The further I went, the more the path had been cleared! See pictures. This is the old headshunt of Ashley Hill goods yard, which has been just impossible to access for probably 50 years due to the heavy overgrowth that completely blocked the site. Yet all of a sudden here it is all nice and cleared away for us to go poking about.
My guess is that Bristol City Council are extending Concorde Way from the site of the old goods yard (where the new Aldi? and the newish footbridge is), up to Lockleaze Bridge for cyclists and walkers to use. A good idea, but I don't know that officially and that's just my specualtion.
There's nothing much to see there apart from surveyor's posts and what I am guessing is a rather nice old signal post box and a lot of rubbish, but it is very interesting to get access to a place again that has been off limits for so many years.
I followed the path all the way to the end and it does indeed go right down as far as the field at the end of Dovercourt Road (which used to be called "The Dumps" in my childhood days). Unfortunately, there was no bloody way out, as there's a lot of fencing protecting some drainage and earthworks there. I could have climbed it in my younger days, but I'm not quite that agile any more, so I had to walk all the way back up to the top again! Never mind, at least that meant I got a second ice-cream at Dovercourt Road Shop!!
Anyhow, pictures below.
- Jules
PS How on earth have we all managed all of these years without this fine portal to accommodate our various Bristol Rail related out-pourings?
