The routes around Clevedon and Portishead were well thought out on quiet ways. These northern paths triggered a warning from the Slow Ways app because we were over 100m from the marked route....

Justin Saunders

The diversion is clear, but if you are heads down not paying attention you can miss it (coming from Portishead) because someone has moved the gates blocking the way. Other than that, this is a really good slow way....

panifex

Excellent plotting along the contour getting out of Clevedon town from the pier but not so good going up Court Hill. Similar issues with the plotting getting across the Gordano valley, where the app wanted to send me through How Ham Farm rather than follow the public right of way, the Gordano Round, slightly to the west. All good and enjoyable for me but maybe someone just using the app and following the line could have got lost in the woods above Clevedon and have the dogs set on them at the Farm!...

Richard White

- on leaving Oakham Farm, don't go up the tarmac lane, but look for the start of the footpath immediately to the left, which at its start goes parallel with the tarmac lane...

Alan Morris

It's possible to circumvent this by going on a parallel route along the edge of the BAWA grounds - I'm inclined to suggest an alternative route from Southmead on to the end at Filton...

Alan Morris

This is a great route, particularly north of the M5 bridge. I prefer an alternative route to the east, even though it is two sides of a triangle and therefore longer. There is an alternative route to the west of the Bilsham Farm, which is passable, but there were cattle on that route too when I walked it...

Alan Morris

The route out of Portishead along the marina is better than the other options because there is more to see than on the path along the little canal and the new section of coast path allows less walking along the Sheepway road....

Mockymock

a landslip at Ladye Bay outskirts of Clevedon means there is an official diversion via Clevedon golf club. in fact it's clear local walkers are still sneaking around the barriers and taking the risk. Use the diversion...

Andrew Morrish

Having headed up Marlcombe road I would heed a warning here, you get the opportunity to follow a lane on the left at traffic lights in Easton in Gordano, but route suggests carry on up Marlcombe road BUT THERE IS NO PATH ON THIS VERY BUSY ROAD, for a while, then you can pick one up, before you turn left at Easton cricket club! I carried on for sake of this route review but would recommend diverting left up St George’s hill at traffic lights if you don’t want to walk in bus lane for 200 + metres, however, there is then an option to take footpath (easy to miss) on right but route suggests stay on road for a few more metres, but then remember to take opportunity to get off the road signposted ‘nature reserve’, follow well walked path and opposite the ‘Rudleigh’ pub (sadly closed down) cross road and head through middle of cricket club field towards Pill....

Russ Millward

An excellent walk mostly along good footpaths and cycle paths. The occasional road section but generally with pavements and always safe. Highly recommended for anyone in the area looking for a good walk....

jamiekirk

This is an excellent alternative routing of this long Slow Way while the more obvious route along the River Severn continues to be blocked by major flood works. Note that the section across the Severn Vale from Easter Compton to Aust will be a struggle when the ground is saturated (as it has been all winter and early Spring 2023/4) unless you don't mind very soggy conditions and a bit of wading through standing water. From there it is footpaths through pastures and long stretches of track across the Severn Vale to Easter Compton. Eventually, after crossing over the M4, under the mainline railway at Pilning, and the access road to The Wave (an artificial surfing lake), the route arrives at the village of Easter Compton and picks up the waymarked Community Forest Path. Note that the plot going out of Easter Compton goes through the car park of the village hall rather than down the marked footpath on the other side of it for some reason, but this is a minor oddity. As you climb, big views open out across the Severn Vale and over to Wales. At the bottom the path heads in through some pony paddocks (the slow way plot is again the correct way here) before crossing the railway into the edge of Bristol at Henbury. Here I would recommend skipping the nice but fiddly detour round the back of the school on the Community Forest path that the the slow way plot follows, and just go straight along the suburban B-road. Here the Slow Way again takes an unnecessarily long way round on the Community Forest Path, routing from Blaise castle museum down into the wooded, limestone valley before climbing up a steep, stony path through to get back out again....

Mockymock

From Portishead, I walk alongside a drainage channel on a nice off-road path, and then I walk through a wetland nature reserve. I cross the road using the former railway bridge of the disused railway line. I'm glad the route didn't try and cross the road using the official green dotted lines on the OS map. (Before walking under the viaduct, I divert uphill to look at the former Pill railway station – there are plans to reopen a station here for passengers by reopening the line to Portishead. I guess this may affect this route but they would probably have to maintain foot and wheel routes. I also took a diversion to the Anchor pub for some lunch, but returned to the route where I left it.). In the park to the east of Pill I have to walk the path that is slightly to the north along the brown spots line on OS, not along the tunnel, which is below and inaccessible, and in use by occasional goods trains. The path is a little bit lower and I could imagine it occasionally floods and there is no easy escape, so don't do it in bad weather with high tides....

Mary Oz

A lovely coastal path route which opens up onto the beach in a few locations. The best are Ladye Bay and Black Nore. It get's tight in places but nothing to worry about....

bigroo

Lovely route, fairly well maintained, narrow in places with some uneven ground but generally easy...

Matt Loveridge

As a slight variation, coming from Portishead, I turned off Clapton Drove slightly earlier, up the footpath and through Tynings Wood....

freeloaderv

Slight disadvantage of having to cross the M5 by footbridge twice, but noise is not too bad. Ordnance Survey map is not accurate at How Ham Farm. Use farm drive to/from B3124....

JohnMyerson

This is a stunning route from the coast along the River Avon to the bus station at Bristol....

Slow Ways Darren

live in the Bristol area and have never walked from Portishead into the city......

danravenellison

Excellent views throughout although the path is rough in places and quite close to a steep drop occasionally. Currently (March 2022) a short diversion up to the road and back at Sandbanks (Walton Bay) because of a broken bridge. Toilets and refreshments at Lake Road and in Portishead town centre....

JohnMyerson

This Slow Way is a right old mixture, routing variously via the modern development around the Portishead marina; a bit of Severn Estuary coast; a wetland nature reserve; some semi-rural roadside; a cycle path snaking around the course of a disused railway and vast car parks used to house vehicles imported through Bristol docks; the M5 motorway bridge over the River Avon; a wooded limestone ridge through the suburb of Shirehampton; remnant estate parklands; plus a couple of golf courses and the Southmead housing estate....

Mockymock

As previous reviewers have pointed out, you cannot cross the M5 on the mapped route but need to go a little to the west to use the road under the motorway, and the path down is slightly awry of the route on the OS map - it is a bit confusing if you are walking from the Nailsea direction as I was. Also, on the north side of the section across the Gordano Valley (by How Ham Farm), the access to the road is currently via the farm track and not through the field, as shown on the OS map, as there no access through the hedge at the road end....

Mockymock

A lane leads up to a short section of road - the Sheepway - which is a fairly quiet road used by local buses - and an off-road cycle track (route 26) takes you from there to Pill. Pill has a small shopping precinct and pubs, and there the route joins the popular River Avon Trail which meanders several lovely miles to Bristol along the course of the river and through the craggy limestone gorge....

Mockymock

It is also worth noting that this stretch of path has been approved as part of the developing England Coast Path, and is thus likely to become a well-maintained route in the not too distant future...

Mockymock

This rating in no way reflects the quality of the whole route but it is a no from me as currently mapped because part of the suggested way along the A369 east of the motorway junction has no pavement and is dangerous....

Mockymock

The section on the A369, next to easton in gordano by J19 is unpaved this can be avoided by following the B road in Easton in Gordano, although the road is still busy and care should be taken. The section from Pill to Bristol is fantastic!...

fran77

Narrow path in parts, and vegetated but passable in late July....

Steve_Roser

I think that where the route crosses the M5 it is necessary to use the adjacent road bridge under the motorway....

Tony Parsons

Good route using paths to avoid the busy roads out of Nailsea....

Hildegard