Eventually, after crossing the M4, the mainline railway at Pilning and the access road to The Wave - an artificial surfing lake - the route arrives at Easter Compton and picks up the waymarked Community Forest path. Once past the church and across the road, the Slow Way heads up the interestingly named Spaniorum Hill, and the surrounds are smaller, rougher fields and orchards. On the top of the hill the route heads around the edges of flat grassy fields and there are bluebells in the woods at this time of year. At the end of the hill is another motorway crossing using a minor access road over a bridge. Follow the road down (there was a bit of fly tipping beside it and there is a load of housebuilding in progress on adjacent land but the woods to the west of the road are still beautiful) and turn in to a path through some pony paddocks at the bottom of the hill (slow way plot correct here) before crossing the railway into the edge of Bristol at Henbury. Here I would skip the nice enough fiddly detour round the back of the school using the Community Forest path that the the slow way suggests, and go straight along the B-road. The Slow Way again follows the Community Forest Path, routing from Blaise castle museum down into the steep, wooded, limestone valley and climbs back up the steep hill through the woods 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

Good scenery and interesting features en route. Slight disadvantage of having to cross the M5 by footbridge twice, but noise is not too bad....

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