Scholars’ Way connects local schools, residential areas and the University of Bath, making it it easier to walk, wheel or cycle between them.
The route has an east and west section, which will link the university with Combe Down and St Martin’s School via Mulberry Park.
We have finished constructing the west section. We will start work on the east section in summer 2026.
We carried out public consultation for this project in 2022. Read the full consultation report.
The project provides healthier, safer and greener travel routes for people in the south of Bath. It is part of our Active Travel Masterplan, which we consulted on in summer 2024. We want to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer, more convenient and accessible, while helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
We are improving roads and encouraging people to walk, wheel and cycle in select areas by:
- creating cycle lanes that are separated from general traffic
- improving pedestrian crossings
- constructing new pedestrian and cycle crossings
- improving junctions to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross
- redesigning bus stops.
Scholars' Way West
The Scholars’ Way West route is now complete.
It provides a healthier, safer and greener route for people in the south of Bath. The new cycling and walking route from Combe Road to St Martin’s Garden Primary School via Mulberry Park features off-road sections and improved pedestrian and cycle crossings.
We will provide more resources, such as maps and videos, to help you navigate this route soon.
Scholars' Way East
We will start construction on Scholars’ Way East in summer 2026.
We consulted on proposals for the east section in 2021 and 2022, followed by an Outline Business Case. We have carried out detailed design on proposed improvements. Read about them below.
Oakley/Copseland and Widcombe Hill/Copseland
- We will construct a toucan crossing and associated works on footways and the bus stop at Oakley/Copseland.
- We propose walking improvements at the Widcombe Hill/Claverton Down Road end of Copseland. They include a continuous footway and dropped kerbs with tactiles. This crossing forms part of the Local Active Travel Schemes (LATS) programme being delivered as part of Scholars’ Way.
Rainbow Woods: Quarry Farm to Claverton Down Road
- Upgrading the existing shared path between Quarry Farm and Claverton Down Road to a hard surface (3m wide), to improve conditions for walkers, wheelers and cyclists.
Construction dates
Due to locations of the works, we will keep disruption to a minimum. Timings below may change.
| Site name | Earliest start | Earliest completion | Works summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley/Copseland | Summer 2026 | Autumn 2026 | Toucan crossing |
| Widcombe Hill/Claverton Down Road | TBC | TBC | Continuous footway, dropped kerbs with tactiles |
| Rainbow Woods Quarry Farm to Claverton Down Road | Summer 2026 | Autumn 2026 | Upgrading existing shared-use path |
Keep informed
To get updated about the progress of the project you can sign up to our mailing list.
You can also subscribe to our newsletter, E-connect, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
If you have feedback or questions about this scheme, please email us at scholars_way@bathnes.gov.uk.
