The Bristol and Bath Railway Path is a off-road

cycleway Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except w ...

, part of

National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...

National Cycle Route 4 Between these, the route runs through Reading, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Swansea and St David's. Within Wales, sections of the route follow branches of the Celtic Trail cycle route. Route The total length of the path is 443.6 miles and takes ...

. It has a wide tarmacked surface, and was used for 2.4 million trips in 2007, increasing by 10% per year. It was built by the cycling charity

Sustrans Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network. Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United Kin ...

between 1979 and 1986, which leased a stretch near

Saltford Saltford is a large English village and civil parish in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset. It lies between the cities of Bristol and Bath, and adjoins Keynsham on the same route. Saltford Manor House (built about 116 ...

, with the help of the then

Avon County Council Avon County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Avon in south west England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1974 and was abolished on 1 April 1996 at the same time as the county. The county council was based at Av ...

, and using volunteers turned it into its first cycleway.

Route

The path follows the route of the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

Mangotsfield and Bath branch line The Mangotsfield and Bath branch line was a railway line opened by the Midland Railway Company in 1869 to connect Bath to its network at Mangotsfield, on its line between Bristol and Birmingham. It was usually referred to as "the Bath branch" of ...

, which was closed during the

Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the ...

of the 1960s in favour of the more direct former

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

between the cities, from

Lawrence Hill Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist. He is known for his 2007 novel '' The Book of Negroes,'' inspired by the Black Loyalists given freedom and resettled in Nova Scotia by the British after the A ...

in central

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

to Newbridge in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. It passes through the suburbs of Easton,

Fishponds Fishponds is a large suburb in the north-east of the English city of Bristol, about from the city centre. It has two large Victorian-era parks: Eastville Park and Vassall's Park (once the Vassall Family estate, also known as Oldbury Court). T ...

, and Staple Hill, then the villages of

Mangotsfield Mangotsfield is an urban area and former village in the unitary authority area of South Gloucestershire, in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England, to the north-east of Bristol. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 ...

Warmley Warmley is a village in South Gloucestershire, England. Warmley is situated in between Bristol and Bath. It is a parish, with its own church, and has some minor landmarks, such as a World War One memorial the focus of Remembrance Services, an ...

Bitton Bitton is a village and civil parish of South Gloucestershire in England, to the east of the Greater Bristol area on the River Boyd. It is in South Gloucestershire. The parish of Bitton has a population of 9,307, and apart from the village ...

and

, before ending at Newbridge.

Bristol end

The path starts at Trinity Street, Lawrence Hill.

Clay Bottom

A housing development at Clay Bottom (near the B4469) has encroached onto the alignment of the railway, and the cycleway diverts around several houses causing a blind corner. These houses would be in the way of any future use of this section as a guided busway or rail use.

Staple Hill

3.2 miles from the Bristol end, the path reaches Staple Hill station. On the remaining platform there is a modern sculptured seat. The path rises up level with the platform, and then drops back down to the track bed. A short distance from the station is the entrance to the 0.3-mile-long Staple Hill Tunnel under Staple Hill. The west end of the tunnel is at , the east end at . The path takes up less than half the width of the tunnel, with the rest of the floor uneven rocks. The tunnel is lit all year-round, and despite the warning signs, 24 hours a day. The roof leaks in places, giving the appearance of rain, often when outside it is dry.

Mangotsfield station

Mangotsfield railway station Mangotsfield railway station was a railway station on the Midland Railway route between Bristol and Birmingham, north-east of and from , serving what is now the Bristol suburb of Mangotsfield. The station was opened in 1845 by the Bristol ...

was on the

Bristol and Gloucester main line, the junction for the

Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line The Mangotsfield and Bath branch line was a railway line opened by the Midland Railway Company in 1869 to connect Bath to its network at Mangotsfield, on its line between Bristol and Birmingham. It was usually referred to as "the Bath branch" of ...

Bath Green Park railway station Green Park railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset, England. For most of its life, it was known as ''Bath Queen Square''. Architecture and opening Green Park station was opened in 1870 as the terminus of Midland Railway's ...

. It had six platforms. The disused Bristol and Gloucester route to

Yate Yate is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies just to the southwest of the Cotswolds, Cotswold Hills and is northeast of Bristol city centre and from the centre of Bath, Somerset, Bath, with regular rail services ...

now provides a spur from the railway path northwest to the Bristol ring road cycle path and

Emersons Green Emersons Green is a suburb of Bristol and parish in the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire. Sitting 7 miles northeast of Bristol, England. It was developed from farming land during the 1990s and early 21st century, and sits within the hi ...

. The remaining island platforms have railway-related sculptures between them, some depicting waiting passengers. One notable sculpture was that of a suitcase, supposedly belonging to one of the passengers. However, it disappeared in the summer of 2008.

Avon ring road

From 1999 to July 2001 South Gloucestershire Council built a new section of the A4174 Avon ring road along part of the path. While the work was being undertaken the path was diverted away from the old railway line and a new section was added around the ring road, increasing the length by 200 yards. The new section includes two bridges, several tight corners, a hill (South Gloucestershire Council describes it as a 'barely perceptible gradient'), and two

cattle grid A cattle grid – also known as a stock grid in Australia; cattle guard, or cattle grate in American English; vehicle pass, or stock gap in the Southeastern United States; Texas gate in western Canada and the northwestern United States; and a ...

Warmley station

The

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

platform at

contains a cafe, serving refreshments seven days a week year-round, and includes public toilets.

Avon Valley Railway

Between Avon Riverside and

Oldland Common Oldland Common is a village in the far south region of South Gloucestershire, England, on the outskirts of Bristol. It is in the civil parish of Bitton, approximately 8 miles between the centres of cities Bristol and Bath. Oldland Common is ...

the path shares its route with the

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

Avon Valley Railway The Avon Valley Railway (AVR) is a three-mile-long heritage railway based at Bitton station in South Gloucestershire, England, between Bristol and Bath and is operated by a local group: The Avon Valley Railway Company Ltd. The railway follows th ...

. Along this two-mile shared section the path crosses the railway line at two

level crossings A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term also ...

. There has been opposition to the Avon Valley Railway expanding their line, demonstrated by the painting of graffiti along the path where it runs parallel with the line. The railway's cafe at

Bitton railway station Bitton railway station is the main station (and headquarters) of the Avon Valley Railway. It is located near the village of Bitton, South Gloucestershire. Facilities Bitton station contains a booking office, gift shop and buffet - as well a ...

is open all year round.

Bath end

The end of the path is at the Brassmill Lane trading estate in Bath. The west Bath riverside path continues to the city centre.

Sculpture

As of 2007 there were 26 commissioned artworks along the Path.

Guided busway proposal

In January 2008, a plan was revealed by the West of England Partnership to turn sections of the path between

and Bristol City Centre into a

Guided Busway Guided buses are buses capable of being steered by external means, usually on a dedicated track or roll way that excludes other traffic, permitting the maintenance of schedules even during rush hours. Unlike trolleybuses or rubber-tired trams ...

. Sustrans have announced that they will oppose these plans, claiming that they are the "right idea, wrong route". A petition against this proposal on Bristol City Council's website gained over 7900 signatures within the first month. A website was set up by a group opposed to the plans. In a council meeting on 1 April, plans for the busway were put on hold, but the council refused to rule out using the path for a busway later.

Rapid transit proposal

It is suggested that the eastern route of a proposed Bristol rapid transit system could run as a light rail track alongside the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which would not have to close.

References

External links

Bristol & Bath Railway Path official website
*Sustrans, 2002. ''The Official Guide to the National Cycle Network''. 2nd ed. Italy: Canile & Turin. . Relevant section reproduce
here
{{Transport in Bristol Transport in Bristol Transport in Bath, Somerset Cycling in Somerset Bath and North East Somerset Rail trails in England