For a future where we can get from Clevedon to Weston without using the A370! This would promote commuting by bike and increase healthy leisure activities.
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Local cyclists and walkers want a practical route between Clevedon and Weston Super Mare avoiding the busy A370.
George Martin at Tutshill on Sunday. “The last time I came over here was in the 40’s on the way back from Porlock”.
George tells stories of crossing the disused railway bridge with bike, stepping on the sleepers with the river in sight below through the gaps .
Posted by Steve Kinsella. Photo by David Sleigh.
A bit of history. Picnic by the sluice, and swimming. 1983 . By Steve Kinsella.
Over 4000 journeys across the sluice since the formal opening last Friday!
A "long-awaited" cycling and walking route between Weston and Clevedon has been officially opened on Friday afternoon (12 July).
https://n-somerset.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-07/Pier%20to%20Pier%20Way%20route%20map.pdf
Posting by Steve Kinsella: I’ve been invited by NSC to the official opening on Friday morning. Has anyone else in the cycling community (ie apart from Council workers and politicians) been invited? I’m not presently inclined to go. Steve.
On Friday I set up a colourful exhibition of my pictures in StStrawberry Line CafeYatton Station, where they’ll be for the month of July.
A few days ago I received from the printer copies of the MAP I’ve designed which shows all the routes and active cafés (plus a few more) that are in “I’m Out for Coffee!” Books 1 and 2. The map is 83cm x 58cm (A1), folded to A5 size. Yesterday I took 3 maps to ThThe Owl In The Oak which sold almost immediately so I went home and took back more. Claire and I also had our first ride on the new cycling/walking/riding link from Kingston Seymour across the river to Wick St Lawrence. The council had (at last) removed the barriers and opened the track the day before, Friday 5th July 2024 (see
ClClevedon and Weston Cycle Route Support Group
It’s open. The signs came off this morning, Friday 5 July 2024. Thankyou!
On Saturday I took some more I'm Out for coffee! books to The Owl In The Oak cafe in Yeo Bank Lane, Kingston Seymour, pictured below. This new cafe has become popular and was very lively. Excellent coffee and cake. (It's open Fri to Sunday at present).
I'm sorry to say the cycle track across the river is still barricaded by North Somerset Council. Any news on this will be posted at Clevedon and Weston Cycle Route Support Group (as it has for the last 12 years)
The latest “official opening”?
I’ve received the following message from Ben Searle of North Somerset Council.
‘Dear Steve, we would like to invite you to the official opening of the Pier to Pier Way, to be held at the Congresbury Yeo Sluice / Owl in the Oak Cafe. It is at 11am on Friday 12th July. If I can have your email address I can send you full details. We are just waiting for one more specially made but essential gate, and then we can get the route open!’
Just to emphasise, we expect a soft opening ahead of the official event. No doubt the gate has been required as part of the final agreements for the permissive route.
Numbers at the official opening have had to be limited to invitation only. This is because the sluice is quite narrow, and the Owl cafe is just a small (yet perfectly formed) venue.
Back to the fabulous Owl in the Oak at Kingston Seymour 🙂
Sadly no signs that the route across Tutshill Sluice is open yet.
Following post in Kingston Seymour FB appears to date from about 5 June 24:
Information: Just received from NSC about the Tutshill Route:
"Once the contractor has finished their current work then it is our intentions to remove the fencing, uncover signs and remove the postcards to effectively ‘soft launch’ the route. This should occur over the next few days."
There is talk of a "formal" launch taking place after the election.
Steve Dixon, Parish Clerk
It’s true folks. Election rules say no formal announcements can be made in the pre-election period, so the official opening of the Clevedon to Weston cycle route has been delayed until after mid-July.
(Photo by PA)
Still no date tho, someone must know!
https://northsomersetlife.co.uk/news/may24-01?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1-mGOiq5Z8Ztcp6vcW7eD-f_RhaICBrWbWjVRDm4dO-E6-vnxjvMv3uOo_aem_AUyxSeS6a5RhfqO5UhkjPVn4s_6jojBZflo8Xd5aWT4GOdyy6qXGDSjy_SrcPWt7tssLS9fdhw3xZqz3i2QP8CYm
The long-awaited Pier to Pier Way is nearing completion and is due to open by the end of June.
Just whilst we are all waiting…
A student at UWE is doing a cycling 🚲survey for her PhD research and she has asked if we may be interested in giving our views: go.uwe.ac.uk/cycle34
The survey covers a broad area, and with BANES and Somerset already well represented, she is particularly looking for responses from North Somerset at the moment.
Please take a moment to click through to the survey and share your opinions :)
This was the outcome.
This afternoon our Executive agreed to progress changes to The Beach in Clevedon following an independent review.
The changes include:
➡ Reintroducing sea facing parking
➡ Keeping the one-way system with a contraflow cycle lane
➡ Removing the two-way cycle path and wavy line
➡ Installing loading bays and a coach drop off point
➡ Adjusting the roundabout to provide a standard mini roundabout
➡ Improving pedestrian crossing points
➡ Introducing vehicular access to the Promenade for boats and ice cream van
➡ Repositioning the planters
➡ Improving lining and signage to support the one-way system.
Watch the meeting back at on our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/live/5luEpvnPmZw 📱💻
You can read the report which was considered at the meeting at https://n-somerset.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MId=1183
Work could start in the autumn with possible completion before the end of this year, subject to final design sign off and availability of our highway contractors.
The cost of the changes will be met from a variety of funding streams including our reserves, residual funding from the allocation towards the Great Lakes project in Clevedon, Section 106 money from developers and Local Transport Plan funding.
This is what we’re told. No dates yet.
Pier to Pier Way is a new 13-mile cycle route linking Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon. Featuring quiet roads and traffic-free sections it will form the central section of the North Somerset coastal towns cycle route.
NSC will update their website with official dates. Work still underway. Meanwhile, enjoy the Spring.
(With thanks to Steve McCarthy for the info)
I stopped going there. Will this bring me back?
This news page is about proposed changes to The Beach in Clevedon which will be considered by the councils Executive.
Clevedon and Weston Cycleroute Recent History
Dec 2018. NSC gives full planning approval for the 1.4km link between Kingston Seymour and Wick St Lawrence. https://planning.n-somerset.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PHKVCHLPKX900
Jul 2019. NSC appoints a Senior Highways Engineer to work on the project full time.
Dec 2019. No further update.
COVID lockdowns….
May 2020. Highways England confirmed they’ll provide the remainder of funding needed for the project.
Feb 2021. Consultation on Cycleroute changes in Clevedon. Outcry.
Oct 2021. NSC publishes Active Travel Strategy with Clevedon to Weston as one of the case studies. Now renamed Pier to Pier Way.
Dec 2021. Beaver Bridges delivers the bridge on to site at Kingston Seymour. Bedrock Civil Engineering appointed as main contractor for the path.
Jan 2022. Work starts on path construction.
Feb 2022. NSC publishes a map of the entire Clevedon to Weston route and associated cyclepaths.
Feb 2022. Yours truly video surveys the route to help with the positioning of signage.
Mar 2022. Completion expected ‘later this year’ says NSC.
Apr 2022. Environment Agency yet to approve the bridge scheme.
Jun 2022. Opening now delayed to 2023. https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/news/pier-pier-way-moves-forward
Feb 2023. It will open in Summer 2023. https://northsomersetlife.co.uk/news/summer-opening-pier-pier-way
Mar 2023. Changes completed at Clevedon Seafront. More outcry.
Jul 2023. Opening delayed. NSC say legal agreements in place and following a 2 week mobilisation it will take contractor 6 weeks to complete work. That is, Oct 23.
Now Feb 24. Signs have been installed in Kingston Seymour. NSC say ‘Opening Spring 2024’
It’s easy to overlook the difficulties faced by this scheme which has complex access issues and civil engineering challenges posed by routing through active dairy farms on a tidal flood plain and drainage controlled by the Environment Agency, rare bird habitats and unstable ground conditions.
Description to be added
Lovely visit to new cafe The Owl In The Oak today. This will be the main cafe on Route 33 between Kingston Seymour and Wick St Lawrence.
It’s open all this week (half-term) pop down and show them some love 🙂 Portishead Cycling Club Clevedon and District Road Club
The sun shone and the view is amazing
Mendip View Farm, Yeo Bank Lane
PS Give space to farm traffic tho :)
This is at the junction of Yeo Bank Lane, where you’ll arrive after crossing the river going north. If………..Two posts without signs. Keep calm.
Signs are appearing in Kingston Seymour
Steve Kinsella here again. This is the reason I had the history of this project on my mind ...... a painting I've been working on:
https://www.facebook.com/steve.kinsella.18/posts/pfbid02ucw18k49QrVzJhbLnfttsT4AA9gpNcJ4y1ikvtx9k1mizWxBUNQUQqMewkApUHuCl
I’m Steve Kinsella.
Our much-wanted cycle route is a very trivial matter compared with what people are suffering elsewhere in the world through destruction of homes, communities, and lives, by bombs and rockets. I’m often asked whether I know when the route will open. I’ve no new information but I write this note is for light relief perhaps:
North Somerset’s current excuse for the route not being open is that when they installed the farmer’s bridge a year or two ago they forgot to build a track leading onto and off the bridge. Before that, their reason it hadn’t opened in Autumn as per their latest indication was that they were “carrying out a safety audit”. Before that I heard that they didn’t open in July because of a disagreement with the landowner over who pays for padlocks to the gates. Before that they had promised in 2022 to open in Spring 2023.
I’ve been trying to recall the many other excuses given over the past decades. These below are ones I remember. Can you remember others? Does anyone have a record? Unfortunately, I no longer have many records or notes.
(Guesses for the next excuse? Perhaps “Waiting for signage” or “waiting for a layby to be built in the lane”)
Some excuses and events I remember – may not be in the right order:
• 1980s Recognised by Council as an “aspirational” route.
• 1990s Route was shown on Sustrans map as Route 33. (I was a Sustrans “future ranger” for the route)
• 2004 Route was included in local transport plan but was not supported by Council executive.
• 2006 NSC carried out feasibility study and public consultation on the “Tidal Trail”
• 2011 Council executive stated support for the route
• Jan 2012 Well attended meeting of campaigners in Clevedon, with Sustrans, resulting in more pressure on the Council.
• 2012 John Grimshaw was surveying and designing the track on behalf of NSC
• 2013-15 NS said they were going to proceed
• Waiting for legal agreements (excuse used several times over the years)
• Waiting planning approval
• 2018 Planning achieved. Applying for funding. Waiting for more Facebook “likes”. (!)
• 2019 ? They were waiting for the Environmental agency to raise the flood banks, then they would re-design the cycle track. (No, they couldn’t work with the EA on a coordinated design.)
• 2020 ? Re-designing.
• 2021 ? Waiting for the contractor for the farmer’s bridge
• 2021? They were waiting for Environment Agency approval of the bridge (this was after they had built it)
• Waiting for the track contractor to return to site (excuse used more than once)
• Waiting for legal agreements (excuse used several times over the years)
• After 2021 See my introduction above
Portishead Cycling Club changes near chain-gang route
Planning proposal for the Kenn Road site, north of M5, alongside the proposed Strawberry Line to Clevedon . Does not mention it at all-should be a great route to Cycle/Walk/Horse ride . Worth keeping an eye on.
📣 Pier to Pier Way update 📣
The walking and cycling route linking Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare’s piers will open as soon as work and outstanding legal agreements have been completed.
We’d hoped the 13-mile route would open this summer. Unfortunately, there have been some delays. We’re sorry. We know there are lots of you who are looking forward to using it 🚲🛴🚶♀️👨🦽🐎
The outstanding legal agreements are now at their final stage and await sign off by the respective parties. We’ve instructed our contractor to complete the final construction work – we expect it to take a few weeks for the contractor to mobilise and then a further six weeks for them to carry out the work.
We’ll share news of the opening date as soon as we can and we’re looking forward to opening the route as soon as we can.
You can find the latest information on the Pier to Pier at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/piertopierway.
You couldn’t make it up!
Re-Re-posting an update written by Kim Parker (thanks Kim!) as there have been a few queries lately. Please note the present council is very economical with communications, and hasn’t made any new information available for 5+ months. They aren’t responding to questions. Based on previous performance, we would expect the dates given below to be optimistic.
The Project Manager had given a verbal update to the clerk for the Kingston Seymour parish council meeting:
Construction of the new farm bridge had been completed but the approaches on either side need to be finished. The cycleway contractors will be invited back to finish off in April/May and plans for the changes in Yeo Bank Lane are being discussed directly with residents.
The proposals regarding signage which the parish council had submitted after consultation with parishioners, are said to be accepted and will be worked into the plans which will be sent back to the parish council for approval in March. New trees and hedgerows are likely to now be planted in September.
The route is likely to “quietly” open when it is completed – possibly in June – and an official opening is being targeted for the middle of July.
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