To wales - Via cranbourne chase & Mendips

This is a route that takes you on a little adventure across some of the best bikepacking trails across the Cranbourne Chase and some OK trails around the Mendips (a couple of narrow not so fun trails in the Mendips) This is a route that I used to get across to wales. So feel free to use this if you need to go to wales and not want to take the train. Overall the route is fairly straight forward easy to follow and uses a bunch of bridal ways, country lanes and if you follow it exactly technically the last little bit following the Severn estuary is a footpath and there is a non-official no, no bikes sign up on one end. So maybe avoid in the summer. Seems pretty stupid to me though that you can cycle that bit, as you can see from the picture it’s a gravel road.

In terms of how hard this route is and which bike etc then I am putting this in the beginner section as I believe most people will find the trails on the easier side, although there are a few testing parts and some steep country lanes that will test your legs from time to time. The best bike will be either a gravel bike or xc hardtail, I’d still want 45mm tyres or bigger as there are some rough trails here and there, mostly in the Mendips. Most of the Cranbourne chase is fairly easy going with wide open double track.

There re a couple of trouble sections on this route however, one when you are just entering the Mendips the climb is a narrow rocky gully and there were a few fallen trees that blocked the way. I was able to get around them by jumping over a fence, but it was a bit of a struggle with the bike. Also right at the end just before getting to Bristol there is a bridal way that essentially follows a little stream, I’d recommend just accepting wet feet here and just walk along the stream until you find the up ramp to the path on your right where you can then cycle. If you try to follow the path on the left, it can be very overgrown and a hassle with the bike. (if I redo this ride at some point i might find a better way, however this section does take you where you need to go for quite a direct route onto the cycle path over the M5 and towards the Severn bridge)

Another thing to mention is that just after Frome you will ride along a nice old railway cycle path for a few miles to Radstock however there was some work being done, so I had to take a diversion. I have left the route with the diversion but feel free to jump on Colliers way as early as possible.