Somerset Walks - 6 hikes for Easter and Spring
Walk 1 - Aller and the Sedgemoor Rhynes - Somerset Levels
West Sedgemoor is a designated “Ramsar” site because of its importance as a wildlife habitat. Birds like lapwing fly about in great profusion and often the Levels becomes nothing more than a huge seething skyscape, with just a thin horizontal band of earth and water to remind you that this really is one of the loneliest and loveliest places in the West Country.
A good four mile walk in the area takes you from RSPB’s Dewland’s Farm, north to Oath on bank of River Parrett, across the river to Aller Church, then north-west along Aller Drove to Pathe Bridge to join the footpath on the left which returns along the Sowy River back to Oath.
Terrible things went on in these low polders in 1645. The English Civil War was in full swing and the high ground to the rear of Aller and Langport was the scene of a huge battle between 7,000 Royalist soldiers and 10,000 Parliamentarians. After a brave and hard fought initial stance by the former, the rout was on and soon panic was spreading through Royalist ranks.
Aller tucked under its ridge on the Levels
No one knows how many people died out here on the 10th of July that year, but it is likely that all the rhynes ran red.
Only swans rout and skirmish today. Or, if you are lucky, you might see one of the great cranes which have been reintroduced to this area in recent years.
Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2 hours. Difficulty 2/10
Walk 2 - Bicknoller-Weacombe Circular - the Quantock Hills
This is one of the very best short walks in the region. The basic hike, set in the north Quantocks, starts at Bicknoller and runs along the fringe of the moor to Weacombe, then turns up that valley to Bicknoller Post before returning down Bicknoller Coombe.
Weacombe
At Bicknoller you might be best advised to park down in the car park down by the village hall because there’s not much room in the lane that leads up to the coombe.
Walked up to the entrance of the valley and, before entering its hallowed confines, turn left and take the footpath that fringes the hills as it heads for Weacombe. This is a particularly pleasing part of the jaunt as it affords sublime views of the Vale of West Somerset.
View across West Somerset from the walk
Weacombe announces itself with the dramatic abruptness that is typical in hills carved out of soft red sandstone. The tiny stream has had a relatively easy job of it over the years, and now the coombe is deep and steep.
We turn right into it and proceed up the stream-side to enter the bosom of the hills… Up and up Weacombe goes, to eventually fork at its upper end. We take the right hand path and climb to Bicknoller Post. There is, indeed, a post there to announce the fact…
It marks the watershed junction between Weacombe to the west of the ridge and the Holford complex of coombes to the east – curiously, the head of Bicknoller Coombe is another mile to the south.
here we are on the main ridge of the Quantock Hills - which boasts some of the best 360-degree panoramas you will find anywhere. We walk along it for a while, keeping right when it comes to the assortment tracks which would take us further along the ridge. What we’re looking for is the next big groove that falls away from the hills to our right – for this is secret Bicknoller Coombe.
And all we have to do is walk down it to find the place where we started – or, better still, to continue on into Bicknoller where there is an excellent pub to hand.
Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2.5 hours. Difficulty: 4/10.
Walking up Weacombe
Walk 3 - Luxborough - Brendon Hills
Last time I did this walk there was a heavy fall of snow. It didn’t matter - Luxborough really does offer some of the best walking country in the South West, so it’s always worth the effort to go to the sylvan bosom of the Brendon Hills.
The three-part community - consisting of Kingsbridge, Pooltown and Churchtown - is surrounded by forests and hills. But Kingsbridge (where the pub is) is as good a place as any to start and finish because there’s a car park situated nearby just beside the large village hall.
We took the lane south from the hall to Pooltown and then swung right up the steep road that's marked Dunster. After about 400 metres a track descends left off the road, just opposite Hall Farm.
Hills above Luxborough in snow
This leads down, over a stream, past an attractive cottage and then swings due west to ascend gently through some delightful meadows. On the map you'll see some small lakes marked, but you won't see much of them, they silted up years ago. High above, to the north, on a shelf on the side of the hill, you'll see splendid old Chargot Manor nestling beneath its giant cedar tree.
My old home - Chargot
The track continues on into the coombe marked on the map as Chargot Wood. The thing to do is take the first forestry track on the right which turns back on itself to climb the slope westwards toward Collyhill Wood.
We are now high on Kennisham Hill, and it's worth mentioning that this entire area was riddled with iron mines a century or more ago. You may have managed to catch a glimpse of an old chimney stack high above Chargot Wood - it's the only obvious evidence left that any of this huge industry ever existed.
Lype Common lies just to the west of Kennisham and is criss-crossed with public rights-of-way. Here we descended due north to find the track that crosses directly to Luxborough's Churchtown. By turning left, or west, at the church we walked a few hundred yards up the lane to find the footpath that heads north across three fields to eventually arrive at a wide track. If we turn right here we can make the gentle climb to yet more vast pinewoods – this time we enter the great plantations which crown massive Croydon Hill.
This is an exciting walking zone in its own right – you could spend a week hiking in and around Croydon Hill and never have to take the same route twice. On this occasion we are merely skirting its south eastern edge by striding up the higher flanks of Perley Coombe. Keep to your right all the time and after half an hour’s walking you will arrive at a crossroads of tracks on the edge of Withycombe Common.
Here we turn sharp right to begin our descent down the eastern edge of Perley Coombe. Down, down, we go – once again on the border between pine-forest and fields – to eventually arrive at what used to be the Forestry Commission’s local headquarters. From here it’s simply a matter of walking 100 yards down the lane and turning right to stroll the last quarter of a mile back to the Kingsbridge part of Luxborough and the pub.
Distance: 8 miles. Time: 4.5 hours. Difficulty: 8/10
Luxborough Church in snow
Walk 4 - Will’s Neck Circular - Quantock Hills
This walk is a steep clamber around the highest point of the Quantock Hills. It might be a little exhausting in places but the views are among the most magnificent in the entire West Country region.
View north across the Quantocks from Wills Neck
The basic hike starts at Triscombe and runs along the side of the hills to Little Quantock Farm, then it’s up on to the high ridge where we swing south east to ascend the AONB’s highest summit, Will’s Neck, before returning down a very steep track.
To find all this scenic glory you only need drive 15 minutes out of Taunton on the Minehead road. After about seven miles turn right and follow the signposts to Triscombe, and within a mile you will be in one of the loveliest hamlets in Somerset – tucked, as it is, under the central massif of the Quantock ridge. Tucked, also, under one of the county’s biggest quarries.
Its red aggregate was used in all manner of famous places. It used to be the first thing most visitors saw when they came to Britain, because it was used for the runways at Heathrow. I was also told that the regal red road outside Buckingham Palace was made of the stuff.
Thankfully, the quarry is quiet nowadays, and there’s not much at Triscombe save for a handful of pretty cottages and a rather good pub. Find the footpath which departs the lane to Crowcombe and follow it a mile and a quarter all the way to to Little Quantock Combe. This is where the hard work comes in. The half mile to the top of the ridge is steep.
But the effort is worthwhile because the main ridge of the Quantocks offers spectacular views in all directions. On a clear day you will see the whole of North Somerset, including the expanse of The Levels and even the new Severn Bridge spanning the upper limits of the Bristol Channel.
Now it’s a two mile jaunt south past Great Hill on the ancient drovers’ road. Just after you pass Triscombe Stone and the unpaved road which plummets down to Triscombe, a path ascends gently uphill to the right. This is the way up to Will’s Neck – the highest point on the Quantocks. After that it’s simply a matter of descending the extremely steep path back to the hamlet.
Distance: 4.5 miles. Time: 2.5 hours. Difficulty: 6/10
Walk 5 - Burrow Mump Circular Pub Walk - Somerset Levels
For a while it was known as Flood HQ, which doesn’t sound much of a tag-line when it comes to heralding a fantastic walk - but the cosy King Alfred pub at Burrowbridge, which was in the thick of infamous floods, is located at the very heart of the Somerset Levels and as such is centrally placed to offer some of the best lowland hikes anywhere this side of Lincolnshire.
When the Levels are not submerged under six feet of water, they are a fabulous place in which to explore. And this circular route from Burrow Mump car park around Southlake Moor will show you why.
At just four miles it is easy-going and flat. Simply take the lane opposite the pub and follow it a few hundred metres along the eastern bank of the Parrett to Samways Farm. Here there’s a track called Burrow Drove heading off north-east across the Levels until it’s met at right angles by the Broad Drove.
Now turn right and follow this as it zigs-and-zags under clouds of butterflies to meet the main road at Burrow Wall Farm. Cross the highway to join the not-so-obvious footpath past Grove Farm to Pathe.
Once on the quiet lane you will see a rhyne on the other side of a garden - and down the far side (east bank) of that humble waterway you will see the footpath heading out into the polders on its way to Stathe. Cross the steel footbridge and follow the path which shoots south across Southlake Moor.
View of flooded Levels from the top of Burrowbridge Mump
Before you reach Stathe you can, since the opening of a permissive path, cut directly back to Burrowbridge along the bank of the River Parrett.
Distance: 3.5 miles. Time: 1.5 hours. Difficulty: 2/10
Walk 6 - Blue Anchor - Dunster Circular - Somerset Coast
Blue Anchor was invented as a Victorian bathing resort after the West Somerset Railway had made its way along the low coast on its way to Minehead. And the starting point of this walk is to be found near the station at the western end of the seafront. Across the railway, a public footpath will take you across the meadows to the village of Carhampton.
New West Somerset Coast Path leads towards Blue Anchor
Cramp'n as it's known locally, is an historic place - people were living here way before the local saint, Carantoc, came to spread the Word 1000 years ago.
The sense of history continues as we take the first street on the left past the Butcher's Arms. All you have to do is walk up High Street to turn right at the top and begin the gentle ascent which continues due west straight out of the village to Dunster Deer Park. Eventually the tarmac lane gives way to rough track and where it turns sharp left you'll see a gate straight ahead that leads into the ancient demesne of Dunster Castle.
This is a particularly beautiful section offering excellent views of the famous castle
We dip into the valley to cross the River Avill at Dunster's much photographed Gallox Bridge. This brings you to Dunster's southerly edge and you must head north through its mediaeval streets until you meet the Minehead road once again.
There's a pedestrian underpass that allows you to cross safely to the area known as The Marsh where it's simply a matter of making your way to Dunster Beach.
Half a mile later you are back at the seaside where you turn right to stroll along the high tide mark back to Blue Anchor.
Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2 hours. Difficulty: 4/10
