Bristol and Bath Railway Path

It’s time for another bicycle tour. Although I thought I had prepared my kit quite thoroughly, as ever ‘last minute’ adjustments become last hours adjustments. It was nearly two in the afternoon before I managed to leave (not counting an earlier false start where, in my haste, I had set off with my brake reservoir left open).

From the edge of the town I took the backroads to the town of Corsham, then on to Bath via the large hill at Kingsdown. From there I darted through the city crossing the iconic Pulteney bridge and Bath cathedral, the expected bad weather having brought out only modest crowds of tourists.

I picked up the first of my national cycle network routes for the trip: route four. Route four is a way marked route of backroads and cycle paths running from London in the East to the port of Fishguard in south west Wales. I would be using various short stretches of it this trip. This section follows the Kennet and Avon canal briefly before joining a railway path which follows the former Mangotsfield and Bath branch of the midland railway.Read more