Thornbury Wayfinders

3 Chepstow 18K or 11 miles

This route links Chepstow to Thornbury via the Welsh Coast Path, the older Severn Crossing and the Severn/Jubilee Way.

To reach Chepstow by bus you need to take the T7 from Bristol Bus Station. You can get there from Thornbury by using the T1. But this takes quite a long time. You may find it more convenient to book a ride on the West Link minibus to Cribbs Shopping Centre to intercept the T7 there. It’s all a question of timing.

The most straightforward way to get to the start at the Old Wye Bridge from the bus station in Chepstow is: Head down the hill through the mediaeval arch, down High Street, Middle Street and Bridge Street.

The pretty way is: Turn left down Welsh Street (opposite the George). Continue until you reach some pillars and gates on the right leading into a park.

Head down the main path through the park past Chepstow Castle to a car park. Head across to the Tourist Information Office on the other side, where you will find toilets etc. Leave the car park into Bridge Street and turn left towards the Old Wye Bridge.

In either case, turn right on a footpath just before the bridge to find the start of the Welsh Coast Path.

From the start of the Welsh Coast Path, head away from the Old Wye Bridge past the Riverside Inn and the Boat Inn and turn right. 

Turn right again past the Quayside Salon along the Back then left up Lower Church Street. When the road bends to the right, go straight ahead up Churchyard Walk past St Mary’s Priory Church.

Head up Nelson Street past the car park, then turn left down the steps to the underpass. On the other side, keep right and then left along Exemouth Road.

Turn right up School Hill. Keep straight on when it turns to the left to a hole through the Portwall.

Keep straight ahead up Garden City Way, then turn left along Hardwick Avenue. Turn right up Wye close, which leads into a footpath at the end. 

Follow the path around an S bend to access the path through an industrial estate past the Bulwark fort. 

At the end, turn left on Victoria Road, then left down Raglan Way. At the bottom, bear left onto the Coastal Footpath and make your way through Warren Slade and Park Redding. 

When you come out at the Thornwell Football Club, turn right down Tenby Lane then left along Denbigh Drive. Turn left down Caerwent Lane, which will bring you out on the far side of the M4 motorway.

Turn left and follow the footpath alongside the motorway over the Wye and Severn Bridges.

At the other side of the Severn, turn left to the footbridge over the motorway.

Turn left again and follow the path up to the Severn Way Viewpoint.

You are now at the beginning of the Jubilee Way, which celebrates the Jubilee of the Ramblers. It joins the Severn Way and the England Coast Path to the Cotswold Way at Old Sodbury.

Follow the Jubilee Way and the Severn Way along the edge of Aust Cliff through a wood and along the edge of two fields, which will bring you down to the embankment along the Severn.

Follow the embankment around to the right until just after the field opens up to the right, when you will come to a kissing gate.

Follow the Jubilee Way through two fields, then make your way onto Rushen Lane. Follow the lane into Littleton on Severn.

There is a picnic site next to the pond on the right, just before the lane comes out onto the road.

Turn left and follow the road past the White Hart.

Unless you have planned to stop to enjoy some refreshments at the pub.

Take the next turning on the right after the pub.

Turn left through a kissing gate and turn right to find the kissing gate into the next field. Take the diagonal path across the field to a hurdle gate and a stone stile onto the road.

Turn right and then left into the Wood Well Meadows local nature reserve. Head up the field past the pond on the site of the eponymous well to a bench at the top that affords splendid views across the Severn Valley.

After you have enjoyed the view, follow the path alongside the hedge. Look for a stile on your left and make your way up and down some steps through the trees to come out on a bridle way. Turn left. 

Follow the bridleway down the hill to a horse gate into a field. 

Follow the track up to a pedestrian gate next to a field gate beside a section of Hay Wood and continue until you see a metal kissing gate on the left.

Go through the kissing gate over a footbridge and through a pedestrian gate. Head diagonally right across the field to another kissing gate. In Bond Lane, turn right and look for a stile on the left.

Follow the hedge on your right around the corner and down the hill to another stile. Continue down to a gated footbridge. Keep going around the headland to a gate on the right. Follow the track through two fields until you come out on a road.

Turn left and then right through a kissing gate and follow the path through two fields. When you come to a footbridge and a kissing gate into some sheep pasture, turn left and follow the hedge to a gate into the next field. Follow the track across the pasture to a field gate onto a muddy farm track to a kissing gate. Go straight across the field to another kissing gate beside some tennis courts.

Follow the road through the car park and around to the pavilion and pick up the metalled path past the play equipment. This will take you through a cul-de-sac onto the High Street. Turn right and then left down Chapel Street, which will take you back to Rock Street, where you caught the bus.