Cam, Dursley & Uley Greenway
The Greenway's Facebook group states, "The Cam, Dursley & Uley Greenway (including Safe Routes to Schools) project team is working towards the creation of a 8km cycle & pedestrian greenway linking Uley, Dursley and Cam (as far as railway station) in Gloucestershire and the National Cycle Network Route 41 in the Vale of Berkeley." The Facebook group has recently added (in early 2021) that there are also plans to link it with Coaley, but this just seems to be just signage on existing quiet lanes.
The project was reported on in the Dursley Gazette in Dec 2014.
Commuters generally want to get to work or home as fast as possible, not necessarily by the safest route. They chose routes that avoid traffic calming measures, traffic lights, gates etc and therefore stick to the roads, even if there is a cycle track alongside. They do not want to be hopping on and off curbs and having to stop to cross side roads. Planners of the route should take account of these things as Commuters could make up the majority of potential users. Currently many long distance and commuting cyclists ride from town, up Kingshill Road to Sandpits and out of town.
The project was reported on in the Dursley Gazette in Dec 2014.
Commuters generally want to get to work or home as fast as possible, not necessarily by the safest route. They chose routes that avoid traffic calming measures, traffic lights, gates etc and therefore stick to the roads, even if there is a cycle track alongside. They do not want to be hopping on and off curbs and having to stop to cross side roads. Planners of the route should take account of these things as Commuters could make up the majority of potential users. Currently many long distance and commuting cyclists ride from town, up Kingshill Road to Sandpits and out of town.
Dursley to Upper Cam
It is now possible to cycle, along a fairly flat route, from Uley Road, past Ferney Lodge, past the Ewelme, to Brownings Lane, right onto Lister St, past The Priory, into Lister Road, hop onto the left footpath that goes round the flats, onto Ashton Lane, back onto Lister Road, right over the stream on the actual Greenway, left along the River Cam to Everlands.
The route from Sainsbury's along The Knapp is very quiet and flat. The ride down sweeping behind Rednock is fun (though climbing back up is not). Care should be taken near the bottom as the turns are blind and the path overgrown. Although the path is signposted as a "Public Foootpath", many cyclists use it and there used to be a sign at the bottom end saying "Cyclists Dismount", suggesting that cyclists are allowed to cycle down there (to that point). It used to be marked as a cycle route on the Sustrans website. The legal status of the path needs confirmation. At the bottom of Gas Works Pitch (Kingshill Lane), water continues to flood over the road; not pleasant if you haven't got mudguards. Everlands is quiet and flat, though the traffic calming measures push cars towards the kerb (cutting up cyclists) and are hard to pass on a bike.
It is now possible to cycle, along a fairly flat route, from Uley Road, past Ferney Lodge, past the Ewelme, to Brownings Lane, right onto Lister St, past The Priory, into Lister Road, hop onto the left footpath that goes round the flats, onto Ashton Lane, back onto Lister Road, right over the stream on the actual Greenway, left along the River Cam to Everlands.
The route from Sainsbury's along The Knapp is very quiet and flat. The ride down sweeping behind Rednock is fun (though climbing back up is not). Care should be taken near the bottom as the turns are blind and the path overgrown. Although the path is signposted as a "Public Foootpath", many cyclists use it and there used to be a sign at the bottom end saying "Cyclists Dismount", suggesting that cyclists are allowed to cycle down there (to that point). It used to be marked as a cycle route on the Sustrans website. The legal status of the path needs confirmation. At the bottom of Gas Works Pitch (Kingshill Lane), water continues to flood over the road; not pleasant if you haven't got mudguards. Everlands is quiet and flat, though the traffic calming measures push cars towards the kerb (cutting up cyclists) and are hard to pass on a bike.
Base map from Sustrans
Routes from Uley Road and the Town Centre to Upper Cam, added by this website (needs updating for current route)
Solid Green line: The Greenway (so far)
Red dots: quiet on-road route
Blue dots: off-road tarmacked route
Routes from Uley Road and the Town Centre to Upper Cam, added by this website (needs updating for current route)
Solid Green line: The Greenway (so far)
Red dots: quiet on-road route
Blue dots: off-road tarmacked route
Upper Cam to the Railway Station
Everlands is quiet, but Chapel Street is probably the busiest part of the route as there are a lot of parked cars, leaving cars and bikes to complete for the remaining lane. Cam High Street and Draycott are faster and although there are parked cars, the road is wider, so cars and bikes can go alongside each other. The ride out towards Slimbridge is fast, due to the downwards gradient: coming back is a bit slower.
Stroud District Council published an interesting report on cycling in the district in 2011. It is a bit out of date now, since the removal of the abruptly ending cycle lanes on Draycott (when they resurfaced in early 2014) and the improved cycling parking at the railway station. It's worth a read from p77 onwards.
The full route may never happen though, as it would probably require a lot of land purchases by the councils.
A Sustrans report on the proposed routes from 2008 is linked here in Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3. Some of the report is now out of date.
Currently, there is no cyclable path out from Lower Cam. Local development plans now also include the path, e.g. Millfields in Cam. The spur to Box Road (following part of the Dursley branch trackbed is about to open (early 2024) and the path continues around the backs of Whatling Way and Littleford Drive, round the substation, and around the backs of Barley Close, Otter Way and Blackberry Close. Currently go up Blackberry Close and its not far along Box Road to the Railway Station.
Everlands is quiet, but Chapel Street is probably the busiest part of the route as there are a lot of parked cars, leaving cars and bikes to complete for the remaining lane. Cam High Street and Draycott are faster and although there are parked cars, the road is wider, so cars and bikes can go alongside each other. The ride out towards Slimbridge is fast, due to the downwards gradient: coming back is a bit slower.
Stroud District Council published an interesting report on cycling in the district in 2011. It is a bit out of date now, since the removal of the abruptly ending cycle lanes on Draycott (when they resurfaced in early 2014) and the improved cycling parking at the railway station. It's worth a read from p77 onwards.
The full route may never happen though, as it would probably require a lot of land purchases by the councils.
A Sustrans report on the proposed routes from 2008 is linked here in Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3. Some of the report is now out of date.
Currently, there is no cyclable path out from Lower Cam. Local development plans now also include the path, e.g. Millfields in Cam. The spur to Box Road (following part of the Dursley branch trackbed is about to open (early 2024) and the path continues around the backs of Whatling Way and Littleford Drive, round the substation, and around the backs of Barley Close, Otter Way and Blackberry Close. Currently go up Blackberry Close and its not far along Box Road to the Railway Station.