New coastal cycling path linking major towns opens

The Pier to Pier Way will form part of the coastal town cycle route initiative

A new walking and cycling route, which would shorten the journey from Weston-super-Mare to Clevedon by four miles (6.4km) is opening on Friday.

The Pier to Pier Way uses parts of the remains of the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway line.

Originally scheduled to open last summer, the pathway has been beset by delays as well as legal issues.

It begins at the Weston Grand Pier and follows a 13-mile (20.9km) path, arriving at Clevedon seafront.

Mark Hazell, an avid cyclist, lives in Clevedon. He said: " It's a fantastic bit of infrastructure.

"At the moment, the route to get to Weston if you're cycling goes through a number of towns, you've got to go through the busy A370 and cross the motorway roundabout.

"This (new route) will make a much safer route between the two towns, and through some great countryside as well, so it'll be much more enjoyable."

It also provides public access for the first time over the sluices of the Oldbridge and Yeo rivers, which are part of a longer one-mile traffic-free section built partially on the former Weston-Clevedon railway bed.

'Win-win'

Mr Hazell is also membership secretary of Clevedon and District Cycling Club.

He said the club are looking forward to trying the new route together.

"We very regularly ride to Weston, so I'm sure we'll be making loads of use out of the new Pier to Pier cycleway.

"We're really happy it's in place now and it will make a really big difference.

"It's a win-win, it's great for cyclists and hopefully it might reduce congestion a bit as well."

The Pier to Pier Way forms the central section of North Somerset Council's Coastal Town Cycle Route. It aims to connect Brean to Clevedon.

The Brean Down Way, connecting the town to Weston-super-Mare, forms the southern section of the larger route and has been open to cyclists since 2017.

A short connection is currently being built at North End in Yatton, which will soon allow cyclists to continue onto the North Somerset town as well.