Chew Valley Lake via the Whitchurch Railway Path

The feeling amongst the team here is that our previous blog post ended a little prematurely. Why not continue the ride along an almost completely traffic-free route through south Bristol and out to the beautiful quiet country lanes of North Somerset? we all shouted in unison. So here goes.

View Chew Valley Lake Circuit in a larger map

This ride is a leisurely 25 miles from the city centre to Chew Valley Lake and back - perfect for a Saturday or Sunday outing. It follows the route of the previous post as far as the hospital, heading south out of Bristol from the St Phillips Causeway near Temple Meads station, then along the Whitchurch Railway Path. Like any route out of our beautiful and undulating city you'll find the first and last few miles a little hilly - but don't despair! The trick is to make full use of all your gears and go at a comfortable pace - even if sometimes that pace is walking rather than riding. You should never be afraid to get off your bike and push...

Heading south out of Bristol, pick up National Cycle Network route 3 from Temple Meads and follow the signs until you reach the Whitchurch railway path, which takes you off-road down to Whitchurch itself. From here the route takes you back onto quiet country roads with some lovely sweeping downhills into Chew Magna, out of the village and on to the lake side. Part of the circuit around Chew Valley lake itself is on road and part is on an off-road cycle path, and on a sunny afternoon you're bound to see plenty of other cyclists. You'll also see plenty of bikes outside the cafes around the valley, both the Chew Valley Lake Teashop which looks over the Lake and the New Manor Farm Shop round the corner in Bishop Sutton.

Which brings us to the best bit of this route (and any weekend ride if you ask our office of hearty cyclists) - the cafe stop. There are refreshment stops aplenty on this ride, Chew Magna and Chew Stoke both have good country pubs and there's also a farm shop that does cream scones and roast dinners on Sunday.

Keep heading round the lake clockwise and enjoy the views from the dams. Heading back you can take a slightly less hilly route by heading North out of Chew Stoke towards Chew Magna on the B3114 rather than jumping directly onto the signed cycle route; on a weekend it won't be any busier. Take it slow and you'll be on the railway path for a gentle wander back into Bristol in no time.

Happy riding!