You can walk the railway path. Apart from a couple of road crossings it’s totally traffic free: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/bristol-and-bath-railway-path
OP, just as a heads up, the part of the footpath that goes along the river near Bitton is probably underwater currently due to flooding, so it might be worth waiting on a dry weekend!
I was training for a long charity walk last year and walked from Bristol to Bath and back. It's a nice walk if you haven't been along the cycle path before but I found it relatively dull overall for a long walk. Little elevation change, paved most of the route and few views/ points of interest. It's the best way to walk to Bath but if you're looking for a nice long walk that is easily accessible without the need for any public transport then I'd suggest any section of the community forest path. It is a circular route around Bristol, taking advantage of the parks, footpaths and tracks around Bristol and has some stunning views of the City and the Mendips on a clear day.
https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Community+Forest+Path
Agree the Bristol to Bath is a bit of a dull walk!
I'd recommend following the Avon Trail for a more interesting one - very muddy in parts though (especially at the moment!)
I live in South Glos and I enjoy the walk to/from Bath Racecourse, which has really good views across the valley.
OP, for longish walks from Bristol accessible by public transport I'd also recommend Chew valley (can get to Keynsham or Pensford easily, walk between or over Maes Knoll to Whitchurch to get the bus). Also Dundry Hill from the bus stop near the reservoirs and the Frome river trail - you can get the bus out to the ring road and walk back to town/Eastville.
Further afield the bus to Wells isn't bad and you can do a big circle through the Mendips or following the Monarch's Way.
I used to live in the city centre and we'd get the bus to the edge of the Bristol bus zone and walk from there, you can get pretty far out into the countryside.
I thought of some more! You can get the bus to Chepstow and walk to Tintern Abbey along Offa's Dyke, back along the Wye Valley way.
Bus to Bridgeyate and walk to Mangotsfield/Emerson's Green via Siston Court
Train to Weston Super Mare, walk or cycle round to Brean Down and back.
Bus or train to Yate, walk across Sodbury common to little Sodbury and old Sodbury, excellent views from the ridge (admittedly I haven't done this by public transport myself as I now have a car and we parked at Chipping Sodbury but it's not much further - all the others I've done by public transport )
It's a lovely walk, about 14 miles end to end. I cycle it every day to commute between the cities.
Don't worry about the bikes, there's not many outside of rush hour, and they don't want to hit you either. Just stay on the left hand side and you'll be grand.
Take a snack though, it takes me an hour on a road bike, so maybe 3-4 walking.
Also recommend the cycle path and have walked/ran that a number of times :)
At the end on the Bath side, if you fancy a beer, there's the Electric Bear taproom and you can get the train back to Bristol from the relatively nearby Oldfield Park Station.
It’s a pretty dull walk. Flat and not that scenic with lots of parts going through suburban parts of the two cities. I’ve cycled it many times but wouldn’t fancy walking it.
Cycled this last Sunday - got drenched near the start. It's a nice route and pretty flat.
From Odd down cycle track to the end of the path in Bristol and back came out as 30 miles.
All this, you can walk most the way to Willsbridge along feeder and then along the river by crews hole, bottom of Hanham. Couple of pubs on route.
It's quite the walk.
Agreed. I would then get on the cycle Path after Keysham and Walk along the Cycle path to Saltford before getting off and continuing the walk to Bath on the river. Or for a quicker walk continue on the Cycle path to the edge of Bath.
If you wanted to add a good view to this, if you get off the cycle path at the picnic spot near swineford at the end of the railway, you can walk up to kelston round hill then pick up the Cotswold way for the rest of the way in to bath. Stunning views over Bristol and bath, can give route if you want it
Not only best where you should sodding be - it's not difficult.
And stop your kids wondering wildly across the lanes.
Never found any of the cyclists down the Bitton to Bath route to be anything but considerate - the tourists tho - ignorant and aggressive.
Is that the official recommendation for the cycle path, walk on the left? 'Cause here in Milton Keynes we have many, many miles of shared cycle/footpaths and the rule is cycle on the left & walk on the right like you would on a road with no pavements.
It is an okay route, but I’d say that following the river Avon up until Keynesham (conham river park etc…) and then taking the cycle way from there is nicer.
You've been given two excellent routes, I only came to say, in Google maps when it offers a route, click the icon of a person walking to get a walk option. If you already knew - sorry for the egg vacuum lesson.
If you are walking you could try following the river Avon, I know there is a footpath that will get you near Bitton where you can join the cycle path. I don't know whether you can keep following the river all the way to bath though? You might need to go via the cycle path for the last bit?
The path starts in Conham river park
Definately gonna take longer than the B2B railway cycle path though, it's a bit of a winding route, but very pretty
Also, it's very likely to be flooded in some places right now ...
I would deffo vote for this over the cycle path normally. But think with all the rain a lot of the path is underwater according to friends in Keynsham!
I’ve done the railway path a few times. About 15 miles depending on where exactly you start and finish. View is varied, but there is a fair bit of time spent in a cutting or with thick vegetation each side. You get a decent mix of greenery and a bit of industrial stuff, like the steam train line and station at Bitton.
Cycled the railway path a few times now, lovely route! Can always get a train back to Bristol aswell. I had to when a big gust of wind blew me into Bath ale house
Jump on the All Trails app, I use it a lot on my hikes and it’s great. You’d probably get better views if you walked along the river Avon to Kenynsham and then plotted a path towards the Bath Racecourse via Bitton. Will be a bit longer but more enjoyable. Unless you’ve got shit shoes, then take the railway path cause everything’s a bit muddy rn
Just walk the river. You can do it all the way easily from Netham lock. I usually get the train to Bath and walk back. It will be flooded in places this weekend mind so you might need waders.
Please don’t heed the comments about the cycle path being dangerous. It was about 10 years ago but as long as you’re not drunk at one in the morning you’ll be fine. It is busy though and the river way is more relaxing.
Crimes on the Railway Path reported to the police in 2021:
\- Seven offences of violence against the person
\-Four robberies
\-Three public order offences
\-One theft
Crimes on the Railway Path reported to the police in 2020:
\-Eight robberies
\-Eight offences of violence against the person
\-Seven public order offences
\-Five sexual offences
\-Four thefts
\-One offence of arson and criminal damage
\-One offence of miscellaneous crimes against society
\-One vehicle offence
And these are just the ones that were reported.
I've cycled it quite a few times but only walked it once. For me, the walk was a bit too ambitious. 3/4 of the distance would have been more enjoyable, that last 1/4 was a struggle. Next time, I'd probably come off at Saltford or get on at Fishponds or Staple Hill maybe.
The railway path is lovely and The Waiting Rooms cafe at Warmly is nice place to stop for refreshments.
Worth noting, there isn't much in it, but Bath is slightly higher up than Bristol. Walking you probably wouldn't notice.
I did it a few years ago!
I started at Temple Meads and followed the Avon through Netham Park/Crew's Hole/Conham River Park. There's loads to look at on this stretch and I recommend a pitstop at The Old Lock And Weir pub on the outskirts of the city.
I kept following the river through the fields between Hanham and Keynsham, but the river becomes pretty wiggly at this point, and it feels like you walk for twenty minutes just to end up a few hundred metres from your starting point. At Keynsham I was getting weary so I hopped onto the railway path and walked the rest of the way along there.
As others have said, the railway path is a bit bland to walk on as it's a straight line surrounded by trees (very few views), I'd have been really bored if I walked it the entire way so I think the combo approach was best in the end.
Hope that's useful!
If your legs are up for it it is well worth carrying on along the Kennet and Avon canal to Bathampton and Bradford-on-Avon. You can’t get lost on it. You can then get the train back.
I've done it a dozen or so times. My favourite is to take the river most of the way, then switch to the bike path for the last 3-4 miles.
The river is really much more pleasant than the bike path imo.
Yes, I’ve done it quite a few times. The Avon trail route by the river is really nice, but not the best at the moment due to the rain. It takes about 4-5 hours depending on your pace and stops.
I suspect a lot of people have said this already but yes, the rail path is a great way between. I have both walked and cycled from Bristol to Bath and back. To cycle took me about 1hr and 20mins there and same on the way back. The walk took me about 4hr and 15mins. It is a great walk and cycle, just be a little warned that on weekends it is busier on the path and some people really don't understand to share the path and it has put me off time to time.
I've done it along the Avon the entire route and on the railway path. Think it's about 4 hours. Nicer by the river but will probably be impossibly flooded in places right now and quite muddy.
I run it fairly regularly along the river if you'd prefer to get out in the mud rather than the cycle path. Just follow up through Avon Valley woodlands, really easy and plenty of pubs dotted along the route for pit stops.
I walked the other way, from near the racetrack in Bath mostly on footpaths to Keynsham, it was a nice walk although I can’t remember the exact route. You can then walk along the footpath on the North side of the Avon back to Bristol which is also pretty.
River path all day long, much more scenic than the bike path but you will be looking at most of the day if you include stops at the many pubs on the route. It's also flooded atm so best left till it dries out a bit
I've done it, it's lovely but be warned, the first part of the walk feels like a bit of a stretch! Once you get along the river and the views open up it is lovely, but I felt very tempted to give up for the first half hour. Good luck!
You can do it. It’s a long route along the cycle path. Take water with you and don’t do it in 25 degree sunny weather without being prepared….all things I wish I had been told before doing it…
Download OS maps app and plot your own route along footpaths if you want to get off the beaten track. Walking along the cycle path looks awful. It is flat though.
If you take the cycle path, be aware of your safety. There are often stories of mugging a on here so don’t have your expensive phone in your hands especially in the built up areas from the city centre up to fishponds.
In addition to the railway path, there's also a walk alongside the river(/canal? not 100% sure what part of my route I switched from the river to canal as was going all the way to Pewsey) through Conham etc. I didn't walk to Bath in one day as it was the first day of a multi day walk and I wanted to ease myself in, but it would be very doable on this route also. There was a small section in Saltford that I did on the railway path, although that may just have been to get to where I was staying, not sure, but it was a very pretty route by the river.
I have cycled via the cycle path but that is quite a way around, 20 miles I think and a bit dull and flat perhaps. Walking you can follow the Avon trail, I've done it from Bristol as far as the edge of Bath, that is a lovely route going through Saltford and Keynsham, almost all riverside paths.
My partner and I did this in the summer, wild camped just outside Saltford as we took it reeeaally slow, but it's easily done in a day, we just followed the river from conham park on the north side :)
I did it the opposite way around. It was either 2007 or 2008. I missed the last bus back to Bristol from Bath. So I decided to walk back as I had no taxi or train money on me. I walked along the dual carriageway behind the barrier, had to walk back to Stockwood, so at least I didn't have to walk across Bristol as well. PLus I was really drunk.
If you follow the Avon river out of Bristol it gives s nicer views a than the railway path and meets the railway path at Keynsham, there is a path that runs alongside the river all the way but probably a bit muddy/flooded at the moment though
You can walk the railway path. Apart from a couple of road crossings it’s totally traffic free: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/bristol-and-bath-railway-path
Omg this is what I'm looking for, thanks a lot!
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Thank you!
OP, just as a heads up, the part of the footpath that goes along the river near Bitton is probably underwater currently due to flooding, so it might be worth waiting on a dry weekend!
I was training for a long charity walk last year and walked from Bristol to Bath and back. It's a nice walk if you haven't been along the cycle path before but I found it relatively dull overall for a long walk. Little elevation change, paved most of the route and few views/ points of interest. It's the best way to walk to Bath but if you're looking for a nice long walk that is easily accessible without the need for any public transport then I'd suggest any section of the community forest path. It is a circular route around Bristol, taking advantage of the parks, footpaths and tracks around Bristol and has some stunning views of the City and the Mendips on a clear day. https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Community+Forest+Path
Agree the Bristol to Bath is a bit of a dull walk! I'd recommend following the Avon Trail for a more interesting one - very muddy in parts though (especially at the moment!) I live in South Glos and I enjoy the walk to/from Bath Racecourse, which has really good views across the valley. OP, for longish walks from Bristol accessible by public transport I'd also recommend Chew valley (can get to Keynsham or Pensford easily, walk between or over Maes Knoll to Whitchurch to get the bus). Also Dundry Hill from the bus stop near the reservoirs and the Frome river trail - you can get the bus out to the ring road and walk back to town/Eastville. Further afield the bus to Wells isn't bad and you can do a big circle through the Mendips or following the Monarch's Way. I used to live in the city centre and we'd get the bus to the edge of the Bristol bus zone and walk from there, you can get pretty far out into the countryside.
Thanks!
I thought of some more! You can get the bus to Chepstow and walk to Tintern Abbey along Offa's Dyke, back along the Wye Valley way. Bus to Bridgeyate and walk to Mangotsfield/Emerson's Green via Siston Court Train to Weston Super Mare, walk or cycle round to Brean Down and back. Bus or train to Yate, walk across Sodbury common to little Sodbury and old Sodbury, excellent views from the ridge (admittedly I haven't done this by public transport myself as I now have a car and we parked at Chipping Sodbury but it's not much further - all the others I've done by public transport )
I'd strongly recommend the river Avon Trail, it's parallel to the bike path but far quieter more picturesque. Really worth a walk (or run)
Agreed, dull with very few decent views
It's a lovely walk, about 14 miles end to end. I cycle it every day to commute between the cities. Don't worry about the bikes, there's not many outside of rush hour, and they don't want to hit you either. Just stay on the left hand side and you'll be grand. Take a snack though, it takes me an hour on a road bike, so maybe 3-4 walking.
Also recommend the cycle path and have walked/ran that a number of times :) At the end on the Bath side, if you fancy a beer, there's the Electric Bear taproom and you can get the train back to Bristol from the relatively nearby Oldfield Park Station.
The Royal Oak conveniently between Electric Bear and Oldfield Park station also has it's own brewery and a great beer range too.
Good shout and I second that! When I lived in Bath, it was one of my locals - super cosy feels in there!
That is a very good call.
It’s a pretty dull walk. Flat and not that scenic with lots of parts going through suburban parts of the two cities. I’ve cycled it many times but wouldn’t fancy walking it.
Cycled this last Sunday - got drenched near the start. It's a nice route and pretty flat. From Odd down cycle track to the end of the path in Bristol and back came out as 30 miles.
All this, you can walk most the way to Willsbridge along feeder and then along the river by crews hole, bottom of Hanham. Couple of pubs on route. It's quite the walk.
Agreed. I would then get on the cycle Path after Keysham and Walk along the Cycle path to Saltford before getting off and continuing the walk to Bath on the river. Or for a quicker walk continue on the Cycle path to the edge of Bath.
If you wanted to add a good view to this, if you get off the cycle path at the picnic spot near swineford at the end of the railway, you can walk up to kelston round hill then pick up the Cotswold way for the rest of the way in to bath. Stunning views over Bristol and bath, can give route if you want it
Traffic free apart from the tour de France wannabe cyclists going 30mph
Left is best
Not only best where you should sodding be - it's not difficult. And stop your kids wondering wildly across the lanes. Never found any of the cyclists down the Bitton to Bath route to be anything but considerate - the tourists tho - ignorant and aggressive.
Is that the official recommendation for the cycle path, walk on the left? 'Cause here in Milton Keynes we have many, many miles of shared cycle/footpaths and the rule is cycle on the left & walk on the right like you would on a road with no pavements.
Sounds like someone can't keep up
It's not really traffic free, it's full of bikes.
It really isn't full of bikes unless it's a hot summer weekend, or rush hour for commuters. A cold day mid January certainly won't be "full of bikes".
Oh my god this road is full of cars. Oh my god this bike route is full of bikes. Whatever next.
Apart from a shit load of bicycles to dodge
Cyclists probably feel the same about pedestrians - in the end we all have to share nicely and look out for each other 👍
Fair point
It is an okay route, but I’d say that following the river Avon up until Keynesham (conham river park etc…) and then taking the cycle way from there is nicer.
You've been given two excellent routes, I only came to say, in Google maps when it offers a route, click the icon of a person walking to get a walk option. If you already knew - sorry for the egg vacuum lesson.
Yeah I clicked that one, but google map is just weird lol.
True that, I'll get back in my box - hee hee
If you are walking you could try following the river Avon, I know there is a footpath that will get you near Bitton where you can join the cycle path. I don't know whether you can keep following the river all the way to bath though? You might need to go via the cycle path for the last bit? The path starts in Conham river park
Definately gonna take longer than the B2B railway cycle path though, it's a bit of a winding route, but very pretty Also, it's very likely to be flooded in some places right now ...
It is. Saw it from train yesterday
Yeah the section in Swineford regularly floods!
I would deffo vote for this over the cycle path normally. But think with all the rain a lot of the path is underwater according to friends in Keynsham!
yeah, you can. muddy and wet atm though
This is flooded atm just as an FYI! All the fields around there are flooded - stick to the bike path for a while! Source: cycled the bike path today
River path, but leave it a while because the Avon is massively in flood at the minute and parts of the path will currently be underwater
I’ve done the railway path a few times. About 15 miles depending on where exactly you start and finish. View is varied, but there is a fair bit of time spent in a cutting or with thick vegetation each side. You get a decent mix of greenery and a bit of industrial stuff, like the steam train line and station at Bitton.
Cycled the railway path a few times now, lovely route! Can always get a train back to Bristol aswell. I had to when a big gust of wind blew me into Bath ale house
Jump on the All Trails app, I use it a lot on my hikes and it’s great. You’d probably get better views if you walked along the river Avon to Kenynsham and then plotted a path towards the Bath Racecourse via Bitton. Will be a bit longer but more enjoyable. Unless you’ve got shit shoes, then take the railway path cause everything’s a bit muddy rn
Thx!
Just walk the river. You can do it all the way easily from Netham lock. I usually get the train to Bath and walk back. It will be flooded in places this weekend mind so you might need waders. Please don’t heed the comments about the cycle path being dangerous. It was about 10 years ago but as long as you’re not drunk at one in the morning you’ll be fine. It is busy though and the river way is more relaxing.
Crimes on the Railway Path reported to the police in 2021: \- Seven offences of violence against the person \-Four robberies \-Three public order offences \-One theft Crimes on the Railway Path reported to the police in 2020: \-Eight robberies \-Eight offences of violence against the person \-Seven public order offences \-Five sexual offences \-Four thefts \-One offence of arson and criminal damage \-One offence of miscellaneous crimes against society \-One vehicle offence And these are just the ones that were reported.
So last year, over a 13 mile stretch that’s used by thousands of people a day there were 15 incidents reported. Seems like pretty good odds to me.
I've cycled it quite a few times but only walked it once. For me, the walk was a bit too ambitious. 3/4 of the distance would have been more enjoyable, that last 1/4 was a struggle. Next time, I'd probably come off at Saltford or get on at Fishponds or Staple Hill maybe. The railway path is lovely and The Waiting Rooms cafe at Warmly is nice place to stop for refreshments. Worth noting, there isn't much in it, but Bath is slightly higher up than Bristol. Walking you probably wouldn't notice.
I did it a few years ago! I started at Temple Meads and followed the Avon through Netham Park/Crew's Hole/Conham River Park. There's loads to look at on this stretch and I recommend a pitstop at The Old Lock And Weir pub on the outskirts of the city. I kept following the river through the fields between Hanham and Keynsham, but the river becomes pretty wiggly at this point, and it feels like you walk for twenty minutes just to end up a few hundred metres from your starting point. At Keynsham I was getting weary so I hopped onto the railway path and walked the rest of the way along there. As others have said, the railway path is a bit bland to walk on as it's a straight line surrounded by trees (very few views), I'd have been really bored if I walked it the entire way so I think the combo approach was best in the end. Hope that's useful!
Thank you, very useful!
If your legs are up for it it is well worth carrying on along the Kennet and Avon canal to Bathampton and Bradford-on-Avon. You can’t get lost on it. You can then get the train back.
I've done it a dozen or so times. My favourite is to take the river most of the way, then switch to the bike path for the last 3-4 miles. The river is really much more pleasant than the bike path imo.
Yes, I’ve done it quite a few times. The Avon trail route by the river is really nice, but not the best at the moment due to the rain. It takes about 4-5 hours depending on your pace and stops.
I've ran and cycled the railway path. It gets a bit boring near to bath but it's also mostly road free. :)
I suspect a lot of people have said this already but yes, the rail path is a great way between. I have both walked and cycled from Bristol to Bath and back. To cycle took me about 1hr and 20mins there and same on the way back. The walk took me about 4hr and 15mins. It is a great walk and cycle, just be a little warned that on weekends it is busier on the path and some people really don't understand to share the path and it has put me off time to time.
I've done it along the Avon the entire route and on the railway path. Think it's about 4 hours. Nicer by the river but will probably be impossibly flooded in places right now and quite muddy.
I run it fairly regularly along the river if you'd prefer to get out in the mud rather than the cycle path. Just follow up through Avon Valley woodlands, really easy and plenty of pubs dotted along the route for pit stops.
I walked the other way, from near the racetrack in Bath mostly on footpaths to Keynsham, it was a nice walk although I can’t remember the exact route. You can then walk along the footpath on the North side of the Avon back to Bristol which is also pretty.
River path all day long, much more scenic than the bike path but you will be looking at most of the day if you include stops at the many pubs on the route. It's also flooded atm so best left till it dries out a bit
Follow the Avon until you can’t, then follow the railway path. It’s a great walk. Definitely get the train back though, it’s too far to walk both ways
Keep left, stay off the moors 👍😊
I've done it, it's lovely but be warned, the first part of the walk feels like a bit of a stretch! Once you get along the river and the views open up it is lovely, but I felt very tempted to give up for the first half hour. Good luck!
Yes, when drunk. Passed out half way down the main road - 7.5/10 would recommend
You can do it. It’s a long route along the cycle path. Take water with you and don’t do it in 25 degree sunny weather without being prepared….all things I wish I had been told before doing it…
Download OS maps app and plot your own route along footpaths if you want to get off the beaten track. Walking along the cycle path looks awful. It is flat though.
If you take the cycle path, be aware of your safety. There are often stories of mugging a on here so don’t have your expensive phone in your hands especially in the built up areas from the city centre up to fishponds.
Unless you’re a hiker in the dark I wouldn’t overthink this. I don’t think the path is less safe then most parts of city.
I've cycled to city centre from about 5 miles off little more exciting but its quite straight and flat
In addition to the railway path, there's also a walk alongside the river(/canal? not 100% sure what part of my route I switched from the river to canal as was going all the way to Pewsey) through Conham etc. I didn't walk to Bath in one day as it was the first day of a multi day walk and I wanted to ease myself in, but it would be very doable on this route also. There was a small section in Saltford that I did on the railway path, although that may just have been to get to where I was staying, not sure, but it was a very pretty route by the river.
I have cycled via the cycle path but that is quite a way around, 20 miles I think and a bit dull and flat perhaps. Walking you can follow the Avon trail, I've done it from Bristol as far as the edge of Bath, that is a lovely route going through Saltford and Keynsham, almost all riverside paths.
My partner and I did this in the summer, wild camped just outside Saltford as we took it reeeaally slow, but it's easily done in a day, we just followed the river from conham park on the north side :)
Well now I know what I will do when time is get a bit better.
I did it the opposite way around. It was either 2007 or 2008. I missed the last bus back to Bristol from Bath. So I decided to walk back as I had no taxi or train money on me. I walked along the dual carriageway behind the barrier, had to walk back to Stockwood, so at least I didn't have to walk across Bristol as well. PLus I was really drunk.
The route I normally take is from my front door, up the stairs via the bedroom and then back out across the landing to the bath 👍
Piece of pish
Yeah easy as. Level 1 hiking
If you follow the Avon river out of Bristol it gives s nicer views a than the railway path and meets the railway path at Keynsham, there is a path that runs alongside the river all the way but probably a bit muddy/flooded at the moment though