Walks in and Around Portishead
Portishead has a varied terrain, with hills, woodlands, nature reserves and coast paths. Many have stunning views over the Gordano Valley and over the Bristol Channel to the Welsh hills. Use these walks to keep your family fit by exploring the area.
Several websites list walks around Portishead. We're building a list of all the walks, a single resource to make it easy to choose one suitable for you.
On This Page
- Weekly group walks
- Easy walks: short and on the level, with no styles and few steps
- Moderate walks: longer, some up and down, not wheelchair-friendly
- Long/difficult walks: several miles, rough terrain
- Other online pages with walks in or around Portishead
Do You Know Another Nice Walk?
If you know one we've missed, find a new walk, or take a stunning photograph, tell us using the form at the bottom of this page and we'll publish it.
Weekly Group Walks
Portishead Strollers are a friendly group of walkers who meet weekly on a Monday morning at the Waitrose Piazza in time to start the walk at 10.30am. Walks last around an hour and a separate group within the main group provides a gentler, less strenuous walk for those who want it. The walks in Portishead are quite varied. To inject some variety the group adds additional walks away from Portishead such as Bristol Harbourside, the grounds of Blaise Castle and exploring Tyntesfield in Wraxall. On the days when we offer these ‘awayday walks’ we also provide Portishead based walks.
Find out more from Michael Watts michaelwatts3139@btinternet.com or if you do not have email access call 01275 848281.
Easy Walks
Easy walks are short-ish, and on the level. With no stiles and few steps, they're pushchair and wheelchair accessible.
Portishead Quays Marina
Known locally as "The Marina", this is a great place to walk and view some of Portishead's public art. It's flat, lots of interesting things to look at, shops, restaurants and pubs for food and drink. There's also plenty of parking, though most of it is restricted in some way, so take care.
Duration: as long as you want, half an hour if you don't stop to look at anything. We start at OS Grid ref: bus stop at ST470766, map, commentary and a drone flight on Visit Portishead.
Priors Wood
A walk at nearby Portbury, known for its extensive bluebells in spring. At weekends in the Spring you can sometimes park and buy teas in the local church nearby. The Priory, Portbury is nearby for refreshments of another kind.
Duration: 1.5 hrs; entrance on Caswell Lane at OS grid ref: ST 49730 75161, what3words ///pavilions.lawyer.loved. Also see Priors Wood on the Avon Wildlife website
Weston Big Wood
An easy walk through woodland, great spot for wild garlic in spring. Refreshments are about a mile from the entrance on Valley Road, at The Ship (up the hill, turn left twice) and The White Hart (down the hill, turn right).
Duration: 1.5 hrs; entrance at OS grid ref: ST 45204 75037, what3words ///tests.alarm.satin; more on this page on the Avon Wildlife website
Moderate Walks
Moderate walks are longer, not usually level, and you'll probably manage a light pushchair. They may have stiles and steps and are not wheelchair accessible.
Battery Point, East Wood and Esplanade Round Walk
Battery Point juts out into the Bristol Channel at the north end of the Esplanade. Park there and enjoy this leisurely 2.5-mile stroll through ancient woodland, to the lifeboat station and locks in Portishead Quays Marina. Stop there for a drink or a snack, then enjoy the public art as you return through Jubilee Park, past Rodmoor Gardens, to the Lake Grounds and the Esplanade.
Duration: 2.5 hours; start at the carpark, OS grid ref: ST 463 770, what3words ///washed.taxed.take. Map and information: download this PDF on North Somerset Life website.
Black Nore Lighthouse Walk
This walk takes you along the Portishead to Clevedon coastal path as far as Black Nore Lighthouse, it is approximately two miles and is fairly easy going but can be slippery if wet – watch out for roots and rocks.
Duration: 1.5 hrs round trip; start at Kilkenny Fields car park (closed overnight), entrance along lane at OS grid ref: ST 46168 76898, what3words ///eyebrows.dividers.usage, walk instructions here, on Visit Portishead.
Clapton Moor Walk
This walk provides a great opportunity to see wetland wildlife and enjoy delightful views of the Gordano Valley. There's parking, food and drink at the start and end point, the Black Horse, Clapton in Gordano.
Duration: 2.5 hrs; car park OS grid ref: ST 47222 73856, what3words ///squirts.dishing.snored; or download this PDF on the Avon Wildlife website
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
There's a wealth of wildlife to see on the marshes, lakes and coastline at Porbury Wharf. It lies between Portishead and Porbury and there are four access points, two with small carparks at the Portbury side.
- From Portishead, Marina Walk and the Village Quarter
- From the Portbury side, Sheepway, and Wharf Lane
Duration: variable; for entrances and parking, please follow the links on our Nature Reserve page
Long or Difficult Walks
Difficult walks are long, may require some scrambling, and you may need to carry small children at least part of the way. Definitely not wheelchair accessible.
Coast Path to Clevedon
The coast path from Portishead to Clevedon makes a great three-hour walk. It’s a bit of a scramble at times but the views are wonderful. Walk to Clevedon and get the bus back, or walk both directions and get completely different views of Wales and the Bristol Channel. There are plenty of places for lunch a few minutes walk from the Clevedon end.
Duration two to three hours with no stops. It's about six miles and moderately difficult, so we recommend stout footwear. The route is exposed to prevailing SW wind so it can be cold, wet and slippery.
For suitable bus stops and how to find the start point in Kilkenny Fields, please see this page on Visit Portishead.
Gordano Round
The Gordano Round is a 26-mile figure-of-eight walk that covers an area in North Somerset just south of Bristol. It takes you through farmland, woodlands and the coast path from Portishead to Clevedon. Originally devised by the Gordano Footpath Group it now has shorter circular walks along its route for those who don't want to do it all at once.
Start in Portishead at Kilkenny Fields car park. You walk alongside the Severn Estuary past the Black Nore Lighthouse to Clevedon, then turn inland through woodland to Clapton in Gordano. Farmland and woods take you east to Abbots Leigh and then circle back to Clapton in Gordano.
The route passes near several pubs and cafés, including Portishead's Windmill Inn, the Old Inn at Clevedon, The George at Abbots Leigh and The Black Horse in Clapton-in-Gordano.
The Gordano Footpath Group has produced a booklet describing "The Round". It's available from their website and, when available, from Clevedon Pier Shop.
Portishead to Clevedon Through Local Villages
This long walk takes in woodlands, pathways, crosses a golf course and passes through two small villages, both with interesting churches. You'll also pass the White Hart, in Weston-in-Gordano.
This walk was provided by Mike Johnston, a keen walker and owner of Summit Outdoor Leisure, in Portishead, now sadly closed.
Duration: 6.5 hrs; OS grid ref: ST456 758, walk instructions.
Other Online Walks Pages Around Portishead
These websites have some more walks you might like. Not all centred on Portishead, but some walks start in nearby villages.
- GPS Routes: this site contains over 3,000 walking routes and 1,000 cycling routes in Britain and some in Ireland. Use this link for its Portishead search results where you'll find several walks around the area
- Komoot is a great site for walking anywhere in the country. You use an app on your phone to follow the routes and
you'll need to create an account and login in to use it. Once you've logged in, tap or click the Routes logo near the top and type Portishead into the search field. - Mike's Bristol Walks has this walk starting in Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve and going around the Marina. Two hours, 3.7 miles mostly flat and easy walking. It's described at length and illustrated with photographs and you can download the description and a map to make life easier.
- South West Rambler describes a circular walk around the Lake Grounds, Esplanade, a bit of the coast path to Clevedon as far as The Windmill Inn. Afterwards, they turned around and went to Battery Point, Open Air Pool, Lifeboat Station and Marina. As the name suggests, it's a ramble and there are no instructions, as such, it's more a description of a day out the author took once, with snippets of information about some things they passed.
Please Tell Us About Your Favourite Walk
We love to hear about more walks. If they're already published on the Internet, we'll link to them. If not, please describe your walk and we'll publish it here, on VisitPortishead.net