Pier to Pier Way - Clevedon

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AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
I know that its been delayed a number of times, I think it was originally supposed to be opened early 2023? But according to the North Somerset Council web site its due to now open Spring this year. But is there anyone local this route that can give a better understanding if you think it might be opened up as promised?

I only ask as I'm planning a touring trip from Birmingham to Weston in June and I quite fancied taking in this new route option, instead of going via Yatton, which is the normal route in.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I moved away twelve years ago and it was opening soon then. Locals have been campaigning for the route since the M5 opened in the late 1970s. I hope it'll open but I fear it really needs someone with enough backbone to compel it and stop landowners messing it about.

However, the Uphill to Brean link eventually opened and I thought that was even more unlikely, so maybe it'll open now just to spite me!
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Gosh, l didn't realize that it had been an on going issue for so long!!!

Fingers crossed, but by the sound of it it seems unlikely 😠
 
https://n-somerset.gov.uk/my-services/parking-travel-roads/transport-travel/cycling/pier-pier-way

https://n-somerset.gov.uk/my-services/parking-travel-roads/transport-travel/cycling/cycle-routes
[Details of all North Somerset cycling routes, includes map]

Tutshill greenway is currently closed [the name of the final section of the pier to pier way yet to be completed]. Orders for the final works have been placed with our contractor and we are expecting confirmation of their programme very soon.
All sections of the Pier to Pier Way are expected to be fully open by late spring 2024.

Tutshill greenway – expected to open spring 2024
This is a new one-mile traffic-free route crossing the Yeo and Oldbridge rivers. It is based on the former Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway. This link allows pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to avoid the busy A370 and save four miles on their usual journey.
At the rivers, the route uses the sluice crossings. There is wooden screening with observation points to avoid disturbance of bird life. Birds that can be found in the area include Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew and Shelduck.
Please do not try to gain access to the greenway before it has officially opened. The land is private, the route incomplete, and is currently a construction site. We are working as quickly as possible to open it.

The Pier to Pier Way is a new 13-mile cycle route linking Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon. It is aimed at commuters, leisure users and tourists. It will form the central section of the North Somerset coastal towns cycle route, featuring quiet roads and traffic-free sections.
With the Brean Down Way already completed, it means an attractive direct cycle route will soon exist all the way from Brean to Clevedon. In the future we hope to extend the route to Portishead joining existing routes to Bristol.
This has been funded by The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, Sustrans, National Highways and North Somerset Council.
 
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Details of the new route, all of which seem to be open to use already other than Tutshill.

Key parts of the route​


The complete route will be fully marked with bespoke ‘Pier to Pier’ signing. The key parts of the route are:

Weston-super-Mare Promenade​

Leaving the Grand Pier, the route follows the Promenade to Marine Lake. It can be a busy shared space so please ride with care and consideration for others.

Kewstoke Road and lanes to Tutshill greenway​

From Marine Lake, cyclists join Kewstoke Road. This includes the former ‘Toll Road’ and has cliffs down to the sea. The road is usually quiet, has a 25mph speed limit, and expansive views across the Bristol Channel.
At the southern end of Kewstoke Road you can pause at Prince Consort Gardens and enjoy the views. You can also view Birnbeck Pier which is now being renovated and will once again become the home to the RNLI. If walking, there is an alternative parallel footpath through Weston Woods.
Kewstoke village can be found at the opposite end of Kewstoke Road. From here (or Lower Norton lane if coming from Clevedon), you can take a diversion from the main route and follow the signs to Sand Bay and Sand Point. Both links can be busy with traffic in the holiday season.
Kewstoke Road, through the village of Kewstoke, and the lanes to the Tutshill greenway are generally quiet but can have traffic at peak times.

Tutshill greenway – expected to open spring 2024​

This is a new one-mile traffic-free route crossing the Yeo and Oldbridge rivers. It is based on the former Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway. This link allows pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to avoid the busy A370 and save four miles on their usual journey.
At the rivers, the route uses the sluice crossings. There is wooden screening with observation points to avoid disturbance of bird life. Birds that can be found in the area include Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew and Shelduck.


Please do not try to gain access to the greenway before it has officially opened. The land is private, the route incomplete, and is currently a construction site. We are working as quickly as possible to open it.





Lanes from Tutshill greenway to Clevedon​

Quiet lanes take you from the greenway towards Clevedon. Be aware of farm traffic and that some sections are narrow with adjacent rhines.
You can continue into Clevedon via roads for a more direct route to the Pier and also join a path to the Town Centre. Alternatively, follow the Clevedon coastal defences and Marshalls Field paths.

Clevedon coastal sea defences and Marshalls Field paths​

Follow 1 ½ miles of newly upgraded path with spectacular views across the Severn Estuary. On high spring tides and during stormy weather, the sea defences path could be flooded or dangerous. During this time, the road option will need to be followed. Both options will be fully signposted.

Marshalls Field to Clevedon Seafront​

The route follows Old Church Road and Elton Road. Clevedon Marine Lake is easily reached from the route as you approach Clevedon Seafront. Further cycle route improvements along this section will be developed with local input.
You’ll then arrive at the Clevedon Seafront road called The Beach. The Beach has recently been reconfigured and includes a two-way segregated cycle path and a reduction in traffic.
On this road is Clevedon Pier, Britain’s only Grade One listed pier. It marks the start or finish of the Pier to Pier Way.
You can continue on ½ mile to Hill Road, which has some great cafés, restaurants and shops. This has newly widened footways, a contraflow cycle lane, and is part of a 20mph zone.
For further information on the Pier to Pier Way, please email sustainable.travel@n-somerset.gov.uk.


ROUTE MAP to download or view​


Pier to Pier way route map [4.02 MB]
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
If lm reading this correct, but it's a pity that the section that isn't open yet is key to the success of the whole Pier to Pier route?
Yes. If I recall correctly, avoiding the missing section is a 6 mile detour over a dodgy crumbling single track bridge, along the busy A370 unprotected and a couple of miles of gravel route NCN26, or another 5 miles on top, south to Sandford to avoid the A road. Only for the truly determined! While the Pier to Pier will make St Georges to Clevedon about 6 miles total, edge to edge, and nearly all tarmac (might be all, if the new bit is).
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Apparently, the issue is with a farmer that will not give allow access to complete the Tutshill Greenway, which is a pretty key section to the whole infrastructure.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
If they want to open it, then yes that's the only option, I guess?
Another option might be bridleway creation and improvement orders but I suspect the landowner might be obstructive and the project take longer and possibly cost more than just biting the bullet at long last and reversing the mistaken sell off of the trackbed all those decades ago.
 
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