The Two Tunnels project opened this weekend.

A shared path for cyclists and pedestrians has been created along the line of the Somerset & Dorset railway, through the eponymous two tunnels and over the Tucking Mill viaduct. The route also take in Linear Park, thus linking Oldfield Park, Bear Flat and Midford. At the Midford end the former railway line can be followed as the Colliers Way, an existing off-road route to Radstock and then Frome. One can also connect to the Kennet and Avon canal towpath to return to Bath. At the Oldfield Park end a link is shortly to be provided to the Bristol-Bath cycle path, also along a former railway line. £252,000 funding for this was announced last week by the Liberal Democrat Transport Minister, Norman Baker.

The project has taken several years to plan, fund and build. Both the Bath pigs and lions public art projects, devised by  Gitte Dawson, raised money for the scheme. Gitte, a former Liberal Democrat councillor, has since been awarded an MBE for her work. The opening day was a popular success with the route full of families walking and riding together. I visited on Thursday afternoon for a quieter experience.

For those of us living on Bathwick Hill the tunnels aren’t particularly practical, but I would argue are worth a special visit. Our nearest entry point is from the park on Bloomfield Road, just off the Wellsway. For cyclists, the route through Widcombe, Calton Gardens and up Holloway is probably best. Alternatively we can ride around on the canal towpath, turning off just before the Dundas aqueduct.

The main tunnel under Combe Down is a mile long, the longest open to cyclists in Britain. It is gently lit in a way which is quite beautiful as well as practical. Although noticeably colder than outside, the central part of the tunnel seems to retain its heat and has a still, slightly damp, atmosphere. Deep under Combe Down, the soft sound of a string quartet is barely audible cycling, but is spellbinding if one walks or stops altogether. The many speakers, each carrying a single part, are linked to coloured lights which pulse in time to their respective instrument. The effect is quite wonderful.