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Weston-super-Mare to Portishead by bike offers cyclists a rewarding route of stunning coastal views and countryside scenery with a couple of great pubs and cafes along the route.
It follows the Pier to Pier Cycle Way from Weston to Clevedon before freestyling a pretty path through Walton-in-Gordano, up and over the coast road into Portishead before returning on country lanes through Swiss Valley and back into Clevedon to pick up the Pier to Pier Way again.
The ride does include some hills and a busy stretch through Portishead where inexperienced cyclists may be happier to dismount and walk.
In total, if you were to do the ride there and back it's 41 miles long. Twenty-six miles out and back on the Pier to Pier Way and then another 15 miles for the Portishead, Swiss Valley loop.
The route
The ride starts from Weston’s Grand Pier and follows the Promenade to Marine Lake. You then climb out of town, turning left at the top onto Kewstoke Road or the Old Toll Road as it’s known. Here you get great views over Birnbeck Pier.
You can download this Pier To Pier Way section here.
The main road here can become busy, but not uncomfortably so and providing you’re a reasonably confident cyclist you can still admire the sea views on your left or the woods on your right.
As you come out of this wooded section and continue straight through Kewstoke village, the trees give way to some lovely elevated views over Sand Bay.
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 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 its way towards a newly-constructed one-mile off-road section which crosses the River Yeo. There is some wooden screening with observation points here to avoid disturbance to the Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew and Shelduck birds.
This section of gravel cycle track then emerges back onto quiet country lanes and past the newly-opened Owl In The Oak café which provides a popular pit stop for riders.
You can choose to elongate your ride by adding an extra loop to include the pretty village of Kingston Seymour or decide to press 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.
The coastal option, through the gate and up the track leading to the sea wall along Marshall’s Fields and the Clevedon coastal defences, is by far the prettiest. It presents you with some of the best views of the ride as you flank the Bristol Channel and look out across to Wales for around a mile before picking up the road again to reach Clevedon Pier.
After admiring the pier, continue climbing on the road beyond the pier passing the Walton Park Hotel and then Clevedon Golf course before descending onto the B3124 Clevedon to Portishead road onto which you turn left.
After about a mile on this main road turn left, just a few yards beyond Walton-in-Gordano village hall, and head up through the pretty village of Walton-in-Gordano.
Continue along this road admiring the views across the Bristol Channel and up towards the Severn Bridge before turning left into Nore Road where you will enjoy free-wheeling down the hill. If you have a sturdy bike lock it's worth chaining your bike up and walking down the footpath to the distinctive Black Nore Lighthouse. when you see the brown tourist sign.
Then continue along Nore Road beyond The Windmill pub on your left which enjoys magnificent views before, shortly coming across a very steep but short one-way road heading down to the Portishead Lake Grounds.
Turn left at the bottom of the hill to continue along the seafront and past the pretty Lake Grounds on your right.
At the brightly-coloured Portishead open air heated lido straight ahead of you climb the hill and at the summit turn right heading down Woodhill Road until your reach Nore Road at the bottom where you turn left.
After a couple of hundred yards this leads into the town centre where you should turn right. This is a busy section and inexperienced cyclists may want to dismount here and walk along the pavement through Portishead town centre along the B3124.
Follow this until the road splits into a one way section. On this short one-way section, take the right fork, following signs to Clevedon. Ride under a metal footbridge and with the school on your right look for the turning into Clapton Lane on your left.
Leaving the town behind you, continue along Clapton Lane for around a mile before turning right into Clevedon Lane which becomes Norton Wood Lane.
In the village you will soon pass the delightful Black Horse pub before the lane narrows and winds its way back into Clevedon from where you can pick up the Pier to Pier Way again to continue your journey back to Weston.
