South Bristol to Woodland Road Cycle Route

Southville to Woodland Road

This is a great route because of the cycle facilities which allow cyclists to pass traffic in the rush hour. The cycle-only side of Gaolferry Bridge, the cycle lane on Park Street, and the Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs - the boxes for cycles at traffic lights) on Prince Street and Park Street make a real difference.

The route is mainly flat; Stackpool Road is a gentle gradient; Park Street and University Road are hills. There is no way of avoiding a climb up to the University. I mostly cycle up Park Street as it wakes me up. I recommend using Park Street because even if you get off and push, I think it's still quicker and better than the alternative.

From Stackpool Road

Stackpool Road runs through the centre of Southville.

  1. Down Stackpool Road (if rush hour, look out for cars parking and pulling out).
  2. At bottom of Stackpool Road, turn left into Dean Lane.
  3. Stay on right side of lane as you approach Coronation Road.
  4. If Coronation Road is clear, cross and right into cycle lane (on pavement).
  5. If Coronation Road is not clear, turn right into cycle lane on Coronation Road to activate the traffic lights.
  6. Turn left onto Gaolferry Bridge (left side is cycle side).
  7. At end of bridge (at traffic lights) right into Cumberland Road.
  8. Stay on left side but occupy middle of left lane at roundabout (to avoid cars turning left squeezing you)
  9. At mini-roundabout left into Wapping Road.
  10. Straight on and over swing bridge. (There is a yellow box in front of and on the swing bridge, which if clear will enable you to get over the bridge when traffic is queuing back from it.)
  11. Straight on, through traffic lights.
  12. At end of Prince Street (roundabout) turn left.
  13. This is a Bus/Bike only lane. Wait until the light turns green.
  14. Through light and turn left at the yellow "Caution Slow" sign and the cobbled area.
  15. Cross cobbled area (following tiny cycle tiles in cobbles) to crossing on the opposite side.
  16. Left into cycle lane at the bottom of Park Street.
  17. At the end of cycle lane continue on into Park Street.
  18. At top of Park Street, left into Queens Road and into ASL at traffic lights.
  19. At traffic lights, get off and push bike across Queens Road.
  20. Up University Road (left side of Brown's Restaurant if you are facing it).
  21. At top of University Road, left into Woodland Road.

An alternative to Park Street

is Colston Street (first left after the Hippodrome). After the zebra crossing. left into Lower Park and at top straight on into Park Row. Then first right into Woodland Road.

This route is still a climb and you need to pull across the road on Park Row to turn right into Woodland Road. Give clear hand signals and allow plenty of time to do this right turn.

The return journey

I would recommend using largely the same route to return. University Road is one way so you need to return via Woodland Road or Elton Road to Park Street. The route: Elton Road, Queens Avenue, and then left into Queens Road (past Dingles), and then pull over into the right lane by the Museum to go down Park Street, would be my preferred route.

If you stop at the traffic lights at the bottom of Park Street (beside the City Council Housing Office) and get back into the cycle lane, you can avoid going around the Centre.

Bedminster, Ashton and Windmill Hill to Woodland Road

You can join the above route from Southville if you come from Bedminster, Ashton or Windmill Hill.

From Bedminster

The main roads running through Bedminster are North Street and West Street.

If you live closest to North Street

  1. Turn into North Street (in direction of Cannon Street where the Bedminster Post Office is situated).
  2. Continue on North Street to the Cannon Street mini-roundabout.
  3. Go straight over into Dean Lane.
  4. Continue along Dean Lane until there's a right turn into Coronation Road.
  5. Carry on from step 3 of Southville route.

If you live closest to West Street

West Street has more traffic and is narrower than North Street, so you might prefer to join North Street even though it is less direct than West Street. An alternative is to use a short stretch of West Street until you reach Hebron Road (turn left into Hebron Road and then right into North Street) and then follow the North Street route.

From Ashton

There are two possible routes.

From North Street (east end)

  1. Turn into Greville Road.
  2. Follow Greville Road round to the right, up the hill and round to the left until it becomes Stackpool Road.
  3. Carry on from step 1 of Southville route.

From North Street (Ashton end)

  1. Turn into Greenway Bush Lane.
  2. At the end, operate the pelical crossing to cross over Coronation Road to the shared cycle/footpath on the far side.
  3. Straight on to Gaolferry Bridge (on your left)
  4. Carry on from step 6 of Southville route.

From Windmill Hill

The shortest route from Windmill Hill involves a major roundabout, though there are traffic lights. This route starts from the Cotswold Road area.

  1. From Cotswold Road, turn left into Windmill Hill Close.
  2. Continue on under the railway bridge.
  3. Turn right into Whitehouse Lane.
  4. Take second left into Phillip Street (City Farm is on your left).
  5. At the end, turn right into Bedminster Parade and carry straight on to the roundabout.
  6. At the roundabout, stay in left lane but do not turn left.
  7. Carry straight on over the bridge, staying in left lane, then turn left into Commercial Road.
  8. At mini-roundabout, turn right into Wapping Road.
  9. Carry on from step 10 of the Southville route.

A longer route avoiding the major roundabout is:

  1. From Cotswold Road, turn left into Windmill Hill Close.
  2. Continue on under the railway bridge.
  3. Cross road into cycle path (City Farm building on your left).
  4. At Dalby Avenue, cross road into cycle path.
  5. Turn right into Little Paradise. The road bears left.
  6. Turn right into paved area past bike parking racks, over East Street (pedestrianised) into Warden Road.
  7. Turn right into Dean Lane.
  8. Carry on from step 3 of Southville route.