more stats
3.7 miles
Distance
300 ft
Climb
-344 ft
Descent
00:26:45
Avg time
-45 ft
Altitude change
364 ft
Altitude min
491 ft
Altitude max
413 ft
Altitude start
367 ft
Altitude end
-0.2%
Grade
-15.6%
Grade max
18.4%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
5,069 ft
Distance flat
00:26:45
Avg time

Nova Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
  • Riding Area
    Ashton Court
    Bristol
  • AKA
    blue trail
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #37279 in Mountain Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Season
    All
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Land Owner
    Bristol City Council

BLUE GRADE (Moderate)
6.5KM (4 MILES) 0.75 - 1 HRS
Ashton Court is a very busy multi-user site, and the Nova cycle trail crosses and shares
walking and horse riding routes. Expect the unexpected and respect pedestrians and horse
riders. Warn others of your approach in plenty of time and stop for horses if necessary. A
‘moderate’ Blue grade trail, the route offers a rewarding experience for relative novices and
more experienced riders. The Nova Trail winds around Ashton Court Estate, packing in non
stop flowing enjoyment along the way. The trail has small rock steps, rollers (bumps) and
berms (banked corners). In places the trail splits for a short distance, giving an option of a
more difficult challenge.

source: Bristol Trails Group
Access Info

Entry to Ashton Court via the archway at the top of Bridge Road. Continue along the road, past the gate and up the gravel track on the right. Trail starts at the top of the hill in the woods on the left.

Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 3 rides
  • 5 miles average
6 Months
  • 41 rides
  • 14 miles avg distance
All
  • 158 rides
  • Last: Sep 1, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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February
March
April
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August
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December
update trails status or condition

Nova Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Aug 30, 2026 @ 10:16am (Europe/London)
Aug 30, 2026
Jul 20, 2025 @ 4:39pm
Jul 20, 2025
Dec 24, 2024 @ 2:46am
Dec 24, 2024
 Very tame i found, great for beginners a couple of separate red routes you can take, if you like DH this is not for you.
Apr 9, 2023 @ 9:53am
Apr 9, 2023
 all good
Apr 23, 2022 @ 7:19am
Apr 23, 2022
more »
Status:
on Aug 30, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 3.95 (14 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (2,686)
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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
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  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
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Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to nova-5422 trailhead (51.447780, -2.648500)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        91 more »
        mtb
        192 |
        May 14, 2020 @ 6:43am
        May 14, 2020
        mtb
        311 |
        Apr 27, 2019 @ 11:22am
        Apr 27, 2019
        mtb
        351 |
        Jan 24, 2016 @ 12:27pm
        Jan 24, 2016
        mtb
        344 |
        Jan 24, 2016 @ 12:27pm
        Jan 24, 2016

        Videos

        5 more »
        Heavy berm slam at Ashton Court
        mtb
        0:22 | 164 | Nov 19, 2021 , Bristol
        Oli Paton - Ashton Court, Bristol
        mtb
        0:48 | 793 | Feb 14, 2018 , Bristol
        MTB with little cousin
        mtb
        3:47 | 324 | Dec 23, 2016 , Bristol
        Ashton court
        mtb
        3:04 | 362 | Dec 19, 2011 , Bristol

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        145
        Best of Bristol Singletrack
        ★ 4.0 • 17 miles • 1,467 ft • 35 • Loop •
        A loop taking in the best of Bristol singletrack taking in the first half of Leigh Woods, down to , can...
        131
        Bristol 15 miler, wet weather friendly?
        12 miles • 1,076 ft • 13 •
        Alternative version of 15 miler avoiding the very greasy picnic bench sections.
        137
        15 mile Bristol circular
        11 miles • 1,194 ft • 14 • Loop •
        a 15 mile ish circular bristol route, leigh olds off piste very muddy and slippy in the wet!!
        4.0 ★★★★★
        14 Ratings
        5 ★ 36%
        4 ★ 21%
        3 ★ 43%
        2 ★
        1 ★

        4 Reviews & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Ashton Court

        • By ryanme & contributors
        • #5422 - 9,546 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Nova

        ▼ Where is Nova located?
        Nova is located in Ashton Court, Bristol, United Kingdom. It is part of the Ashton Court trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 51.44778, -2.6485.
        ▼ How hard is Nova?
        Nova is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 0.2%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Nova?
        Nova has 300 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 344 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 364 ft to 491 ft.
        ▼ Is Nova a point to point trail?
        Yes, Nova is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Nova?
        Nova is 3.7 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Nova?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Nova. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Nova?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Nova are:
        • July (24 activities)
        • September (13 activities)
        • January (8 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Nova? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Nova are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Nova?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 32 minutes to ride Nova. The trail is 3.7 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Nova?
        Nova is a very popular trail. There have been 1,554 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,645 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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