Route advice - hilperton to Bath Uni

[David Martin]

I'll be at Bath Uni next week, cycling through from my MiL in Hilperton. There seem to be a number of route options. I'll be taking the K&A towpath then getting up Claverton Down somehow. Brassknocker Hill? or Claverton Down Road? This will be in time for a shower and a 9am start. Any other alternatives? Bike is a MTB with treaded slicks.

[JonB]

From Hiiperton the canal is probably a good route, it can get very busy with pedestrians and dogs around Bradford but should be okay at that time. I would avoid Brassnocker, it gets very busy with commuter traffic going into Bath and can build behind you especially on the bends (it's also a pig of a hill).  There is a road further along called Claverton Hill, this takes you up past the American museum and the Dogs and Cats home right into the university.  To get to this you could come off the canal at Dundas Aqueduct and get on the A36 toward Bath but this is a busy road.  I've not done it on the bike but there is a small road (Ferry Lane) that I think you can take from the canal if you continue along past Dundas about .5 miles, take this up to the A36, turn left toward Warminster and then take the first right (I have a feeling there's a couple of stone pillars either side of the road) and then just keep going up.

I think other alternatives would involve quite circuitous routes such as taking the cycle track from Dundas along to Monkton Combe and then using the new tunnels, up the Wellsway and then back along through Combe Down, this would probably add a 2 or 3 miles. Another option would be to stay on the canal and get off closer to Bath and head up Bathwick Hill (busy but wide) but again this puts a few miles on your journey.

Good luck

[Cudzoziemiec]

I wouldn't choose Brassknocker either, for the same reasons. The road past the American Museum is only a little less steep but it is significantly quieter (as well as narrower). Brassknocker will give you better views though, as Claverton Hill is mostly in a wood.

On the way back, take care on the little stone bridge just before Dundas aqueduct. The surface has stone 'ribs' in a very inconvenient place as well as a high lip where the stone surface of the bridge joins the gravel of the towpath. My nephew fell off there! It would also be a good bridge for Crinkly Lion's thread. 

[riskymoth]

You could also take Route 24 from its eastern end (off from the towpath past Dundas aqueduct) into Monkton Combe, then take a right onto Shaft Road (very steep, but fairly quiet), crossing straight over Claverton Down Road to take the Rainbow Woods path (not ideal on a road bike, but fine on anything else) straight through to Quarry Farm, then cross over to Copseland, to the entrance by the South buildings at the University. Not very direct but avoids all the busy roads.

[David Martin]

sounds like plenty of options.  Plan A will be to go for a spin Sunday evening to try some of them out. Route 24 sounds like a plan (must google it) but Ferry Rd and Claverton Hill would probably be the faster route.

I'd like to drop by the two tunnels route on teh way home on Tuesday as well.

[David Martin]

Looking at the map, I'd leave the canal at Dundas and cross the A36 to Church Lane, then take Shaft Rd, cross the Claverton Down Road and take the path across to the Uni. Longer but less steep climbs.

[David Martin]

Thanks to riskymoth (whom I met at lunch today - he recognised me for some reason) - the route was fine but a bit tough at the top of Shaft Road on 28x28 with a rucksack (and several spare tyres). I walked the last 50 m or so. Still got in faster than my sightseeing ride the previous evening sans backpack.

Getting home I added another gear as there was curry and birthday cake - got back in about 45 mins.  The towpath was a bit dusty.


DSC_2941 by davidmamartin, on Flickr