National Cycle Route 4 (orNCR 4) is a route of the United KingdomNational Cycle Network, running fromLondon toFishguard,Pembrokeshire.^[1] Between these, the route runs throughReading,Bath,Bristol,Newport,Swansea andSt David's.^[2] Within Wales, sections of the route follow branches of theCeltic Trail cycle route.^[1]

The total length of the path is 443.6 miles and takes an estimated 36 hours to complete by bike. Just under half (47.4%) of the route consists in traffic-free paths.^[1]

The route roughly follows the course of theRiver Thames between London and Reading, and forms a junction withNCR 5 andNCR 23 at the latter.^[2]

• Greenwich;Rotherhithe:Surrey Quays;South Bank;Lambeth Bridge;Chelsea;Imperial Wharf;Putney Bridge
• Richmond Park;Ham;Hampton Court Palace;Molesey;Walton on Thames
• Chertsey (touristic town) orLaleham (shorter, towpath route)
• Staines Bridge; Coopers Hill; Windsor Great Park;Windsor;Eton
• Bray;Maidenhead
• Wargrave;Reading

At its east end, the route meanders mostly set about one "block" back from theThames, including several small parks. It shortcuts through: Rotherhithe and mid-Pimlico. It finds the Thames at the Chelsea Embankment. It zig-zags through Hurlingham and Barnes Common.

It finds theThames Path at Ham, facingTeddington Lock Footbridges, untilStaines-upon-Thames. A longer route from Putney is to remain on the towpath (Thames Path) to avoid traffic.^{[citation needed]}

Much longer, the Reading to Bath section follows the Kennet & Avon Cycle Route which partly follows the towpath of theKennet and Avon Canal^[1] and the course of the River Kennet,^[2] with other sections on low-traffic roads.^[1]

Approaching Bath,Route 24 and theTwo Tunnels Greenway are a corollary, rejoining Route 4 west of the city centre.^{[citation needed]}

The Bath to Bristol section of the route follows theBristol & Bath Railway Path, a dedicated cycle path on a disused railway line. This is entirely traffic-free.^[3]

After passing through Bristol city centre, the route heads north intoSouth Gloucestershire, and over theSevern Bridge.^[1] Passing throughChepstow, it then goes south, passing throughCaldicot before arriving inNewport. The route passes to the north of theNewport Wetlands Reserve and acrossNewport Transporter Bridge in the south of the city.^{[citation needed]}

After Newport, the route heads west to Caerphilly, then north towards Pontypridd during which it crosses theTaff Trail. It then heads west towardsPort Talbot. NearBriton Ferry, it crosses the A48 bridge and then follows theA483 road (Fabian Way) into Swansea and passes through theMaritime Quarter. Just before the Maritime Quarter, it crossesNational Cycle Route 43. It then follows the seafront promenade alongSwansea Bay toBlackpill where it turns north up theClyne Valley cycle track passing the village ofDunvant until it reachesGowerton. In Gowerton, the trail follows public roads to the south ofLoughor towards theLoughor bridge. Once over theLoughor bridge it continues along theMillennium Coastal Path to the south ofLlanelli.^{[citation needed]}

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(June 2008)

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(June 2008)

NCR 4 follows theMillennium Coastal Path along the southCarmarthenshire coast. Between Pembroke and Haverfordwest, NCR follows the route of a disused railway called theBrunel Trail and crosses over theCleddau Bridge.^{[citation needed]}

• National Cycle Network
• Sustrans

• Sustrans National Routes

• National Cycle Routes
• Cycleways in Wales
• Cycleways in England
• Cycleways in London
• Transport in Pembrokeshire
• Transport in Carmarthenshire
• Transport in Swansea
• Transport in Neath Port Talbot
• Transport in Bridgend County Borough
• Transport in Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Transport in Caerphilly County Borough
• Transport in Newport, Wales
• Transport in Monmouthshire
• Transport in Bristol
• Cycling in Somerset
• Transport in Wiltshire
• Transport in Berkshire
• Transport in Buckinghamshire
• Transport in Surrey
• Transport in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
• Transport in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
• Transport in the London Borough of Wandsworth

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