Morning

can any local riders share any trails (legal or otherwise) in the Bristol area or in the hills around Bitton?

I have found some nice bits of fun singletrack along the river in Hanham woods and from Landsdown racecourse down to The Swan pub at Swineford but there must be more?

Obviously i’m well aware of Ashton Court / Leigh Woods but its not really my type of riding

MBR had a nice route near there – a sort of figure-of-eight with the racecourse as the middle – basically a climb up, along, big bridleway descent, followed by a big climb and a nice descent back to the car park.
I’m over in Emersons Green and have a couple of 12 – 14 mile loops out of that area – probably a bit far for where you want. I think ADH on here knows more of the Bath side of where you are.

its not really my type of riding

What kind of stuff are you looking for? Downhill / FR / jumps??

Head up on the tarmac through Upton Cheyney then Lansdown Lane, takes you up to the golf course – some jumps and ST in the woods around Br0ckham End.

Some nice other ST and other stuff in the area too. i.e. descent off the otherside of Lansdown down to Langridge. Or from the golf course down to North Stoke, on to Prospect Stile, Kelston Roundhill.

Lots of opportunity to create loops around those and more (I live at the bottom of the descent off Prospect Stile into Weston).

I’ve posted a load of routes on Bikely, can’t do the link from work but search for BathMTB.

If you fancy some group rides there’s a couple on Weds nights in the Bath area – we meet 6.30 in Widcombe behind the railway station.

My ideal type of riding is downhill (sensible), jumps and man made trails are a favourite if available.

I’m looking at Brockham End on gmaps and not sure exactly where to head for the jumps etc you mention?

I know the Lansdown area pretty well and have doen the Langridge decent and found a greta on into swineford.

Looking at Brockham woods from Lansdown Road the jumps are on the RH side, there’s a track in on the right just past the bit where cars park. It’s nothing spectacular mind.

Also some similar jump stuff in the old quarry on the road out of Wick toward Doynton – sensitive though, the police drop by occasionally and have been known to confiscate mx bikes being ridden there.

Very little downhill man made that side of Bath, someone, (ahem) has built some very very near to me but only a short section and it’s so cheeky I can’t really advertise it, sorry. Come out on a Weds night and I’ll show it to you.

Lots more t’other side of Bath, you been to Browns at all? (Above Bathford?), all cheeky and sensitive but can be ridden summer evenings.

Loops from there out toward Conkwell and down to Dundas, including some stuff the trail pixies have built.

..And across the valley there’s the downhill behind the University – head out over the bridleway down to Hampden Rocks and there’s various tracks in the woods.

tootall would be interested to know your loops out of emersons. I also live there but know of little inertesting stuff until you get to bitton lansdown way.

Apart from a bit around the back of mangotsfield common, obviously shortwood hill bridal path and the old bmx jump track on the side of the ring road

mrlard – not exactly gnar riding, but pleasant rides with fun bits to break up the bridlepaths. How about a Thurs evening ride some time? I’ll email you.

Always up for a pedal mate! Drop us a mail!

Think people have covered most of the good ones. Riding around Bath seems to be mostly short natural descents (the bridleway off Charmy Down airfield is fantastic) accessed via punishing road climbs. Fun but perhaps not what you’re after!

The tracks behind the Uni are not really “sensible” DH from what I’ve heard, but there’s meant to be some decent DH-y trails in Box Woods.

I’m in Bitton too so drop me an email if you want to meet up for a ride.

off up lansdown tonight 7pm leaving from the blathwayt pub. Anything between 2-4 hours with get outs. Bring lights and beer money. Old man mincing and faffing expected.

mr agreeable where is this bridal way off of charmy down i spent the best part of a day exploring this area and found nothing to get excited about and don’t recall seeing anything to suggest bridal way on the OS maps. maybe i need to go back?!?!

might have to get out for a few hours or so tonight and put my first wheel build through its paces 😕

its not a bway i think its a boat

climb up from northend. You will die. Turn right at the top. Its the track to the right of the house.

i know where you are mate i actually rode to the start of it then turned around by the house as my mate went off the other why.

what little delights can i expect down there then?

is there much north north east of northend in the series of woods

Orchard, barndywell, diamond, cherry etc.

thats my next explore!

Lots of little sections, you’re best off heading out with BathMTB, but if you email me I’ll divulge some GPX’s of bits I like.

YGM 😆

mrlard, the BOAT off Charmy Down/Holt’s Down into St Catherine’s Valley is cheekily accessible via the airfield footpaths if you don’t mind gate skipping. I often go up from Upper Swainswick if I’ve just blasted down off Lansdown.

The descent itself is loose n steep at the top, wee drop into a gully, fast middle section into natural bermed chicane, then a steep run in to a section of rocky scuzz. Techyish fun.

Regards NNE of Northend, there is some stuff kicking about in Bannerdown woods, mostly overgrown these days, like the main BW not much other than a fast blast. I’ve done a bit of exploring in the woods further N, but didn’t find much.

Re Charmydown, not sure if adh is thinking of the same access but the one we use involves a bit of the A46, we often do it after the (long) climb out of the valley from Langridge or Hamswell up through Tadwick. From the turn to Tadwick, turn right and head down the A46, after the bend there is an access track on the Left, head up that past the bungalow. The owners know us and are accomodating. It’s not a PROW and they often get people up there trying to explore the old control tower and bunkers etc. If you see them be nice 🙂

(For those who remember there was a travellers camp there and they stopped us using it – they’ve now gone).

I’ve posted the route up on Bikely – can’t access from work but will post a link later.

BTW we call the descent ‘Shanks’ after a certain Mr Shanks who came a serious cropper on it once 😉

if there is scope for serious croppers then i think a visit is needed. 😆

would be greatful if you could pop the link up later so i can have a butchers!

tar very much

I’ve gone that way, but I tend to use a different access, up from upper swainswick past Uplands B&B. Only becuase I basically hate the Tadwick climb.

what adh said. Fun but short and hard to join up to anything.

bannerdown has some nice but short singletrack cut running parallel with the bway/boat that turns into the lane down to batheaston. Also the cheeky track off the NW corner of the down is ridable down to the road; then onto the cheeky track right down into the valley. All were clear a month or so ago (when I was up there with my dog, not riding honest)

never had much luck in the woods to the north. Whats on the os map as bandywell and orchard is certainly private with a capital P.

If you are going to ride that far there are other routes that are better but cheeky cheeky not on the net

thanks i think i need to string together a new loop over that neck of the woods

llama whats the boat like above banner down off the roman road worth a squit or not really

The one that heads east down to Shockerwick? Nowt to write home about, useful linker. Field edge to rocky unmade road through wood, to unmade road slaloming between sheep.

We used to ride up Bannerdown bridleway from Fosse Lane, then down this when heading over for Brown’s.

Often wondered if the private lane from Shockerwick house down to the A4 could be poached in order to head over for Bathford, but never investigated.