Bath, Brassmill LaneThe
gateway (geddit?) to 14 miles of level, traffic-free cycling
Bath, Brassmill Lane
Last of the Bath suburbs on the right, BT engineering depot on the left - smell the creosote from the telegraph poles!
Bath outskirts, first river crossing
The bridge steelwork is now plastered in colourful graffiti. The footpath on the left leads down to the Avon towpath. Just past the bridge, look out for the (unofficial) conversion of an old storage shed into a picnic spot and 'temple'.
Bath, Newbridge
View across to Newbridge - and the New Bridge over the Avon. You're south of the river now, although you'll soon be north again. It can get confusing.
Bath, outskirts
Long straight run to the end of the first mile. The bridge over the track is the A4 London-Bristol road.
Bath - Saltford
Out in the open fields now, with the river to your right (beyond this field) and the London - Bristol railway on your left.
Bath-Saltford, second river crossing
Sleeper Seat (it's made of railway sleepers). Look out for another one a mile or so from Bristol.
Bath-Saltford, second river crossing
Next to the sleeper seat, the second crossing of the Avon. Steps lead down to the riverbank path between Bath and Saltford.
Bath - Saltford
Through trees at the foot of Kelston Park woods.
Bath - Saltford
On the left, the river and Great Western Railway.
Saltford (outskirts)
Sylvan spot - plenty of shade and a view across the field to Saltford lock, weir and Marina.
The entrance (inset) is easy to miss if you're not watching out for it.
Saltford (outskirts)
You'll see these information panels, installed by Avon Valley Partnership (who now maintain the Path) at various points along the route. Look carefully and you might find a photo or two from this web page!
Saltford, third river crossing
With ice cream vendor on summer weekends. (Inset - looking to the right, downstream.)
Saltford, third river crossing
Looking downstream.
Saltford, third river crossing
Look out for these info posts along the track. Distances are to the centres of Bath and Bristol.
Saltford
The Bird in Hand, the only pub directly alongside the cycle track. Get off here (or via the gate and road 100 yards further) for the Avon Cycleway through Chew Valley.
Saltford - Bitton
A mile-and-a-bit to the fourth Avon crossing...
Saltford - Bitton
Jurassic Track - 200 million years ago this was the sea bed, and the rocks contain fossils from the period.
Saltford - Bitton
A gentle, slightly downhill half-mile to the final Avon river crossing. Watch out for overhanging branches in summer.
Saltford - Bitton
Just before the final river crossing, this raised "platform" is the new southern end of the Avon Valley Steam Railway.
Saltford - Bitton, fourth river crossing
A few yards on from the new railway platform, the fourth (and last) Avon crossing. A track leads down to the picnic area and jetty.
Saltford - Bitton, railway embankment
The track's a bit uneven immediately after the river crossing, and narrower too, as you're sharing the embankment with the railway.
Saltford - Bitton, railway embankment
Four-and-a-bit mile bench (or five-and-a-bit-mile bench as I call it, since I live a mile from the start of the track).
Saltford - Bitton
Trackside run along the embankment up to Bitton.
Saltford - Bitton, railway embankment.
South from the embankment you can see Avon Valley Country Park, Keynsham and the Fry's chocolate factory.
Saltford - Bitton, railway embankment.
On the north side, Bitton village and behind it, the southern edge of the Cotswold hills.
Saltford - Bitton, railway embankment.
The approach to Bitton station, a welcome sight after the long haul along the embankment.
Bitton Station
You've made it!
Bitton Station
If you like steam trains - and bits of trains in general - you'll love this!
Bitton Station
Bitton Station, home of the Avon Valley Railway. Cafe, toilets, car park - and steam train rides on summer weekends and holidays.
Bitton Station
Across the car park, the cycle track continues alongside the railway yard, then crosses back over it. When the crossing gates are tied open, the trains aren't running - otherwise be careful!
Bitton - Warmley
Heading north in a deep cutting towards Oldland Common.
Bitton - Warmley
From here to Bristol there are lots of access points - watch out for people (and dogs, pushchairs, toddlers etc) suddenly appearing. This one connects a housing development with a primary school.
Bitton - Warmley
Oldland Common Station - the northern end of the Avon Valley Railway line.
Bitton - Warmley
The first road crossing (inset, past the bridge) at North Common.
Bitton - Warmley
Across the road, a bench in the shade if you've had too much sun.
Bitton - Warmley
The sculpture that's a drinking fountain (officially named the "Gaius Sentius Fountain"). The button's hidden on the left-hand side. Great for filling water bottles.
Bitton - Warmley
Ah, the call of the open road (sorry, cycle path...)
Warmley road crossing
The second road crossing, at Warmley. It's the main A420 Bristol-Chippenham route, and always busy. The building on the left (inset) is the only public toilets on the cycle track.
Warmley
Warmley Station, complete with sculpture trail "Brief Encounter" passengers. The Waiting Room (inset) is open as a snack bar at popular times. Toilets just to the left of this picture, and a car park (free for 24 hours).
Warmley - Mangotsfield
This cattle grid marks the start of the hill they're getting so excited about in the other panel. Tip for taking the grid - approach at around 12mph, take your weight on the pedals and roll over it.
Warmley - Mangotsfield, the hill!
Well, this is it - the hill. It's only 400-odd yards - walk it if it's too steep.
Warmley - Mangotsfield, the hilltop!
Time for a rest, perhaps.
Warmley - Mangotsfield, flyover 1
They'd rather be cycling (possibly).
Warmley - Mangotsfield, flyover 2
We're in flyover and sculpture territory here. This one looks as if it should be a drinking fountain, but isn't.
The Mangotsfield diversion has ended at last!
Warmley - Mangotsfield
Not sure if that right-hand spoke should be missing, either...
The Mangotsfield diversion has ended at last!
After nearly a year, the housing developers have finally stopped blocking the path - it's just like the old days again!
Mangotsfield Diversion (Bath side)
The housing developers have blocked the path here again, this time from June 2005 until '2006'. After some Sustrans-led protests, they have at least built an alternative path around the site (left), instead of their original plan of sending everyone on a long, hilly diversion.
Mangotsfield Station
This was once a busy station on the junction between the Bristol-Bath line and the Midland line heading north to Gloucester and Birmingham. It opened in 1869 and survived until 1966.
Mangotsfield Station
Now it's a peaceful and atmospheric place to stop before the Staple Hill Tunnel and the descent into Bristol.
Mangotsfield Station
The inside of the old station buildings is now a garden, popular with sunbathers and picnickers.
For an idea of what the station was like in its heyday, try
this link.
Mangotsfield Station
Shame there's no-one to cut the grass, but the trees (part of the sculpture trail) give the old platforms an exotic appearance.
Mangotsfield Station
No, it's not real - the case is a surprisingly vandal-proof bronze, and the "tickets" in the ground are replicas of originals from the Bristol-Bath line.
Mangotsfield - Fishponds
Leaving the station, look out for paths to Rodway Hill on the right, and the "mini-pencils" sculpture hiding away up on the left.
Mangotsfield - Fishponds, Staple Hill
Into the real suburbs of Bristol now, as we head for the Staple Hill Tunnel
Mangotsfield - Fishponds, Staple Hill Tunnel
Prepare to go underground!
Mangotsfield - Fishponds, Staple Hill Tunnel
Stop and listen, and you'll hear - nothing. It's the quietest place in north Bristol.
Mangotsfield - Fishponds, Staple Hill (West)
Back out again, and a level run to Fishponds and the start of the descent
Mangotsfield - Fishponds
OK, so motorcycles aren't allowed on the cycle track, but that's a bit extreme!
Mangotsfield - Fishponds
Get ready for the big descent...
Fishponds, Top of the Hill
Remember this (well, it's hard to forget!) - it marks the top of the incline out of Bristol. The sculpture is called "Fish on its nose" (Fish - Fishponds, geddit?)
Fishponds, Top of the Hill
Don't worry - the gradient's nothing like as steep as this post makes it seem.
Fishponds - Bristol, Lodge Causeway
OK, it's a hill, but at least you're going down it. It's not that bad on the way back up, either.
Fishponds - Bristol, Clay Hill
It's that sleeper seat again! No, this is the other one, with a rather nice urban view (inset).
Fishponds - Bristol
The first railway here was horse-drawn, narrow and bendy. The buildings here are a mixture of old Bristol and new developments.
Fishponds - Bristol
The start of real inner-city Bristol. This area is poor, but colourful and multi-cultural. After the lush greenery of the rural sections, cycling through here brings you back to real life.
Fishponds - Bristol, Easton
It's an industrial landscape here, but the cycle track can still seem...
Fishponds - Bristol, Easton
... surprisingly rural.
Fishponds - Bristol, Easton
On the right, another sculpture that's a drinking fountain (this one's called the "Dancing Drum Fountain"). Beware the playful custom of water-bombing, enjoyed by schoolkids on summer afternoons!
Fishponds - Bristol, Easton
Keep going, you're almost there...
Fishponds - Bristol, Lawrence Hill
If it looks as if we're cycling through someone's garden, it's because we are - the track runs through the grounds of the tower blocks near the giant Lawrence Hill roundabout. Not far now though, because we've nearly...
Bristol, the end of the cycle path!
... made it! The end of the Bath-Bristol Cycle Track, about a mile from the Centre.
Bristol, the start of the cycle path!
Well done! Here's what the start looks like when you're heading back, as a taster for your return journey...
OK, we're off...
A short incline up to track level, then it's a very slight downhill gradient for the first mile or so.
Watch out for tree roots lifting the tarmac in this stretch, also patches of fallen leaves in wet conditions.
Open countryside now, level track, clean surface - time to speed up.
Second Avon crossing - good place for a rest (on the way back, that is - you've only done a mile so far!)
There are plenty of benches along the track, although not many with backrests like this one.
Still very slightly downhill at this stage, just enough to make pedalling feel easy.
Save your strength because it's the other way round in about half a mile's time.
The gradient switches to slightly uphill from here to the "Jurassic Track" bridge (not the official name for it), just beyond Saltford.
Watch out on the left for the entrance to the cycle track's most picturesque resting place (next picture)
Another great place to stop, although it's very popular. I've even seen people queuing to get in...
Almost at Saltford now - and if you only know it from driving through on the main A4, you'll be amazed at the part of it you're about to see.
The cycle track's been diverted onto this new platform, alongside the original track.
The new surface is bumpier than the old track, but still not too bad.
Another popular spot (and I've never seen anyone queuing to get into this one). A track after the bridge leads down to the riverside picnic area.
After the river, you begin the mile-long, slightly uphill run to Bitton Station.
You're on a 20-foot embankment, and it can get windy once you're out of the trees.
Ahead and to the left, look out for the Fry's chocolate factory in the distance at Keynsham.
Across the fields on the left is the Avon Valley Country Park.
On the right: Bitton village (with church), the hills leading up to Lansdowne, Bitton FC ground.
From Bitton, the track heads north past Oldland Common.
The gradient is less steep than it looks, but the track is quite narrow in places.
Lots of access points to the track from here onwards (and people coming out of them, so be careful!).
Watch out for junctions with the Dramway Path, the route of the old horse-drawn railway that took coal down to the river.
On summer weekends and holidays you might get overtaken here by a steam train, heading from Bitton to Oldland Common Station.
Don't forget to wave at the passengers!
The climb's over (and it wasn't too bad, was it?).
After Oldland Common station, the track levels out. The surface is generally excellent from here to Bristol.
The track seems rural - but scramble up the bank at any of the bridges that cross it, and you'll find yourself in built-up areas.
Coming up to the first of two road crossings (it'll be three if developers at Mangotsfield have their way).
This crossing is a quiet road into a new housing development.
Speed bumps slow the traffic, but it's probably worth using the crossing lights anyway.
The Warmley crossing is the main A420 Bristol-Chippenham road, and always busy.
Always use the crossing lights (without them you probably won't get a chance to cross anyway).
Warmley Station
There's a good, old-style (i.e. they'll help you) bike shop 400 yards towards Bristol (left) from the Warmley crossing. Plenty of other shops in the vicinity too.
Stop Press: The Station Master pub is now open again.
Actually the hill's not that bad - only a quarter of a mile long, and not ultra-steep.
It was created, controversially, by the local council when they built a new road along a section of the old cycle track route. Now cyclists have to climb up to a flyover.
It's downhill across the flyover, although another cattle grid prevents you from carrying too much speed onto the track beyond.
Slightly up-and-down for the next mile, but nothing you'd really call a hill.
50 yards beyond the second flyover, prepare to veer off to the left for the dreaded
Mangotsfield Diversion
The diversion is 400 yards long, not very smooth and has some tight, tricky bends near the Mangotsfield end.
It gets pretty muddy in wet weather, so watch out for skids. Watch out for the ruts caused by heavy plant crossing the
path, too.
Still, it's worth the effort to get to...
Get ready,
because we've almost reached the jewel in the cycle track crown...
Mangotsfield Station
On a windswept night in 1925 playwright Arnold Ridley was stuck here alone for four hours, waiting for a connection.
He spent the time outlining the plot of The Ghost Train, a play about six people stuck at night on an isolated railway station.
Mangotsfield Station
I call it "Vietnam", for reasons I haven't got room to explain here(!)
(If you've seen the later scenes of Stanley Kubrick's film "Full Metal Jacket", you might get my meaning...)
Mangotsfield Station lies at the foot of Rodway Hill, a local vantage point.
As you leave the station, look out for footpaths on the right leading to the hill.
It's just a mile from Mangotsfield to the next big feature - the Staple Hill Tunnel.
Watch out for debris (rubbish, remains of fires etc) on the track along this stretch - prime puncture material.
Still in debris-on-track territory here...
Actually it's not too bad in there - the tunnel's wide, tall and straight, and you can always see daylight ahead. The lights are on from 5am to 8pm.
The tunnel is 1/3rd of a mile long, so you can go through it in a couple of minutes or less.
Still in debris-on-track territory here...
...such as bits from this bike, for example.
Almost at the start of the descent into Bristol now, and the landscape's turning industrial.
Fishponds
Top of the Hill
A chance to gaze in wonder at the sculpture, or pop over the road to Safeways to stock up on lemonade and chocolate!
Fishponds
Top of the hill
In case you were wondering, the name "Fishponds" comes from two flooded quarry pits, which were used as fish ponds before being built over.
(OK, so you weren't wondering...)
The hill isn't steep enough to coast all the way down (which is a good thing when you're pedalling back up).
It's just over 2.5 miles from the top to the end of the cycle track.
The cycle track is a working thoroughfare here, heavily used by commuters and shoppers on foot and bike.
It can get quite congested at school-run times.
Look - in places the "Hill" is virtually flat!
If I can pedal up it in one go with no stops, then anyone can.
(I can, by the way.)
Street crime does sometimes happen (not just in inner cities), although bike-mounted policing has minimised it here. Be careful, as you would on the street.
A (bike-mounted) policeman said I needn't worry, as no-one would want to nick my bike anyway. Cheek!
The Bristol & Bath Railway Path was the idea of Bristol-based action group Cyclebag.
Its successor,
Sustrans, saw the project through to completion.
Completed in 1986, it was first disused railway track in Britain to be converted into a cycle route.
Just a mile to go now, and the track's levelling out again. You're almost there!
A tricky narrow bit here, as the path goes under a bridge.
Through these gardens, then a fast swoop down under an underpass and just a couple of hundred yards to go. Watch out for pedestrians!
Well done! You've made it to Bristol!
From here, follow the blue cycle route signs for the city centre, harbour and other attractions.
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