Best route across Bristol

jimwin

Hi,

I'm doing the E2E in May and need to navigate through Bristol.

I need to get from Chew Stoke across the M48 to Chepstow. I have a route planned but having recently been to Cribbs Causeway saw that I could have easily made wrong route choices.

Anyone knowledgeable about the the best route (for a road bike BTW)?

Any help appreciated. A map on bikely.com or gmap-pedometer.com would be even better.

Thanks in advance,

- JimW

peanut

the best way is round it, over it, under it but never through it. Bristol is a nightmare any time. :shock:
sorry I can't be of any help I just work in Bristol. I would recommend that you get a satnav though. best of luck

Ian Sims

In the good-ole-days when I lived in Somerset (around 20 years ago now - yikes!) the way I would have gone would be:

Chew Stoke, Winford, across the A38 and wiggle my way down to Pill, so I could get over the Avonmouth Bridge and north to the Severn Bridge.

There may well be far better ways of doing this now.

Ian

redvee

Chew Stoke to Brizzle City Centre will ber covered by the National cycleway. Then you can either use the pavement on A4 Portway which is a cyclepath or use the towpath on the opposite side of the river into Pill and cross the Avon using the M5 bridge. When you get to the bottom of the bridge, you can turn right then left and rejpoin the national cycleway round Bristol and head towards the old bridge which should be signed. Don't forget your toll money

Rob Sallnow

Whenever I do my Forest of Dean ride which includes riding from Monmouth, down to Chepstow, over the bridge to pick up the train home from Bristol Temple Meads I just go via Avonmouth on the main road...it's simple but obviously not very scenic and a bit longer but there is at least a cycle path by the side of the main road between the city and the M5 bridge and you get a good view of the Clifton Susp bridge and the cliffs.

andymiller

For my sins I know the north side of Bristol (and Cribbs Causeway!) quite well but my knowledge of the Bristol area is a wee bit hazy). Is there a pedestrian/cycle route over the old Severn Bridge? Otherwise it would be a question of either going up the A38 and then coming back down the other side, or following the Sustrans route by the river (or even a combination of the two). The A38 isn't too busy and you have views over the Severn estuary but it's ootherwise a bit dull). Getting there from Cribbs Causeway is a wee bit tircky as you have to go under the motorway and then down a steep hill (Horse Hill B4055) and then right at the bottom (Over Lane - the B4055 as well).

Does that give you what you need?

GeorgeShaw

Is there a pedestrian/cycle route over the old Severn Bridge?

Both sides, I think, but the usual way is over the north side. You can pick it up at the last roundabout on each side. Plenty of routes from the Aust side.

redvee

Yes, both sides on the old Severn Bridge and only done the upstream side once in all the years I lived in Avonmouth. Found it much better sheltered obviously.

Rob Sallnow

GeorgeShaw wrote:

Is there a pedestrian/cycle route over the old Severn Bridge?

Both sides, I think, but the usual way is over the north side. You can pick it up at the last roundabout on each side. Plenty of routes from the Aust side.

Indeed the north side is best.....the south side is the one marked on the Landranger maps and would also be the first one signposted if you've ridden up from Avonmouth...avoid it as it kicks you out in to Bulwark which when I last had the misfortune to go through it wasn't great.

craker

This is one I know quite well... I used to cycle from Hengrove to Chew Magna and back at lunchtimes, in my new job I cycle from Almondsbury to Chepstow

Chew Stoke -> Chew Magna
Chew Magna -> Norton Hawkfield-> Whitchurch
Pick up the old railway path Whitchurch -> Brislington -> Barton Hill
It's easier to use the dual carriageway at St Phillips Causeway than try to find the rather circuitous bike route (it's wide enough with a sort of clearance lane at the edge, normally a bit full of yack though), from Barton Hill over the Avon & the railway to join the Bristol to Bath cycle path.
Excellent route this one, it's a bicycle motorway. It's well signposted to the Bristol Ring Road and beyond (I don't know this bit of the route but it's NCN).

This puts you North East of Bristol with lots of B roads north of the M4 (Winterbourne / Bradley Stoke) where you can get to Almondsbury. From there go through Tockington & Alveston and the bridge is visible and signposted from Almondsbury. Cross the bridge with the wind in your face.

I can drag you a route out in Multimap if you like and can upload it to multimap or a GPS. Pm me for that.

vbc

I would agree with Ian Sims' route over the Avonmouth bridge and then north of Bristol via lanes to the old Severn Bridge. I have some local cycle route maps which I can mark up for you and post on if that would help.

Mail me.

jimwin

Thanks all for the great response.

I also checked out the Bristol maps at:
http://maps.bristol.gov.uk/default.aspx
and used this to follow the NCN wherever possible.

This led me to the route at this link:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1738422

Any improvements on this? If so, can you post the Google Maps Pedometer link please (or a Bikely link if you wish).

Ta

- JimW

redvee

Not so much improvements on the route, just a few comments being a 'local'.

4 - 5 Downhill
5 - 6 Uphill
7 - 8 Uphill but traffic free on closed roads, particularly past the deer park.

There is a cafe on the Downs by the watertower,end of Lady's Mile, nice food but expensive.
Climbing up Henbury Road from Falcondale can be hard but rewarded with a downhill.
The detour along Passage road isn't really necessary s the A403 is much quieter since the opening of the 2nd Bridge. If you're going to use the upstream side of the bridge access can be gained via the roundabout at the entrance to the services I think.

HTH

vbc

Nice route through Ashton Court Estate (nice cafe at the back of the mansion if you're peckish) and over the Clifton suspension bridge.

There is a nicer route from 11 to Henbury via Coombe Dingle and traffic free to Blaise (Greenhill Plantation) then head to Hallen under the M5 and turn right to avoid Cribbs Causeway and link up with your mapped route before Easter Compton.

My neck of the woods and well familiar with the route.

If you want a bit of company for the day, let me know and we'll sort something out.

jimwin

Thanks for the tips. I think I have a clear idea of the route now - especially the last 2 posts. This has been a very useful thread so thanks again everyone.

JimW

PS, I'm riding with a colleague and we're both from around the Tavistock area so we're not fazed by hills any more.

wjhall

vbc wrote:

Nice route through Ashton Court Estate (nice cafe at the back of the mansion if you're peckish) and over the Clifton suspension bridge.

There is a nicer route from 11 to Henbury via Coombe Dingle and traffic free to Blaise (Greenhill Plantation) then head to Hallen under the M5 and turn right to avoid Cribbs Causeway and link up with your mapped route before Easter Compton.

My neck of the woods and well familiar with the route.

If you want a bit of company for the day, let me know and we'll sort something out.

Agreed, this is all tarmaced, and quiet. Ignore all advice to use this or that main road, some of them may be quieter than they were but the traffic is still v fast. Passage Road also gives you a view of the estuary, and leads directly into the S side cycle track on the Severn Bridge. There is a wide smooth pavement cycle track along the A403 from Northwick to the start of Passage Road, much the best option.

To get to Coombe Dingle from the suspension bridge take the road round the Downs (Circular Road), and down through Sneyd Park, across through Sea Mills and into the bottom of the Blaise Estate. (Don't worry about lifting over the kissing gate at the bottom of the estate, this is the only such obstacle, ride carefully through the estate, cycle use on this is official, but something of a concession. Hazel Brook gorge v attractive. Best to exit via the House and so to Hallen and the back road through Spaniorum to Easter Compton, thence Pilning & Northwick.

This cuts out most of Bristol, except the nice bits, and most of the NCNs too! (Note the NCN on the W side of the river is unsurfaced.

Possible to detour through fairly minor urban roads to the E if you want to see Clifton, Westbury on Trym or any particular feature in this area.

jimwin

// To get to Coombe Dingle from the suspension bridge take the road round the Downs (Circular Road), and down through Sneyd Park, across through Sea Mills and into the bottom of the Blaise Estate. (Don't worry about lifting over the kissing gate at the bottom of the estate, this is the only such obstacle, ride carefully through the estate, cycle use on this is official, but something of a concession. Hazel Brook gorge v attractive. Best to exit via the House and so to Hallen and the back road through Spaniorum to Easter Compton, thence Pilning & Northwick. //

Any chance of detailing the route from the suspension bridge to Hallen on gmap-pedometer.com please. I wasn't able to figure out your route from the description above.

Ta,

- JimW

redvee

From the centre of one bridge to the other...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1746881

vbc

Yes, that would be more or less my route redvee.

jimwin

Excellent. Thanks for that.

Ashley_R

Not rwead the rest of the posts but I stopped in Chew Stoke when I did the E2E, grerat ride into Bristol, hideous journey though, totally lost once over the suspension bridge, ended up heading out of town towards a motorwar, plus major abuse from motorists being my abiding memory!!

Only navigartional error the whole trip!

Just keep heading west till you run out of road and head for the big Severn bridegy shaped thing signposted Chepstow!!

wjhall

All I got from this was a view of the Severn Bridge, so for the rest of the technologically challenged, and everyone else still riding 20th century bicycles, here is a list of street names, which you should be able to pick up on Multimap, etc, at high magnification:

Suspension Bridge Road - first L – then L - Clifton Down Road – S (Use shelter of pedestrian island to cross Bridge Valley Road – can alternatively use minor roads down hill just to the E to reach same point) – Fountain Hill – L – Circular Road – L – Ivywell Road – S – Hazelwood Road – R – Church Road – L – Mariners Drive – R – Old Sneed Park – L – Avon Way – S – Trym Cross Road – R (Or S and round through Sea Mills Square) – Trymside – R – Meadway – S – Coombe Dale – S – Westbury Lane – immediate R – The Dingle – L just before stream into Blaise car park – aforementioned kissing gate, follow tarmac path up Hazel Brook gorge through estate – L over bridge in front of mill and up to pass in front of house to exit – L – Henbury Road – R – Hallen Road – bear left in this short fast one way section – L – Hallen Road – under motorway bridge – R – Berwick Road and so to Easter Compton.


Most of the roads between the Downs and the Blaise estate are minor urban roads with low traffic, so any diversions you feel like should be easy subject to avoiding the obvious main roads (Shirehampton Road & Canford Lane & the Portway end of Sylvan Way).

As you may guess I live in this part of town.

redvee wrote:

From the centre of one bridge to the other...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1746881