The Two Tunnels Greenway is a
shared use path for walking and cycling in
Bath, Somerset
Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
The route links
National Cycle Route 24 south of Bath with
National Cycle Route 4
Between these, the route runs through Reading, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Swansea and St David's. Within Wales, sections of the route follow branches of the Celtic Trail cycle route.
Route
The total length of the path is 443.6 miles and takes a ...
in the town centre, and is designated as National Cycle Route 244.
Route
The route follows the disused railway trackbed of the
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway from East
Twerton through the Bath suburb of
Oldfield Park to the
Devonshire Tunnel. It emerges into
Lyncombe Vale before entering the
Combe Down Tunnel, and then coming out to cross Tucking Mill Viaduct at
Tucking Mill into
Midford. The new route links
National Cycle Route 4
Between these, the route runs through Reading, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Swansea and St David's. Within Wales, sections of the route follow branches of the Celtic Trail cycle route.
Route
The total length of the path is 443.6 miles and takes a ...
in Bath and
National Cycle Route 24, south of the city.
History
NCN24, crossing
Midford viaduct, at the south end of the 'Two Tunnels' route, opened in 2005. Sustainable transport charity
Sustrans
Sustrans ( ) is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.
Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United ...
has met with success with its bid for
National Lottery funding to start construction of the route.
A 'Two Tunnels Steering Group' was established, consisting of the Two Tunnels group,
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority district in Somerset, South West England. Bath and North East Somerset Council was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the county of Avon. ...
Council and Sustrans, to ensure the route's successful development.
In June 2009 the major structures were surveyed in preparation for their transfer into the ownership of the local authority from Wessex Water, but the costs of refurbishing the Tunnels exceeded the total project budget then estimated to be £1.9M, with £1M coming from Sustrans.
[ Subsequently, it was agreed that Sustrans should take ownership of the tunnels and be responsible for their refurbishment.
Work began in March 2010 with the excavation of the then-buried western portal of the Devonshire Tunnel, and the project was completed and opened on 6 April 2013. In July 2010, Wessex Water transferred the care of the Devonshire and Combe Down tunnels to Sustrans.]CCTV
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...
within the tunnels, though at the time the Greenway opened, no plans existed for mobile phone coverage in the tunnels.
See also
* National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network (NCN) was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout the United Kingdom, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the charity Sustrans who were aided by a £42.5 million N ...
* Combe Down
* Combe Down Tunnel
* Bath, Somerset
Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
References
External links
Official website
*
{{NCN
Footpaths in Somerset
Cycleways in England
Rail trails in England
Combe Down
Transport in Bath, Somerset