Paul & Sue Hazelden
- Directions -
Finding Us
These directions are primarily aimed at helping people find
their way to us from the East - mainly Guildford and London.
If you want to take a break on the journey, we suggest the
Membury services. They are almost exactly half way
between Guildford and Bristol.
Route 1
The 'nearly idiot-proof' route.
Turn from the M4 onto the M5, and then leave the M5 at Junction
18, where there are signs to Avonmouth and the A4. Follow the A4
(it's called the 'Portway') South-East from the motorway
towards the city centre, with the river on your right.
When you
reach the Sylvan Way traffic lights, signposted to
Westbury on Trym, keep going along the A4. You then want to turn
left into Roman Way, which is the second turning on the left after
the traffic lights.
Be careful: the first turning after Sylvan Way
is quite small and easy to miss. Between the two turnings, you go
over a bridge. You may not notice the river Trym below you - it's
really only a stream - but you may well spot the grass either side
of the river, below you on the left.
Follow Roman Way around to
the left, then take the left fork into Branscome Road, and turn
left at the end into Avon Way. Abbeywood is at the bottom of Avon
Way, on the left.
Whatever you do, don't miss Roman Way, because
you can't thereafter turn again until just before the Clifton
Suspension Bridge, and life then becomes horribly complicated.
However, this route in not 100% idiot-proof: Paul's parents
failed to leave the motorway at J18 (perhaps there were
roadworks), and even if you don't do this, it is a lot further
than route 2, along the A4018, described below.
Route 2
The shortest all-purpose and easily described route.
Summary
M4, M5, leave at junction 17 and head towards Bristol.
After 3 miles,
turn right into Canford Road, left at next traffic lights into
Shirehampton Road, then right into Sea Mills Lane.
Avon Way is the 4th road on the left: we are on that corner.
Detail
Turn from the M4 onto the M5, and then leave the M5 very soon
at Junction 17, Cribbs Causeway (Regional Shopping Centre),
taking the A4018 to Westbury and Bristol Zoo. Just
follow the signs towards Bristol, some of them with the elephant
motif indicating the zoo. You go past the massive
shopping area on your left (although the most obvious building
is Harry Ramsdens by a roundabout).
There is another
roundabout where you must fork left, then you go over a railway
and straight across another roundabout. You then go
up a fairly steep hill and down the other side, towards a
crossroads with traffic lights. At this point, you
are about 2½ miles from the motorway. At these
traffic lights, you probably want to be in the right hand land,
because although you go straight across them, you want to filter
right at the next set of lights only 50 yards further on
(opposite a BP garage) and it can be tricky changing lanes at
this point.
The right filter takes you into Canford Road. This
winds around quite a lot, and becomes Canford Lane and then Dingle
Road before it becomes Sylvan Way. Turn left at the next
set of lights, which is the junction of Sylvan Way with
Shirehampton Road.
Drive down the hill, through
the village green with the post office, Methodist Church and
chip shop on your left, and three or four other shops scattered
on your right. This is Sea Mills Square, if you need to
ask directions.
The road takes you down a hill again. The River Trym is
at the bottom, although you can't see it. Less
than a hundred yards past the river (heading uphill now), take the
first right into Sea Mills Lane, and Avon Way is the 4th left.
Abbeywood is on the corner. You probably want to
park in Avon Way not Sea Mills Lane.
If you forget to turn left at the Shirehampton Road traffic
lights, you get to the A4 (it's called the 'Portway'). Turn
left and follow instructions for route 1 from the Sylvan Way
lights.
Route 3
The way NOT to come on a Saturday morning is down the M32 and
through the City Centre, but should you be unfortunate enough to
do this, look for signs to the A4 to Avonmouth. Take care
not to go the wrong way down the A4, towards Bath.
As you head out of Bristol towards Avonmouth, the A4 at this
point is called the 'Portway'. Go under the Clifton
Suspension Bridge, keeping to the left hand lane - this usually has
a green light at the traffic lights just past the bridge.
You have the river on your left and some impressive cliffs on
your right. After a while, these diminish, and you pass
some playing fields on your right. At the end of the
playing fields, as you start to see some houses in front of you,
there is a left filter to Sea Mills - the first left turn since
the bridge.
Take this left filter towards Sea Mills: follow the road down a
steep hill and round to the right, back under the Portway.
You are now in Sea Mills Lane. Turn right into Avon Way at
the first cross-roads. We are the only house on this
corner: park in Avon Way.
If you miss the left filter, turn right at the next traffic
lights into Sylvan Way, signposed to Westbury. Turn right
again at the next traffic lights into Shirehampton Road, and
follow from the 'Drive down the hill' instructions in route 2
above.
In case of emergency
Hope this does not sound too complicated...
- if you are lost a
long way off ask for directions to the A4 Portway.
- If you
think you are close, most people would be able to direct you to
Sea Mills Lane, or failing that, Sea Mills Square (which is where
the Methodist church is).
Whatever you do, don't ask
for 'Abbeywood' - this is also the name of a large MOD
establishment a few miles away. You don't want to go there!
Alternatively, just give us a ring on (0117) 377 0476.