Brikey three

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 80.00% of reviewers

Oh dear, this the second Slow Way running that I am at odds with the review ratings. Yes there are some very good parts to this walk ( which is why I gave it two stars ), but frankly whilst Dan says crossing the A4174 is do-able, yes it is, but it took me 7 minutes to cross, and even then I had to move at a lick to avoid the next batch of on-rushing cars, so from my personal perspective, I think it is dangerous. I also found the climb up from the river path up to the A4174 at Bickley Wood very steep, and no doubt, exceptionally slippery after rain. I think Panifex has made a correct suggestion, of a route not having to cross this road. I assume that there is a path adjacent to the road all the way along.
Within this route, there is 1 stile, 4 sets of steps ( 18/26/3/ and 25 ) and 3 gates
I recorded the route on GPS at 7.80 mi

I would suggest two options for Brikey
1 ) A new formal route is created based on Panifex alternative
2 ) A further route which continues along the riverside path, all the way to the A4175, this would be a walk of 8.40 mi, compared to this walk of 7.30 mi.

Completely agree with all the other reviews - what a wonderful walk, even on a cold and frosty December morning. I think some of the paths would have been muddy if they weren't frozen.

As one of the previous reviewers mentioned, it isn't necessary to cross the A4174 - coming from Keynsham, stay on the left of the road until you get to a footpath which takes you under the bridge. I thought about making a new route to show that, but instead I've just uploaded a picture below. Should it ever be possible to do minor updates to verified routes, this change should probably included.

Overall, this has been one of my favourite slow ways so far.

I know this route well as I live near Bristol, The route is very pleasant following the valley of the river Avon. It is hard to imagine that only a short distance over the tops of the valley are housing estates. The valley is particularly pleasant in autumn with coloured leaves on the trees.
A lot of the route is popular with cyclists.
The section east of the ring road can sometimes be muddy and narrow in places. However the council (BANES) has told me that they will soon bee working to improve it.

The route worked really well for walking, but would need some adjustment for cyclists due to steep/narrow sections, stiles and gravel paths. I'd recommend walking right next to the canal on Feeder Road rather than on the pavement as the pavement is very narrow in places and there are a lot of noisy lorries barreling past.

I stopped for a picnic next to the car park in Conham River Park, which has toilets and benches and is roughly halfway along the route. I know there's sometimes a coffee truck there too for refreshments! There's also some good blackberry picking between Netham Park and Conham River Park for keen foragers.

The crossing over the A4174 looks intimidating, but there's actually a crossing point (just no lights). You have to do a little zig-zag to get across following the marked footpath and the route map clearly shows that.

The section after the A4174 crossing was a bit overgrown, but pretty fun because of that! You get into Keynsham shortly after and there's lots of cafes to reward you. Loved it!.

I really enjoyed walking this route. If you are walking into Bristol from the east it's a great way to enter the city. If you are local, it's worth getting the train to Bristol or Keynsham and walking back to the other again.

The River Avon is the real treat.

I made this route in response to comments on Brikey One. The route is slightly further, but incredibly more easy to follow. Unless you are looking for a more direct, accessible route or new-white-shoe friendly route.. it's worth walking the extra KM to go this way I'm sure.

I checked this route while having a walking meeting and so did not take as many photos as I usually would. There are steps, stiles and some steep slopes. It will be muddy after it's been raining for a while too.

The route does not get five stars from me because of the crossing over the A4174 which is a fast dual carriageway. There is a formal path and an island half way, but no controlled lights and the traffic is fast. It's doable, but patience may be required. The stretch along Feeder road is quite long too, but you can get down to walk alongside the water.. so look out for that.

That all said, I'd 100% enjoy walking it again.

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