Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

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ferdinand
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Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by ferdinand »

I may have a weekend in Loxton near Axbridge in Somerset in the New Year.

I usually get the train to somewhere up to half a day away and cycle the last 10 to 30 miles.

In this case I'm looking at getting the train to Bristol, and the appropriate route too Axbridge seems to be NCN 26 and 33, or along the coastal route.

Does anyone have any advice on this area?

I will be riding a hybrid with panniers etc, so trails are fine but not too much single track.

Thanks

Ferdinand
mnichols
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mnichols »

Bristol has two train stations. Cycling out of either of them may not be great initially. Have you considered Bath, Bradford on Avon, Castle Cary or maybe Weymouth?
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Redvee
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by Redvee »

Get to Temple Meads then ride to Festival way, along the river. Ride Festival Way to Nailsea then pick up the Srawberry Line in Yatton to Axbridge and onwards.
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mjr
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mjr »

What redvee said, then ride west out of Axbridge to Cross and through small places to Loxton. It's slightly shorter if you head west from the sports fields in Winscombe but then you don't see Axbridge centre and it's worth seeing. NCN 33 Festival Way is mostly tarmac roads and paths with one section of gravel greenway, 26 Strawberry Line is limestone porridge which is OK on a hybrid but might be worth using nearby roads between Nye Road and Winscombe if the weather is poor.

Much as I love the coastal places, it's still a rather lumpy route and the A370 is the cyclable crossing of the Yeo nearest the coast (the M5 is more direct but we're not allowed on it) and it's a fairly horrible ride.
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ferdinand
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by ferdinand »

Thanks for the replies.

I did look at Bath, but the extra distance (10 miles or so - 3x miles not 2x miles) was slightly more than I am comfortable with in half a day since my train will get in late morning and I have a do in the evening.

The Strawberry Line or alternative route looks good.

Ferdinand
whoof
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by whoof »

I often do a loop from Brsitol to Cheddar and back and this passes through Webbington, a couple of hundred metres from Loxton on the other side of the M5. I'll try to describe a route from Temple Meads Station.
From the station follow the Chocolate Way out to and through Aston Court. Through Long Ashton and down Old Weston Rd past Flax Burton Coroners Court. Follow the bike path to end then right (Backwell Bow) and immediately left Backwell Common. At the end of the lane left and after 300 m right onto the A370 at Backwell/West Town.After ~1km right onto Chelveney Rd and then first left Chelvney Lane. Through Claverham and left onto B3133 then right back onto A370 for 200m until left at Congresbury onto B3133. Right onto Brinsea Batch to Churchill where right and at end of lane left to A368. Cross A368 and go thorough Sandford then right onto The Lynch, left Church Rd, immediately right Barton Road. At the end of the lane right and 400m to Loxton.

Not sure if you can follow this but using Goggle maps you can pick out all the road names and get and idea of the route.
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mjr
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mjr »

The first part of the route's not too bad (basically NCN33 to Backwell), but the B3133 is a pretty nasty rat-run to the airport, isn't it? Unless feeling reasonably quick and brave, I'd turn right into Stowey Park before the B3133, then third left into Well Lane, nearly straight over into Church Road, and left at the end onto Chescombe Road, turning left onto NCN 26 at its end.
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sammyl1000
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by sammyl1000 »

Strawberry line and chocolate way sound very exotic. Love the names!
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mjr
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mjr »

I think it's Chocolate Path (great name, but sadly it's because the surface is small slippery black tiles that look like a bar of chocolate) and Festival Way.

The names around here like Sandringham Railway Path and Swaffham Belt Path are far too literal. Even the Cock Up Bridge is...
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Redvee
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by Redvee »

The Chocolate Path is an unofficial name and came from a Strava segment IIRC.
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mjr
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mjr »

I heard about the chocolate path long before Strava started in 2009. Knowing Bristolian humour, I suspect it got that name soon after it was built in the early 1900s, what with Dairy Milk first going on sale around the same time.

Bristol City Council call it by that name AFAIK
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whoof
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by whoof »

mjr wrote:The first part of the route's not too bad (basically NCN33 to Backwell), but the B3133 is a pretty nasty rat-run to the airport, isn't it? Unless feeling reasonably quick and brave, I'd turn right into Stowey Park before the B3133, then third left into Well Lane, nearly straight over into Church Road, and left at the end onto Chescombe Road, turning left onto NCN 26 at its end.


I'll give that a go next time I'm out that way, what's the surface like after Chescombe Rd/Biddle St?

Not sure that the B3133 is used to get to the airport. From the M5 either A38 or A370 then Brockley Combe Rd are the usual routes.
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mjr
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by mjr »

whoof wrote:I'll give that a go next time I'm out that way, what's the surface like after Chescombe Rd/Biddle St?

It varies over time depending on how much maintenance North Somerset Council have bothered to do. It was compacted crushed limestone when I lived there - and better drained than the bits either side of Winscombe.
Not sure that the B3133 is used to get to the airport. From the M5 either A38 or A370 then Brockley Combe Rd are the usual routes.

If you go up Brockley Combe then that means waiting to turn right across the A38 next to the airport, whereas B3133 Congresbury to A38 means turning left. :-(
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wjhall
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by wjhall »

If you are arriving at Temple Meads you could take a local train to Nailsea, which cuts out all the fiddly bits trying to find your way through the docks and suburban sprawl. Depends largely whether you want a ride in the country or to see Bristol's somewhat tatty industrial archaelogy, or any other of the many historic features hidden in the fume filled vortex of the city centre.

From Nailsea by the obvious minor roads W of the railway to Yatton (to which the local train also continues), or to the east via West town end and Chievely, and thence down the Strawberry line to Axbridge or Winscombe before following minor roads to Loxton. The South side of the Mendips is probably more attractive.

The Strawberry line is crushed limestone, in reasonable condition, my daughter has been up and down it several times this autumn on 28-630 tyres, without any problems apart from a smear of white mud on her mudguard reflector. A couple of pleasant moorland sections, a glade and a tunnel.
ferdinand
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Re: Cycling to Axbridge from Bristol

Post by ferdinand »

This is looking better and better.

I get to Temple Meads at about 10am on 27th, to be in Axbridge for teatime say 4pm, after a brutally early start at 5am.

28th and 29th dancing dancing dancing.

30th cycling day with b+b.

31st train back home leaves Templemeads at 4.30pm. Saves £30 over a ticket on the 30th.

So I have nearly 3 days for cycling, and would love to hear any good ideas.

I always enjoy cycling rivers from the source to the sea. Are there any suitable riverswith interesting cycling in the area that could be recommended?

Ferdinand
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