I have spent the last six weeks cycling – twice weekly- along part of the Bath River Line out to Locksbrook and then across the Lower Bristol Road and into Twerton.
I have spoken elsewhere on this blog as to the reason why, but now I want to draw your attention to the delights of this slightly-narrow-in-places route beside the River Avon, which takes pedestrians and cyclists through the city away from traffic and pollution.
When you pass under the Victoria Suspension Bridge, there is much evidence on the opposite bank of a major housing development, and it’s good to know it will bring more people to live beside our city’s stretch of the River Avon.
However, what really pleased me is that there are notice boards on the cycle path side which refer to our city’s past industrial history.
One refers to James Dredge, the brewer who built the suspension bridge to move his beer without using a ferry, and another explores the history of the town gas works, which once stood on the site now under residential redevelopment.
I am sure he was the man who first started to build Birnbeck Pier in my home town of Weston -super-Mare – only that got washed away and the town went elsewhere.
Glad to see the Old Pier is being refurbished with the help of an HLF grant!!
It is a very pleasant riverside route – especially on a sunny May day – where pedestrians and cyclists do their best to make way and room for each other.
It’s also a way to get closer to nature and be grateful for the greenery we have in this city.
It is indeed a delightful route and formed part of my daily cycle commute for decades. And yes, walkers and cyclists have been very courteous to one another even and especially on the narrower bits.
There’s the very pleasant Boathouse pub restaurant at the end of the path by the marina. Well worth the walk!
I worked all my life in the Gas Industry and my father back in 1920. So a very sad day when the Council and WECA virtually destroyed the Gas Works overnight. Something Hitler could not do during three raids in 1942. Fortunately very happy memories of working there with wonderful people, sadly all destroyed by Maggie Thatcher.
I did wonder whether the old gas holder could/should be saved as a theatre in the round.
Prof Angus Buchanan one of the first industrial archaologists wrote a pamphlet about the Dredge Bridge. It uses a different principle to modern suspension bridges.