The Avon Cycleway is an 85 mile circular route around Bristol,
Regional Route 10 on the National Cycle Network, taking in many
picturesque villages; numerous historic landmarks and a variety of
splendid landscapes. It largely follows narrow and quiet country
lanes and cycle paths and should be safe for family riders as well
as the more experienced. It passes through largely peaceful
pastoral scenery, with the occasional spectacular view such as the
Avon Gorge, Chew Valley and the Severn Estuary.
An excellent free map of the entire cycleway can be contained
from:map. It is also
available in libraries and council offices. An OS 1:50000 (172)
or 1:25000 (154/155) map is also strongly recommended - all show
the cycle route
Route description from the leaflet:
The western section runs along the Severn Estuary plain,
interrupted only by a small climb over the River Avon Bridge. The
two Severn Bridges are significant landmarks whilst cycling in the
quiet lanes bounded by drainage rhines on route to Thornbury. The
old market town of Thornbury is soon left behind whilst heading
east over undulating ground towards the Cotswold Escarpment.
A sharp southerly turn at the foot of the escarpment finds level
country lanes to pass around Yate and Chipping Sodbury. The
National Cycle Route 4 on a disused railway route is joined at the
Old Mangotsfield Station and is followed to Saltford.
The southerly section from Saltford to the A370 is hilly with
excellent views. None of the hills are excessively long, and all
can be ridden or walked. The Chew Valley Lake affords a useful
respite. West of the A370, the Moors Levels afford easy cycling and
a further change of scenery.
My aim was to produce a cache series that would encourage
exploration of the more interesting/beautiful areas around Bristol
– and potentially offer a new challenge – how quickly can it be
done? I estimate on a road bike the series of 12 should be
achievable in 6 hours – prove me right!
Caches are located at clock angles based on Temple Meads station
in central Bristol. Every cache number relates to the hide and all
are within 40 feet of the posted coordinates. All caches are
directly accessible from public roads/routes on or very close to
the route – no fences/gates or other barriers need to be crossed.
They are a mixture of small and micro caches which can be found in
the normal way. They can be attempted in any order, and each
contains a clue that will lead to a bonus cache – the 13 o'clock
cache GCZDMB, which is
not on the route. Note that some clues are deliberately
cryptic so they can't be solved straight away using our
favourite search engine !
Note that sections of the cycleway are extremely popular with
pedestrians, dog-walkers and commuters as well as cycling tourists,
stealth is almost invariably required
Near this point is a house with an appropriate number of letters -
opposite is an object where this number is significant. The cache
is close by. Wheelchair/stroller access may be difficult if there
has been heavy rain