UKC

Morning all,

We were just thinking about spending a week or so going down near Bristol and maybe climbing at Avon, Leigh woods and the general area. 

I was just wondering,  how does the clean air zone affect Avon gorge etc? Is it possible to avoid it? Thanks

Frank

Yes easily. The portway (road at the bottom of the gorge) is not included. So as long as you come from motorway/shirehampton way you could get to the parking at sea walls or main wall without going into the zone. Only thing to be careful of is that the zone starts at the far end so got out the way you came in. 

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristols-caz/view-a-map

Excellent, thanks for that. I'd kinda guessed that may be the case looking at the zone map, but don't really have much knowledge of the area so was unsure. 

I'm guessing similar for Leigh Woods, just approach from the south or west.

Yes, as soon as you drop down the hill to the first roundabout, you're in the danger zone.

Thanks

According to the road signage visible in Google Street View the Clean Air Zone doesn't include Bridge Valley Road - whereas the linked map appears to suggest that it does. I'm guessing that the former is correct, as having incorrect signage in situ for a system that can involve the issuing of fines would be - to say the least - confusing. If I'm wrong it would presumably mean that anybody continuing past Sea Walls to the Main Wall parking, only to find it completely full, would be committed to entering the zone unless they could manage a u-turn before reaching the BV Road traffic lights.

Edit : Ah. I've just found a second map wherein it's specified that only the eastern side of Bridge Valley Road, ie the downhill side, lies within the zone - meaning that you can indeed turn (very) sharp left off the Portway at the lights and drive up BVR without entering the zone. 

As others say, you can access sea walls from the motorway end of the portway without entering the CAZ. 

Another option, assuming you're doing multi pitch routes to the top, is to park at the top on the Downs, walk down the goat gully path to the base of the crag, then when you top out you're back at your vehicle. It's simpler to avoid the CAZ and IMO a bit more pleasant. Visiting the ice cream van is optional but strongly encouraged. 

Great info thanks,  I'd never thought of that

Somebody should explain this to Bradford and Sheffield!

I drove through the Bradford zone in the summer on a route that was all on main roads where you did not encounter a single sign that there even was a zone.

I'm not from the area and hadn't planned on going through Bradford, but got diverted through Bradford due to a road closure on my intended route. I didn't even know there was a Bradford clean air zone, or I would have taken measures to avoid it.

I successfully appealed that one by sending footage of our entire route, asking them to point out where the signs were. 

I don't know if they've fixed the signage now, or if they are hoping that some people will just pay the fines without bothering to appeal.

And there's a road in Sheffield which is outside the zone, and where there are no signs that you are committed to entering the zone, but where there is no through road out that does not take you through the zone because of the one way system. The road was very quiet at the time, so I was able to reverse all the way out to avoid entering the zone.

Again, this may have been fixed now as this was in the spring and I don't intend on repeating the route.

I presume that you weren't driving through Bradford or Sheffield in a private car - exempt.

They were in a campervan, so not exempt.

It starts at the bottom of Bridge Valley Road, so about 200m NW of the Suspension Bridge. But it is an easy walk from the main area laybys if you wish to climb in the Avon Gorge (Suspension Bridge Area).

Bridge Valley Road:-

If you go down, you have to enter the Clean Air Zone, no right turn onto the Portway.

The implication is you could go (on the Portway) towards the Suspension Bridge and turn up Bridge Valley Road (the signs are 10m in front).

Have you considered the Wye Valley instead? It's only about 20 minutes up the road and much nicer!

I have actually adjust find quite a lot in Wye valley from back when I was at uni in Wales. Never did much on the Bristol side as back then there was a charge on returning to wires in the bridge

I actually got done in a very similar way when trying to bypass Bradford to get to the motorway. As we were literally on our way to Spain that day,  I just ended up paying it and not fighting it,  although I did get to spend 5 minutes being rather rude to a very useless member of Bradford Council on the phone.