Walk Through Leigh Woods

A city walk through Leigh Woods

Walk in a nutshell

A tour around some of the south-west’s most beautiful and historic woodland, including an array of rare plant and animal life and stunning views of the Avon Gorge, the Clifton suspension bridge and Bristol itself. The route is not too hilly, and there are some alternative surfaced routes for buggies and wheelchairs, but forest terrain can be uneven, and it is fairly easy to get lost (although not for long). Be aware, too, that some of these trails are also used by cyclists.

Why it’s special

Even before Brunel’s great memorial, the Clifton suspension bridge, made it easy to cross Avon Gorge, Bristolians had been escaping to Leigh Woods for centuries.

The peace and beauty to be found among the trees here is the best possible antidote to city life, while the flora and fauna, the iron age hillfort at Stokeleigh Camp, and even the bridge itself create many points of interest. With a natural play area near the National Trust office, equipped with swings, balance beams and climbing logs, it is also an excellent place to bring children.

Directions

1 From the car park follow the waymarkers for the red and blue routes downhill. The red trail turns off right at the foot of the slope; keep to the blue trail, passing a house on your left.

2 Carry on along the track, and when Sustrans cycle route 41 goes right, continue straight ahead to Paradise Bottom. Follow the gravel path past a pond to a small car park.

3 Follow the path behind the information board, heading downhill through the old arboretum towards another pond. Go around the pond, climbing back uphill. Go through a gate then turn left back on to the main track you came along. After 300m turn left down Sustrans route 41. Head downhill towards the river Avon until you reach the

cycle path beside the river. 4 Turn right and follow the path upstream. After half a mile you’ll see Clifton suspension bridge. Turn right through the arch under the railway 180m before the bridge and follow Nightingale Valley up the North Road entrance to Leigh Woods.

5 Take the left entrance from the road back into the wood and follow the blue trail up to Valley Road. Turn right on Valley Road and head towards the National Trust office. Follow the Sustrans trail past the left end of the office to a stone wall. Keep the wall on your left and leave the blue Sustrans path. Walk on until you reach the purple trail marker post 18.

6 Follow the purple waymarked trail through the wall and carry on until you reach the copper beeches of Coronation Avenue at post 21. Turn left to get back to the main road and the bus stop or turn right and follow the road back to the car park. 13

The 3 Best Cycle Routes In Bristol

Bristol and Bath Railway Path

This is one of the most popular routes in Bristol for cyclists and walkers alike. It was originally a railway in the 1960s, before Sustrans converted it into a cycle path between 1979 and 1986. In the process, it became the first of Sustrans’ many cycleways.

The Bristol and Bath Railway Path is a point-topoint route and can be ridden in either direction. You can set off in Bristol on the corner of Trinity Street and St. Philips Road, or in Bath from the old railway bridge before Windsor Bridge Road. The riverside path continues into the centre of Bath, so why not carry on and explore this beautiful town if you have the time?

You won’t have to contend with any cars on this route either. It’s entirely traffic-free and lined with lush greenery, so you’ll feel nestled into the countryside. There are some interesting features along the way as well, namely the Staple Hill tunnel and the traditional Bitton train station serving refreshments, cakes and sandwiches.

Bristol to Portishead

Beginning at Queen Square, you ride directly south to the wharf, crossing the small Prince Street bridge before taking a right and cutting through Museum Street to meet the River Avon.

From here, you ride along the River Avon’s banks as it winds down the striking Avon Gorge, past Leigh Woods and underneath the towering Clifton Suspension Bridge. The dirt path is smooth and the sharpest hill is only a 30m incline over 1.5 miles on the approach to Ham Green, so this ride is well suited to cruising.

At the halfway point, you’ll arrive at the quaint boating village of Pill. Here, you can stop for lunch or a quick coffee before pressing onto Portishead.

The last quarter of the journey hops back onto the road, but you’ll still ride along tree-lined lanes between farmland for the most part. Once you reach Portishead, you can continue northwest and finally rest at the shoreline overlooking Wales across the Bristol Channel.