Cycling in the Cotswolds

A reroute avoids the challenging A361 junction on the main route. The route no longer goes along the bridleway through Sarsgrove Wood and over the A361/awkward junction to Charlbury.

Instead: After passing Churchill’s church, fork left towards Sarsden (as original route) on Sarsden Road. Immediately after a bridge, fork right (easily missed) through a wooden gate onto a grassy bridleway track through a small conifer plantation then between hedges and uphill to a country lane.

Turn left on this, then fork right by a war memorial, through a metal gate, into the Sarsden Estate. Descend a stony track to a pond on your left. Immediately past this, turn left onto a bridleway track through woodland. Keep ahead until you join a tarmac estate track, forking right along this avenue flanked by lime-trees. If driveway gates don't open automatically for you, there is a pedestrian gate to the left leading to a junction on a bend. Join the road leading straight ahead, which takes you to a T-junction with the busy A361.

Turn left then immediately right to Chadlington. A long descent leads to an often gravelly dip then a short rise past The Tite Inn to a T-junction. Turn right then go over a staggered crossroads towards Charlbury (rejoining original route).

(To stay on road, continue along Sarsden road, rejoining the new main route by the exit from Sarsden Estate just before the A361)

Note: This route does still include a very short bit (c50m) of fast A361 at a slightly staggered junction, but this is a much more straightforward crossing. There is also a grass verge opposite. The A361 is also encountered again in Shipton, but this is a short section in a 30mph zone.

There is now a GPX file for this

1. Parking at railway stations is no longer available for non-rail users. Instead, please now park in the village car park on Churchill Road (near the school) and start/end the route from there, initially heading left from the car park down Churchill Road.

To return to the car park in Kingham from the B4450. On a sharp bend left, fork right to Kingham village. Pass the Wild Rabbit cafe, then the Kingham Plough PH. At the end of a village green, turn right at a crossroads towards Churchill then the village car park is on the left.

2. South of Chadlington, if avoiding the Oxfordshire Way off-road, follow the southern part of Route 3 via Leafield, and Fordwells (some road bike riders may prefer to use the twisty B4437. This gives a shorter detour but could be unpleasant in busy or wet conditions).

3. To avoid the Bruern bridleway, detour via Milton from Shipton.

4. Bridleways on this route are all easily missed and some things have changed.

A. Oxfordshire Way

The grassy Oxfordshire Way after Chadlington is roughly 1.3km after the café in Charlbury, opposite a small layby as the road levels from a longer descent. Turn right onto it. (NB It is not immediately before the river as originally mentioned, although crops of reeds growing by the bridleway may give this impression at times!)

After crossing the country lane, the wooden navigation poles are no longer there. Instead, follow the bridleway straight ahead until you pass a ruin (roughly 650m from the lane). Go straight ahead over this field, then follow the left edge of fields (initially around a pointless deviation). The last section of bridleway can be quite rough at times, and vehicle tracks mentioned originally had disappeared, but its relatively short (roughly 350m); towards its end it drops just left of the field to gain a country lane.

B. Meadow Lane bridleway

To find its start turn left into fields roughly 200m from the road, then snake right then left on a grassy strip between crops.

At its far end, as the boundary hedge/fence of Bruern Abbey comes in from the right, fork diagonally left to a small wooden gate, not the (much clearer) private path ahead.

C. Sarsden Halt bridleway (on a bend just beyond Kingham). If you miss the start of this, just continue along the road then turn left onto Sidings Road, turn right at its end to rejoin the route.

5. Shaven Crown Hotel (Shipton) is now called The Crown

The GPX file has been updated

Route 01 Shipston via Brailes

1. If you wish to avoid cycling on the gyratory system through the town centre, park at Bridge car park (Mill St) and start/end the route there.

2. The Gate Inn (Upper Brailes) has closed.

Route 02 Shipston via Halford

1. Grade – increased to Moderate due to A429 and A3400 crossings.

2. Note: The route crosses the A429 twice – once near Darlingscott and one in Halford, and the A3400 near Ettington. If busy, these could all be challenging, but the one in Halford is in a 30mph zone and has a pedestrian island if needed for an on-foot crossing.

3. The historic Halford Bridge Inn has reopened!

Route 03 Shipton via Wychwood

1. The Shaven Crown Hotel is now The Crown.

2. Road riders should take A361 in Shipton then left by Wychwood Inn for Milton. Head for Bruern then towards Kingham. At Sarsden Lodge cut across to Sarsden, then follow part of Route 09 over A361 and through Chadlington to rejoin the main route. A shorter option via the twisty B4437 may be preferred by some riders but it may be unpleasant in busy/wet conditions. Either way this would be a grade harder than the main route.

3. Oxfordshire Way bridleway start is easily missed, and later wooden navigational poles long gone. The first 350m is rough, but persevere as this soon eases. Follow the right hand edge of fields, round a pointless deviation, then up to a gateway. Cross the next field to a ruin, follow a wall-line then stay ahead. Cross a country lane and follow the continuation bridleway to another road.

4. Tennis court mentioned at end of Purrants Lane is now a pond.

5. Entering Shipton, to avoid using the A361 stay on the major road right at the 5 way junction (towards Milton). Bend left and end the route just before the A361 opposite The Crown PH.

The GPX file for this route has been updated.

The road crossing from the Car Park/Upper Wharf to the Lock Inn/Canalside Tavern (where the route begins) over the B3109 is very busy – it is nearly always easiest to dismount and walk this bit, but parents should be particularly careful with kids here (especially if only doing the mostly traffic-free section of the trail).

Front and rear lights are needed for the Two Tunnels.

Signage at the end of the Linear Park is currently misleading for those on the Circular Two Tunnels route. Sustrans say they are in the process of updating signage, but until then:

The Linear Park comes after the two (Combe Down and Devonshire) tunnels, and is still a rail trail. Pass two green bridges, bend right, then just after a brick bridge, ignore signs saying the Two Tunnels route continues ahead. Instead turn left through a tight access point signed to Bristol and Bath Railway Path. This leads onto the dead-end of Inverness Road.

Crossing over the River Avon: Cross a (new) car park by Lidl then cyclists are now REQUIRED to dismount to cross the pedestrian footbridge (unless they are also disabled).

Victoria Bridge is the pedestrian suspension bridge roughly 1.2km after you join the cyclepath alongside the River Avon, but as it isn’t named from the cyclepath, this should read, “shortly after Bijou Bikes fork left on NCN4 towards Bath City Centre”.

Central area of Bath between bollards is now pedestrianised and can be very busy.

As you rejoin city centre roads, High Street should read Northgate Street.

At the end of Great Pulteney Street, riders not used to city traffic and filter lanes may wish to dismount and use the pavement to avoid the awkward move into the right turn lane on the A36 (Sussex Circus). There is now a cycle path beyond the traffic lights to the canal trail, but watch out for the bus stop!

Several bridges have lost their numbers, but the bridge to cross just before the Dundas Aqueduct is marked with an alternative sign.

This route replaces the previous Batheaston Sting, which is no longer advisable due to the crossing of the A46. (At the time of original research there were long enough quiet gaps in traffic to make crossing viable, but this is now no longer the case).

Please do not attempt to cross the A46. We do not recommend that you attempt the original route.

Length 16km

Ascent 320m

3km off-road, 13km on road

Road Bikes Sorry, not suitable for road racing bikes. In summer conditions, gravel bikes would be ideal – off-road is mostly hardpacked if muddy in places, on road can be slippery/rough.

Note It’s worth knowing that the hills are challengingly steep and the narrow lanes are very narrow – if you encounter traffic, one of you will almost certainly have to retreat to the nearest wider space!

Overview

Aside from Batheaston’s High Street - which is quickly left behind – most of this route is generally very quiet, and you quickly feel a world away from the urban pressures of Bath. The off-road tracks offer both linear woodland and field edges, and the descent of Bannerdown Lane (part of which runs along the course of the old Roman Fosse Way) is a welcome reward for the challenge of the ascents!

Full route description

Turn left out of the Riverside Car Park (opposite the George and Dragon PH, Batheaston) and ride along to the Spar shop at the bottom of Penthouse Hill.

Fork sharp right (back on yourself) towards 'St Catherine', and through the residential area of Northend. Pass a church, leave Hollies Road to your left, then fork left at the next junction (now beyond most houses).

Ride up past St Catherine’s House to a property on the right with a long and tall stone wall surrounding it (St Catherine’s End, this is not currently named on the entrance).

Descend steeply on road to a bridleway on the right soon after the wall (NB This is further down the hill than the footpath gate immediately as the wall ends.) Descend this (it gets briefly squelchy in the dip), rise up very steeply to merge with a farm driveway, continue uphill, then take a bridleway to your right (Halldoor Lane).

Cross over a farm track, turn briefly right onto a country lane, then fork left onto a second bridleway.

Turn right onto a country lane (Ashwicke Road) and follow this out to a larger road (Bannerdown Lane).

Turn right and enjoy the well-graded descent on a wider road with better visibility, which shouldn’t be overly busy.

Turn right at the mini-roundabout onto the main road (High St) to return to the start point.