Route 10 – Batheaston: Please DO NOT attempt to cross the A46 – we no longer recommend the original route.
One of the challenges of writing a cycling guidebook to the Cotswolds AONB is that amongst all the lovely quiet lanes and tracks, the region is also riddled with criss-crossing A roads. Many routes mostly on quiet lanes and track require crossing or even briefly using much busier roads than we would really like as cyclists.
A recent recce suggests of Route 10 in my guidebook suggests one of these A road crossings is now unviable (across the A46).
At the time of original research (which is now several years ago) this was indeed a busy road, but it had sufficiently long gaps in both ways traffic to make the staggered crossing viable. And if really needed, there were wide grassy verges and a layby halfway, which would aid a crossing.
However, the traffic is now too busy to be within the scope of a guidebook – even attempting to cross on foot could be extremely challenging. Consequently this route has been changed immediately so that it no longer crosses the A46.
It still has challengingly steep and very narrow singletrack lanes (although they were just as quiet on a recent ride as on first recce), but also gains a downhill return which is more fitting as a reward to the efforts of the uphills than previously was possible on steep singletrack lanes the far side.
Please see the book page of the Cicerone website (scroll down this to reach “Updates” then clicking the + symbol to open up this section) for details of the revised route.
Once again, please do NOT attempt to cross the A46 or ride the original route – but we hope you enjoy the new version!