City Centre to the Create Centre and beyond

Over the last few weeks we've had a number of people ask us about car-free leisure rides in and around Bristol. The city is blessed with plenty of shortcuts and alternative routes that can make a bike ride that little bit more pleasant; here's one.

From the city centre it's possible to reach the Create Centre on an almost entirely traffic-free route. From there you can head up into Ashton Court and enjoy some beautiful (if hilly!) on and off-road cycling, or you can head along the river Avon on the Ashton to Pill cycle route (National Cycle Network route number 41)


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Heading out from the fountains at the centre, go down Narrow Quay to the Arnolfini where you can get onto the cycle lane over the Prince Street Bridge. Once you get over the bridge swing a sharp right and head off down the harbourside under the crane structures and past the old Industrial Museum - currently being redeveloped as the Museum of Bristol and due to open in 2011. A handy hint for cycling near embedded railway lines is to make sure you hit them as obliquely as possible to make sure you don’t get your wheel stuck!

Follow the train tracks until you see a level crossing on the other side of the road. Watch out for the trains! Once across the level crossing turn right and cycle along the path, under the road bridge and out onto the beautiful 'Chocolate Path'. It's a little bumpy here but you get a lovely view downriver.

Just before you get to the Create Centre (the second of the two enormous bonded wharehouses along this stretch) head over the bridge to your left, crossing the river and then turning right. Cycle under the Brunel Way flyover, bear right, and a little further on at the top of a short steep hill you'll reach a junction. From here you can either turn left and cycle along Clanage Road to Ashton Court - the road can be quite busy, but it's only a short stretch - or turn right and follow the Ashton-Pill path down the river. Remember to take a picnic.