Summary
Starting from Reading station, this route follows the Kennet and Avon Cycle Route across England to Bristol. As its name suggests, it primarily uses the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal which meanders through picturesque scenery. The towpath ends at Bath, where you join the excellent Bristol to Bath Railway Path, following the trackbed of a disused railway along the Avon Valley right into the heart of Bristol. All in all, this makes a pleasing trip, with plenty of interest along the canal (eg the Caen Hill flight of locks near Devizes and the Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts), country towns (Pewsey, Hungerford, Devizes) and architectural gems (Bradford on Avon, Bath). The K&A Cycle Route is designated as part of Route 4 of the National Cycle Network.Travel: Start from Reading Station, finish at Bristol Temple Meads Station. Check GWR website for latest bike carriage rules: you will almost certainly need an advance reservation for your bike.
Map:
GPX: You can download the Google map info, as a KML/KMZ file, then convert to GPX using a site like GPS Visualiser, or get the route from the cycle.travel website. You download and use any such data entirely at your own risk.
Distance: Approx 100 miles. Unless you ride like a maniac, it is recommended to divide the trip into two days, with an overnight somewhere around the mid point (Pewsey).
Surface/traffic: Long stretches of the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath have been improved to provide a good cycling surface, but where it is unimproved it is narrow and bumpy, so take care. In some stretches where apparently (I haven’t tried it) the towpath is unsuitable for cycling, the official NCN4 takes to adjoining roads, principally a short stretch in Thatcham/Newbury, where a traffic-calmed route is followed, and a longer stretch between Marsh Benham and Devizes, which follows quiet country lanes.
The Bristol to Bath Railway Path is almost like a motorway for cyclists, with a tarmac surface, slip roads and on-ramps.I did this route on a conventional bike, but it’s quite bumpy in parts and you can expect some mud on the towpath after rain, so a mountain bike would not come amiss.
There are no significant hills (so far as I can recall), but the countryside on the ‘on road’ stretch between Marsh Benham and Devizes is gently rolling.
Route Variations: You could cut the journey short, or do the route in two separate chunks, for example by making use of the train line from Pewsey to Reading (though trains are rather infrequent), or by returning from Bath on the main line.
I believe it is allowed and possible to stay on the towpath the whole way from Reading to Bath, but where the NCN4 is routed away from the canal, the towpath is said to be narrow and not well suited to cycling. Arguably, the Marsh Benham to Devizes on-road ‘diversion’ adds some variety to the route.Directions (see map): Can't really add much to the map beyond what is said above. The route is best followed on a GPS or smartphone app.
The route takes you through several towns (Newbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, Devizes, Bradford, Bath) with pubs, cafes etc close to the route.
There are snack bars or cafes at Aldermaston Lock, the Caen Hill lock flight, and on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path at Bitton Station on the restored Avon Valley Railway, and at the disused station at Warmley.
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| Caen Hill Lock Flight |
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