Dear Newbie,
Oh
My
Goodness
Welcome to Bristol!
Whether you’re here for a day, or forever, welcome!
I enjoy going pretty places and then writing guides about them, so this one is just for you. You can also read it if you’ve been here longer than me, but I’m afraid you will then owe me a drink. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.
I don’t have a car so these walks will be predominantly car-free. I’m slowly finding my way round the South West so I’ll be adding walks to this guide as I do them. I’m not a super experienced hiker and I don’t own any maps, but I haven’t got (irretrievably) lost yet, so consider these walks Lost Girl safe!
I hope this is an inspirational list. I am truly terrible at giving directions so I’ve included links to maps and more info with each walk.
Leigh Woods and Clifton Suspension Bridge
So, you’ve just arrived in Bristol, what do you do next?
Go to the Suspension Bridge of course!
There’s a walk that I’ve done in every season in Bristol and I’m not bored of it yet… You cross the iconic bridge, head left to find the entrance to Leigh Woods, head down to the river (although Leigh woods is lovely if you want to extend your walk), head along the river, under the bridge, back up through the forest and follow the road back to the bridge. Boom!
Start: Clifton Suspension (Clifton side). If you’re in anywhere in Bristol you should be able to get a bus or 2 that gets you close to here.
End: Clifton Suspension Bridge (Clifton side) and then go to the pub in Clifton! Somerset House is very pleasant.
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Rating: Lots of places say easy. There are a couple of steep bits which go on for a while and it can be really really muddy. I’m going to say easy/moderate.
Suggestions/ Things to know:
You can allow extra time to visit Clifton Observatory which is near the Clifton side of the Bridge. Or to spend more time in Leigh Woods.
Even though it’s short you’ll want to wear good shoes.
Bath Skyline
This is a lovely walk that circumvents Bath. Bits of it are very steep and it took us way longer than the advertised time due to detours, breaks, going to the dog’s home…
Start: Bath Spa Station. You’ll need directions to get you along the canal and up to the start of the walk (see below). I downloaded them on my phone, but there were some printouts available at the start of the walk.
End: Bath Spa Station/ one of Bath’s MANY pubs.
Distance: 6 miles
Time: National Trust says 3.5 – 4 hours.
Rating: National Trust says moderate. Helen says the initial hike is up a 75% incline and there should be an escalator.
Map used: I used a combo of the National Trust guide and, when we got confused, Google maps.
Suggestions/ Things to know:
Take supplies.
The route is really varied and pretty. I’d do it again for sure.
Bath Spa to Bradford on Avon
This is a very pretty walk along the canal from railway station to railway station. It crosses two aqueducts and cuts through a valley. I started in Bath Spa so I didn’t have to deal with the madness of trying to get back on a train with all the Christmas shoppers, but at a less busy time either way would be lovely.
Start: Bath Spa Station. Get the train or the bus to Bath and the canal is a stone’s throw from the station.
End: Bradford on Avon Station.
Distance: 9.9 miles
Time: A comfortable 4 hours? I did it a little quicker because I didn’t leave myself enough time before dark?!
Rating: Easy, according to the Canal Trust. It’s flat pretty much the whole way. It can be muddy at times.
Maps used: I just used Google maps. Once you’re on the canal (which is behind the station) make sure you’re heading towards Bathampton. Avoncliff is another village en route.
Suggestions/ things to know:
If you want a short walk out of Bath you could just walk to Bathampton and have a meal in one of the lovely pubs there.
You can also walk from Bradford on Avon to Avoncliff aqueduct and back which would take an hour. Lots of families were doing this.
The best bit for me though was the Dundas aqueduct which is about halfway.
I bought a pasty from Harts bakery near Bristol Temple Meads to have for lunch and I regret nothing.
A little samey at times (maybe take some podcasts if you’re walking solo) but gorgeous at other points.
Cheddar Gorge
Oh Cheddar! This was such a great walk. If you have a friend with a car try and convince them to that they want to do this with you. If not it’s totally possible to get there and back from Bristol. In the winter take extra layers as there will be a little bit of waiting in the cold…
Getting to and from Cheddar: I choose to get the train to Weston Milton and then the 126 bus to Cheddar. There is a quicker option of the Falcon bus and then the 126. The 126 Mendip Xplorer bus is great. Reliable, comfortable and had charging points too. Do keep a close eye on the schedule though, they are only every hour and finish in the early evening. Allow a couple of hours each way.
Start: National Trust Office Cheddar. It’s 100% worth starting here. You can pick up a print out of the route and then the nice volunteer will also point out the start of the track for you.
End: Cheddar village centre. I went and had a Cheddar cider (the place, not the cheese) at the White Hart pub which was nice.
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 1 hour 40
Rating: Moderate (there are some steep bits)
Maps: Pick one up from the National Trust. There are waymarkers for the route as well.
Suggestions/ things to know:
You absolutely 100% do not need to pay to walk around the Gorge. There’s a company that has some stairs and an observation tower and sells tickets to go up. Don’t buy this. If you do the whole route round you can actually come down the steps (Jacob’s Ladder) for free.
This is in the Mendips, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. I went in early December and saw a Peregrine Falcon.
Cheddar village is very pretty but a bit of a tourist trap. I didn’t spend much time in the village itself.
The Gower Peninsula
In the summer I went on an actual mini-break to Swansea and it was brilliant!
The Gower Peninsula (which Swansea is on) is an area of outstanding natural beauty. You can get to some of the most beautiful Gower beaches by bus from Swansea including Rhossili. My big walk was based out of Swansea. I walked from the city to join the coastal path and then walked back into the city along it, ending at the Mumbles. Next time I’ll bus or taxi to further along the coast and walk back.
Getting There: Get the train to and from Swansea.
Where to stay: I sprung for an AirBnB in the Mumbles. It was lush.
Start: I started in Newton and did a relatively short section, but next time I’ll start in Oxwich and walk the 12 miles back. There’s lots of beaches en route for swimming and sun bathing breaks. If the Welsh weather obliges it will be glorious.
End: The Mumbles, Swansea. Swansea’s posh bit. I had lunch here before walking in to the station. The walk to the station was still predominantly coast and was along a nice beach, but you won’t miss much if you get a taxi.
Maps: It’s a coastal path, the section I did was very straightforward, but there are maps available from the National Trust.
Suggestions/ things to know:
There are campsites dotted around the Peninsula. If you wanted to do a multi-day walk you definitely could.
I wouldn’t plan to spend too much time in Swansea. Just use it as a jumping off point.
The coastal path is varied, there are some very easy bits and some challenging bits.
If you have a car you can drive between the beaches and do short walks there. I can’t wait to do a long walk there though and discover all these places on foot.
More short walks in Bristol
Arnos Vale Cemetry, which is basically a forest. You can also do tours.
The Harbour loop. Fun walk around Bristol’s floating harbour. Will take a couple of hours. There’s lots of things to see and places to stop. There’s also Heritage trails you can do.
The Downs are nice enough. More for running and dog walking as you won’t get any spectacular scenery until you reach the edge of the Gorge.
Coombe Dingle: Is lush. Walk around the lovely woodland and visit Blaise Castle.
Happy trails Newbie!
Lots of love,
Helen x