Great West Way Travel Magazine | Issue 07

BY BIKE AND FOOT
Hiring a bike and cycling along the canal, countryside
paths and trails, taking a walk through picturesque
villages and visiting our three Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty and three UNESCO World Heritage
sites by foot is a beautifully scenic experience.
Whether you’re up for a lengthy hike in the
Cotswolds, a cycle ride racing down the 13.7km (8.5
miles) steeply twisting Swinley Red trail with its
berms, drops and white-knuckle descents, or just
fancy a potter around some village antique shops,
walking and cycling is a wonderful way to explore.
You can cycle the entire length of the Great West
Way via National Cycle Route 4, which links up
regional cycle routes such as the Thames Valley Cycle
Route and the Kennet & Avon Cycle Route.
The National Trails website gives details of longdistance
walking trails along the route: The Cotswold
Way, The Ridgeway and the Thames Path.
Go to Sustrans for more (shorter) cycle routes on the
National Cycle Network, in and around the touring
route. There are also some excellent routes along the
Wiltshire Cycleway, including a picturesque 15.3k
between Corsham and Bradford on Avon.
Be sure to read the Information Points page to find
out where to pick up local maps and walking trails.
Plus, download our Great West Way map before you
set off.
Did you know? Bristol was officially Britain’s first
cycling city. Join the locals with a ride on a
pay-as-you-go YoBike, hire a tandem or go on a
Cycle the City tour of Bristol's best landmarks.
BY BOAT AND ON WATER
The Kennet & Avon Canal is a wonderful way to
travel along part of the Great West Way. This ribbon
of beauty and history stretches between Reading and
Bristol and is looked after by the Canal & River Trust.
Slow down and enjoy all 87 miles of the Kennet
& Avon Canal as part of your Great West Way
adventure, using our Kennet & Avon Canal map.
Hire a boat or hop on a barge tour for the ultimate
experience in slow travel. Multiple companies
operate along the River Thames and the Kennet &
Avon Canal. Visit Thames and The Kennet & Avon
Canal Trust are useful places to start.
You can canoe, kayak or book one of the numerous
boat trips. Passing through countryside, market
towns and picturesque villages, the canal offers an
abundance of natural beauty, fascinating wildlife,
outstanding canal structures, fabulous vistas and
heritage galore. The lazy pop pop pop of the engine
while you travel slowly through attractive towns like
Hungerford, quaint villages such as Wootton Rivers
and architectural masterpieces like Bath.
Of course, the famous Caen Hill Lock Flight in
Devizes is a real wow – look up from the bottom of
the 16 locks that form the main ‘staircase’ – now
that’s one way to get boats to travel uphill.
Take a look at our Marina page for hire boats and
boat tours and find details of river transport options
in the capital on the Transport for London website.
Did you know? Queen Elizabeth II reopened the
Kennet & Avon Canal in 1990 after a passionate
band of volunteers gave it an impressive revamp.
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