Cycle Route - Bath City Centre - Bath Spa University

If you'd like to cycle to Bath Spa University from Bath, but don't like the idea of the dual carriageway, here's an alternative. If you're not a regular cyclist, give yourself about half an hour for this route.

Remember that country lanes have their own dangers - they can be isolated, and whether in a car or on a cycle you need to be able to stop well within your sighting distance at all times, as you would on any other road. Despite the apparent lack of other people in many of these snapshots, you'll very likely meet others at any point on this route, and the towpath section within the city is relatively busy. Here's snapshots of the entire route.

Route Status

The first part of this route follows Sustrans national route 4. The second part is not part of an 'Official' cycle route, it follows a series of unclassified roads, both urban and rural, some have little provision for cyclists or pedestrians, particularly the crossing of Pennyquick. To see improvements, request that the local authority explore ways to improve cycle routes to Bath Spa University and make specific suggestions.

You don't have to join this route in the city centre, but if you do, here's national cycle route 4 passing Bath Abbey. Other cycle paths and easements will help you from alternate starting points - if you're starting from the rail station look to pick up the riverside path at an early stage.

... follow cycle route 4 which takes you out ...

... at these lights the cycle route turns left and then crosses at the pedestrian crossing ...

... into New King Street.

... and past Norfolk Crescent, behind the camera

New King Street takes you to the Junction with the river's towpath, which is used by both walkers and cyclists.

Dredge Suspension Bridge, Bath

The 'Dredge' suspension bridge - Dredge being the engineer who designed this bridge and many others - there's a similar survivor some hundreds of miles away - in the Great Glen in Scotland, here's links before restoration by Historic Scotland

A minor road crosses the river on a lattice bridge which is too wide for the river here - it was moved from its original position next to Green Park Station when that road crossing was upgraded, and reused here.

This bridge carried a rail siding within the gas works here. The path here is well used, the camera has caught it at a quiet moment.

Beyond, you'll pass beneath the busy Windsor Bridge link road, visible here beneath the ex-rail siding.

Midland Rail Bridge, Bath

and further downstream, the Midland Railway's bridge to Weston. This heavy bridge last carried a train in 1973, it was once Bath's main rail line to Birmingham, which crossed the river six times on its approach to Bath. From the city's outskirts much of it is in use as a Sustrans path.

Since it closed in 1973, the rail line within the city has suffered piecemeal and casual disruption and it's too fragmented at present to be used even for a cycle path ... in the late nineteen eighties its reuse for the Avon Metro system was under consideration, and it is now proposed for a rapid transit link into Bath's proposed western riverside redevelopment

Engineer's reference on Midland Rail bridge, Bath

134 miles from Derby ...

'Waterside' Hall of Residence

The new Bath Spa University hall of residence (Waterside) takes shape on the south bank of the river downstream of the Midland rail bridge

Halfpenny Footbridge between Weston and Twerton

... and our foot crossing of the river at Halfpenny Bridge is in sight. After years of delay this bridge has been overhauled and is now shiny and green - and even 'Feels' different underfoot. No more twanging noises when people wheel heavy motorcycles across it. The name 'Halfpenny bridge' may derive from a toll on the ferry that crossed there.

Here's a view from the footbridge down Weston Lock cut to the alternative crossing ...

... and a view back to the rooftops of Lansdown above the Midland bridge.

The footbridge is well used throughout the day.

You'll need to cross the Lower Bristol Road (There's a pelican crossing)

... and after a hundred yards of this turn left under Twerton Arch ...

Engineers Reference on Great Western Main Line, Twerton, Bath

... 108 miles from London ...

Twerton High Street

... where Twerton High Street is rather more cycle-friendly and has shops. On the right hand side here you can find surviving buildings and land boundaries from the ancient Twerton Farm and its yard

Here you'll climb past Twerton Church, the site of Wood House (a large Victorian house that didn't survive the 1960s, mature trees from its grounds on the right survive among the blocks of flats that replaced it) and then St Michael's School,

Days Crescent, much of the land on the right here is reclaimed from quarries

Pennyquick Colliery

and a recreation ground with a view across to Newton St Loe. The field is made from quarries and reputedly the levelled spoil heap of Twerton Colliery, the nearest coal mine to Bath City Centre.

and then downhill to cross Pennyquick. This is an unclassified country road on the edge of Bath, busy with fast traffic and no foot crossing ... if you'd rather not stay on the bike for this you can cross it via a footpath that leaves the access road to the camping and caravan site.

Watery Lane, Newton St Loe

The view from the footpath across Pennyquick to the entrance to Watery Lane. Twerton Colliery itself may have been behind the camera and close to this junction. In wet weather the lower end of Watery Lane floods to a depth of a foot or so from the stream alongside.

Climb Watery Lane from its junction with Pennyquick ...

... the hill steepens, and at the crossroads turn right towards Newton St Loe

Newton Lane leads to the village

... farm ...

... and shop.

Newton Park entrance gate.

The Newton Drive

The Campus, with Stantonbury Hill behind.

Looking back to Newton St Loe and some recent red roofs. In late August 2005 a tree much to the left of these cottages was struck by lightning - here's 12 images of the damage caused to the tree

Four photography faults in one snapshot.

Destination. Parking for bikes ...

| Top |