Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: rogerzilla on 21 July, 2019, 06:45:38 pm
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We did this in October last year and had an unusually sunny day. Railway path to Bath, get something to eat there and then through small lanes to Wootton Bassett and Swindon (only the last 2 miles are *real* Swindon - we take the nicest way possible). Tea/Greggs/novelty gift items stop at Leigh Delamere M4 services. iddu navigated last time but I can resort to GPS if he's not there (nowhere near as good, obviously). Main line stations at start and finish and the odds are in favour of a tailwind.
There is a proposal to use the Combe Down tunnels but I can't work out a sensible route that includes those, as they go SW from Bath and it involves an apparently tedious ride from Temple Meads to Midsomer Norton through the 'burbs just to link up with NCN24. Also, the surface is probably nasty Sustrans crushed limestone (so no road racing bikes), whereas the railway path is tarmac all the way.
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There's a short dusty bit towards Wellow, but it's mostly tarmac.
Or, you could go as far as Hinton Charterhouse, and head East, then NE on NCN254 or similar. The Lock Inn in BoA is pretty good, as I recall.
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The tunnels are tarmac, and go SE from Bath.
So you could do Bristol to Bath on railway path; up and over the Avon on A3604, R@TL to base of tunnels path [Bellotts Road]; up though tunnels; emerge at Tucking Mill and go down through Monkton Combe.
Not sure where you want to go next? I think last year featured Colerne?? In which case you have the choice of the A36 and dive down through Bathampton, or along the canal towpath [reasonably benign] to Bathampton. Either way you may well stop at the George Inn on the canal, before crossing the toll bridge over the river..
Other options might include - Bradford on Avon, Corsham, Biddestone, Yatton Keynell, etc.
[ETA: The BoA option is the NCN254]
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This is now on, provided it's dry.
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For weatherish reasons we are hoping to do this on Sunday 11th now, but it's not looking good.
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Now cancelled because GWR don't have any bike spaces left :facepalm:
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i am always longing for a reason to cancel a trip to Swindon
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Well, we managed to get spaces on an indirect train, meaning a later start. Did the railway path and then the Combe Down tunnels (there and back, they go in the wrong direction for us).
Lunch at Sainsbury's in Bath. Started hissing it down. Went to station. No trains with remaining bike space back to Swindon (it really is a crap service). Went to Halfords, bought natty blue rain top. Followed iddu's route back but used A36 then Bathampton toll bridge to avoid A4. Crawled up hill out of Northend in 22 x 32. Tea at Leigh Delamere services. Apocalyptic rain shortly afterwards. Then more, then more. Belgian toothpaste. Last cloudburst after Wootton Bastard washed the bikes completely clean. Roads turned into rivers. Swindon was dry!