Gloinn one

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According to a local news site works blocking the Gloucester station underpass were still going in December 2024. Started in January 2023 and due to take 9 months!

Walked this way back in Feb 2024 in the opposite direction to earlier reviewers. It's ok but often dull and not terribly quiet. There are a few green bits. Liked the footpath that ends at Luke Lane but deliberately missed the riverside section near the A40, wary after a tiring riverside flooded/muddy section of previous walk that day, used Park Ave instead which was fine. Also missed the bit around the edge of the hospital as I already knew the station underpass was blocked so stayed on the main road which I would have had to use as a diversion anyhow.

Other reviews are comprehensive. The Estcourt Rd/A417 crossing *is* dicey but was do-able on my walk and sightlines aren't bad. Alternatively it is 450m there and back to roundabout (islands but no lights) or 1.3km to traffic lights further north.

3 stars might be unfair given the forced and unforced changes I made but I would have preferred using a route along quieter streets even if that made it a bit longer and navigation slightly more fiddly.

I found the centre of Gloucester to be a little disappointing, as the route passed some once splendid, but now run down, buildings; and some groups of people who seemed to be recovering from a heavy Saturday night; and an awful lot of building work going on. Hopefully, this last item will improve the other two items! Of particular relevance was the diversion around the railway station (about which I overheard someone say “god knows when it’ll be finished”), see photo of Notice.
There was quite clever use of off-road footpaths, with several cycle barriers, for the first 40% of the route, but then 20% of the route followed a fairly main suburban road through Longlevens that was a bit boring. However, there were a couple of convenience stores, as well as bus stops.
Next, there was a sports ground to cross, on a grassy embankment alongside a stream. This path had kissing gates at either end. This was immediately followed by a sweeping footbridge over the A40. A gravelled path cut a corner to reach the road into Innsworth, with a supermarket, a pub and bus stops.
This was a pretty good and varied route for such an urban area.

Walked from Gloucester to Innsworth. A good direct safe route, if a little unexciting. Note that the footpath across the railway by Gloucester station is currently closed, so it is necessary to cross the railway on London Road. Mostly paved apart from the section between Innsworth Lane and the A40 bridge, which is fairly short grass. No steps or stiles, but I didn't look too closely at the drop kerbs.

From Southgate Street, we follow the signposted route past the bus station to the railway station. The route uses an underpass that is currently closed to cross the railway, so we diverted left to cross on London Road, then returned to the route on Great Western Road. The Royal Lane path past the hospital is between walls and looks little used, so it is debatable whether it adds any value to the walk.

We return to London Road and cross (there is a pelican crossing in sight but using it would need a double back), then take the alleyway through to Hillfield Court Road. More residential streets and alleyways take us to Estcourt Road, which is a dual carriageway but not a fast or busy one. There is pavement between the carriageways so with care you can cross anywhere.

We then cross the university campus (don't miss the right turn) and follow Oxtails Lane most of the way to the by-pass, then take the path right on the grass by a sports field, which takes us to the large footbridge over the A40, which is accessed using long ramps.

More quiet residential streets take us past the primary school to a surfaced path alongside the MoD sports ground - a new housing estate is being built on the south side of this path. Once we reach Cheltenham Road East the rest is a simple pavement walk - the meeting point is by the Hare and Hounds pub.

I walked this route from Gloucester to Innsworth. It's overall a very good route connecting these two points.

It starts with a walk through city centre before passing underneath the tracks by the main station. It's worth noting that when I walked in August 2022 there were works occuring at the station, but the pedestrian diversion was fairly well-signed and the underpass under the tracks was still accessible.

Next follows a good stretch alternating between quiet side streets and inter-street footpaths between properties, all of which lead you well and comfortably to Oxstalls Lane. The crossing of Estcourt Road is a bit dicey but there is a middle island and the road wasn't all that busy, so I managed to cross after not that long of waiting.

The stretch along Oxstalls and Innsworth Lane isn't like all that pleasant, as it's a bit busier of a road, but it's direct, accessible, and safe. (This also would apply to the stretch along Cheltenham Road East on final approach to the Innsworth node).

The stretch in between, along the rive, over the A40, and by the schools is quite lovely.

Overall, it's a perfectly good route, and one I'm happy to have included in the network.

The node location is funny, but there is a big Tesco right nearby!.

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