–5 / 9 | 5.5 |
| 3 / 9 | 4.5 |
| 2 / 9 | 3.5 |
| 1 / 9 | 2.5 |
| 0 / 9 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
Listening Part 2
- In the preparation pause, read the questions and mark the key difference between multiple-choice options, so you listen for meaning rather than matching words.
- For a map task, orient yourself before the audio starts: find the entrance or starting point, the compass if there is one, and every label already printed.
Common trap: Map disorientation: "on your left" is the speaker’s left along the route being described, not the left of the page.
Full Listening Part 2 strategyPractise “A Walking Tour of Ashcombe Old Town” under exam conditions
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