Walking in Somerset

The 43 walks in this guidebook explore the Somerset countryside and are all between 3 and 12 miles, with gentle rambles to strenuous hikes on Exmoor, the Quantocks, Brendons, Mendips and the pastoral lowlands. Plus details of some 20 long-distance routes.

Chapter One: Walking in Somerset     
    How to use this book    
    The Geology of Somerset    
    Equipment    
    A word of warning    
    A word of advice    

Chapter Two: A Brief History of Somerset     

Chapter Three: The Highlands of the West: Exmoor, the Quantocks and the Brendons      
    1)     Luxborough & Lype Hill (6 miles)   
    2)     The Washford Valley (5 miles)   
    3)     The Land of Lorna Doone and the Smugglers’ Coast (4 miles)   
    4)     Kilve Shore and Stringston Parish (6 miles)   
    5)     Holford & Hodder’s Combe (6 miles)   
    6)     Wills Neck (2½ miles)   
    7)     A Walk from Dunster - Grabbist Hill and Timberscombe Common (8 miles)   
    8)     The Haddeo Valley and Haddon Hill (6 miles)   
    9)     A Short Walk from Dulverton (3 miles)  
    10)   Winsford Hill, the Barle Valley and Draydon Knap -
                 A walk from Winsford or Tarr Steps (9 miles)   
    11)   Selworthy, Bossington Hill and Hurlstone Point (5 miles)   
    12)   Woods and Hills of Exmoor’s Coast - Porlock Weir &
                 Culbone (7 miles or less)   
    13)   Horner and Stoke Pero (6 miles)   
    14)   Somerset’s Ultima Thule - Chains Barrow, Pinkworthy Pond
                 and Mole’s Chamber (6 miles)   
    15)   A Simonsbath Walk - The Barle Valley and Cow Castle
            (8 miles)   

Chapter 4: The Mendips and North Somerset
    16)    Black Down and Burrington Combe (7 miles)   
    17)    Dolebury Warren and Mendip Lodge Wood (4 miles)   
    18)    Crook Peak, Compton Hill and Wavering Down (5 miles )   
    19)    A Short Walk above Cheddar (5 miles)   
    20)    Goblin Combe, Brockley Wood and Wrington Hill (4½ miles)   
    21)    Butcombe, Nempnett Thrubwell and Breach Hill (6 miles )   
    22)    Failand and Windmill Hill (6 miles)   
    23)    Priddy and the Mendip Plateau (4 miles)   
    24)    Compton Wood, Cleve Hill and Browning’s Tump (2½ miles)  
    25)    A Short Walk from Bath - Bathampton Down and Claverton
                 (5 miles)   
    26)    The Limpley Stoke Valley and Midford Brook (10 miles or less)  
    27)    The Chew Valley - Stanton Drew and Knowle Hill (5 miles)   
    28)    Behind Wookey Hole - Ebbor Gorge and Rook’s Combe
                 (5 or 7 miles )   
    29)    Orchardleigh, Buckland Dinham and Barrow Hill (9 miles)   
    30)    Launcherley Hill and Worminster Sleight (8 or 4 miles)   

Chapter Five: South-West Somerset: Taunton Deane and the Blackdown Hills   
    31)    Castle Neroche, Staple Fitzpaine and the Woods of the
                  Blackdown Hills (6 miles)   
    32)    Pitminster, Corfe and Staple Hill (10 miles)   
    33)    Hills of the Devon Boundary - Churchstanton and Luddery Hill (10 miles)   
    34)    Langford Budville and Kittisford (5 miles)   

Chapter Six: Between the Parrett and the Brue     
    35)    Corton Denham to Cadbury Castle (8 miles)  
    36)    Shepton Montague, Bratton Seymour, Yarlington and
                 Lodge Hill - A Walk from Castle Cary (11 or 5 miles)   
    37)    Woodlands of the Dorset Boundary -
                 Milborne Port and Purse Caundle (4 or 5 miles)   
    38)    Woodlands of the Wiltshire Boundary -
                 King Alfred’s Tower and Stourhead (6 miles)   
    39)    The Valley of the Brue - Bruton, South Brewham and the
                 Hardway (7 miles)   
    40)    A Walk from Langport - Muchelney Abbey and the
                 Levels (8 miles)   
    41)    The Isle of Avalon - Glastonbury Tor & West Pennard (8 miles)   
    42)    Exploring the Battle of Sedgemoor - Chedzoy, Sutton Mallet
                 and Westonzoyland (11 or 9 miles)   
    43)    Montacute, Hedgecock Hill and Ham Hill (5 miles)  

Chapter Seven: Long Distance Paths in Somerset     
    The South West Coast Path: Minehead to Lynmouth Harbour
        (21 miles)   
    The Two Moors Way: Ivybridge, Devon to Lynmouth, Devon
        (100 miles)   
    The Three Peaks Circuit (17 miles)   
    The Leland Trail: King Alfred’s Tower to Ham Hill (28 miles)   
    The Liberty Trail: Ham Hill to Lyme Regis, Dorset (28 miles)  
    The Mendip Way: Frome to Weston-super-Mare (50 miles)   
    The River Parrett Trail: Chedington to Steart (50 miles)   
    The Two Rivers Way: Keynsham to Congresbury (20 miles)   
    The Limestone Link: Cold Ashton to Shipham (36 miles)   
    A Somerset Way: Minehead to Bath (108 miles)   
    A Bristol Countryway: Slimbridge, Glos to Weston-super-Mare
        (81 miles)   
    A Severn to Solent Walk: Burnham on Sea to Lymington, Hants
        (120 miles)   
    Away to Avalon: Old Sarum, Wilts to Glastonbury (47 miles)   
    The Exmoor Ridgeway: Wheddon Cross to Chapman Barrows
        (16 miles)   
    The Summits of Somerset and Avon: Minehead to Chepstow
        (122 miles)   
    The Monarch’s Way: Stratford-upon-Avon to Shoreham-by-Sea,
        Sussex    
    The Macmillan Way: Oakham, Rutland, to Abbotsbury, Dorset
        (235 miles)   

Author’s Suggestions     
    A Quantock Traverse: Williton to Taunton (17 miles)   
    The Great Forest of Selwood: Frome to Gillingham, Dorset
        (22 miles approx.)   
    The Hidden Valley of the River Frome: Frome to Freshford
        (11 miles)   

Appendix A - Accommodation
Appendix B - Bibliography
Appendix C - Useful Addresses