Riding the Pier to Pier Way

20th July 2024

Here at Visit Weston we pride ourselves on not just telling you where to go, we like to experience it for ourselves so that when we recommend something to our visitors, we are doing it from a position of knowledge and authority.

So, with that in mind, one week after its official opening, and on the hottest day of the year so far - at a roasting 27 degrees - I took on the new Pier to Pier Way cycle route.

The 13-mile route links Weston’s Grand Pier with Clevedon’s historic Victorian pier, opening up hitherto unseen scenery on a largely flat ride through pretty countryside and with coastal views.

And, having completed the ride there and back - that’s 26 miles covered in the line of duty on behalf of Visit Weston - I can honestly say wow! What a stunning addition the cycle way makes to Weston-super-Mare’s tourism portfolio. And, if you don’t believe me, you’ll have to get on your bike and find out for yourself just like I did. 

After oiling the chain, pumping-up the tyres, filling my water bottle and stuffing a banana into the saddlebag for sustenance half-way round, it soon became obvious that this was to be no Christopher Columbus expedition. I wasn't alone and nor did it matter that I'd left behind on the office printer a copy of the map which I’d sensibly printed out the day before.

There were loads of other cyclists of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. Some were in Lycra but most were in shorts and T-shirts, all following the same blue signs with the distinctive brown Pier to Pier Way markings.

All types of bikes were on show from the squeaky sit-up-and-beg ones with a basket at the front to snazzy racers, mountain bikes, e-bikes and even tri-cycles for adults.

But there was no peer pressure (Pier pressure – get it?). Everyone was out doing as much or as little of the route as they wanted in their own time. Getting exercise, and enjoying the countryside.

People exchanged cheery greetings as they passed each other and when I stopped for a swig from my water bottle at the side of the road, one even slowed down to ask if everything was alright, thinking I might have stopped to mend a puncture.

The ride was a joy. Blue skies, no head wind, a sense of freedom and new views to savour.

Bowling along the promenade at the start of the ride, leaving Weston’s iconic Grand Pier behind me, was where I encountered most traffic. People on foot. Hundreds of them strolling along enjoying the sun, ice creams, fish and chips and Weston at its finest.

I whizzed past the busy Marine Lake before a click through the gears got me climbing up the hill to meet the former Toll Road towards Kewstoke. Although it was early into the ride, I couldn’t resist taking a rest stop to admire the view over Birnbeck Pier. The sky was blue and the sea lapping around the island and its causeway was a perfect Mediterranean colour. This crumbling island pier is soon to be renovated and become home to the RNLI in Weston.

Back in the saddle, the trees along the wooded coast road provided a cooling canopy from the midday sun which was beating down. The road here was probably the busiest of the ride but not uncomfortably busy and the car drivers seemed used to seeing cyclists. The motorists were considerate, giving myself and other riders a generous wide berth, so you never felt like you couldn’t admire the sea views on your left or the woods on your right.

Into Kewstoke, the elevated views over Sand Bay were glorious and if you wanted to see them from an even greater height you could do by joining one of the St Paul’s Church tower tours. (At certain times of the year only).

If you were minded to, you could also freestyle your own diversion down into Sand Bay but I was on a Pier to Pier mission and wasn’t looking to add on extra miles. There are plenty of blue signs for cyclists offering alternative routes and rides and, at this part of the route, a little care is needed to make sure that you are following the blue signs with the brown Pier to Pier marking, rather than all the other blue cycle route signs.

As you exit Kewstoke at its far end and head down towards Wick St Lawrence, the route becomes temporarily bitty as it skirts the edge of a couple of housing estates but it isn’t long before you’re back in the country enjoying the quiet lanes and tranquil views.

The route winds it way towards a newly-constructed off-road section, crossing the River Yeo which leads into Woodspring Bay, before emerging onto lanes once again.

The increasingly hot banana in my saddlebag lost its attraction as I and many other cyclists succumbed to the temptations of the newly-opened Owl In The Oak café. A slice of lemon drizzle cake and a cold drink provided the perfect rest stop and the café staff were even kind enough to refill customers’ water bottles for them.

Fortified for the rest of the journey, the remainder of the ride into Clevedon was a breeze. I ignored signs to the pretty village of Kingston Seymour that would have added an extra loop to my ride and pressed on through the lanes towards Clevedon.

At a sharp bend, curving round to the right and marked with a black and white chevron sign, you are presented with the option of going off road on the coastal route or staying on the main road.

I took the coastal route option, through the gate and up the track leading to the sea wall along Marshall’s Fields and the Clevedon coastal defences. I was glad I did. This section of the route offers some of the best coastal scenery of the whole ride as you flank the Bristol Channel with its spectacular views for around a mile before picking up the road to reach  your destination, Clevedon Pier.

The pier is Britain’s only Grade One listed pier and was described by Sir John Betjeman as the most beautiful pier in the country. More recently it has provided the backdrop for many film companies as well as being the choice of pop icons One Direction to film the video for their You and I hit.

Clevedon provided the perfect place to relax and unwind before turning round and getting back in the saddle for the ride back to Weston-super-Mare and the chance to experience those views again from the opposite direction. 

All in all, it was an excellent day out all for the price of a slab of lemon drizzle cake and a refreshing drink.

Now what did I do with that soggy banana? I have a horrible feeling it's still fermenting in the saddle bag.