"Serenity enjoyed in a rich landscape nestling between the busy cities of Bristol and Bath."
Walk directions
From Woollard's crossroads take the road signposted 'Hunstrete' across the River Chew, then bear right at a 'Circular Walk' sign. The byway is underwater at first, but a path parallels it on the right. At the high point of the byway, after it becomes fully tarred, turn left through a gate into Lord's Wood. A wide path runs downhill, crossing a track, to a pool. Pass around to the left of this, to a waymarker and a track junction. The track opposite leads up to the edge of the wood.
Turn right, and drop to a hidden footbridge under trees. Head uphill, passing along the right – hand edge of a plantation, to Pete's Gate beside a corner of Hunstrete Plantation. Turn left, and go around a hedge end. Turn right, then left around the field corner, to go through a kissing gate on the right. Continue along the same hedge, bending right at the field end, to join a lane into Hunstrete.
Turn left beside Cottage No 5. Go down the right-hand side of a field to a gate into Common Wood. The track ahead passes through a paintball sports area. After it crosses a stream and bends left, turn right up a signposted green path that rises to the top of the wood. Pass through a small col with a lone ash tree, and keep straight on (aiming for a distant grass hilltop) down a field to find a short hedged path. A path leads straight down the left edge of the next field into a little valley. Bend round left over a stream to join a lane at Marksbury Vale.
Turn left towards Court Farm; just before the buildings turn right over a stile, and take the right-hand track for 100yds (91m) to a stile on the left. Pass to the right of the farm buildings to a rough track following Bathford Brook. Head downstream, to right of the stream, to reach a tarmac lane at Tuckingmill.
Follow the lane past a handsome, 18th-century manor house to a ford. Cross the footbridge and turn right, alongside the stream, which is again the line of an underwater byway – rejoin it as it emerges. It leads to a road, with Compton Dando 700yds (640m) away on the left.
Turn left past the Compton pub, then right into Church Lane, and go through the lychgate. Round to right of the church a stile leads down steps, one of which is a 17th-century gravestone. Turn left behind The Old Mill, and pass to the left of the mill pond, to reach a footbridge over the River Chew.
Bear left across a field to a kissing gate into Park Copse. At its top follow the right-hand edge of a field round to a stile. In the lane beyond turn left; it becomes a hedged track and runs past a tiny gorge as it descends to Woollard.
Somerset as an entity is older than England itself; it came into existence as a kingdom of the Saxons after their defeat of King Arthur. This book conforms to the ancient boundaries established, perhaps by Alfred himself, in the 9th century. Local Government reorganisation in 1974 split off a... section and called it 'Avon' – the people of Somerset were not pleased. Destruction-of-Somerset Day happened to be 1st April, and to mark this particular All Fools' Day a muffled quarter-peal of Somerset Surprise Major was rung from Yatton church. Name game Local government re-organisation in 1996 largely restored the ancient county. However, this corner remains separate as a unitary authority called Bath and North East Somerset, resulting in the unfortunate acronym, 'BANES'. The other end of Avon has become another unitary authority, North Somerset. The very names of them are an admission that they may be convenient units of government but aren't actually proper places at all. Although it has no striking natural features, 'BANES' does have a character of its own. It can be seen as the final petering-out of the Cotswolds, even if it does lack the Cotswolds' sudden edges – for the most part it's a quiet land of gentle hills, with villages hidden in the occasional small valley. It's rich farming country, with small but bushy woods on the slopes and stream banks too steep for the plough. Bigoted views A remnant of that farming wealth is at Hunstrete, where there's an attractive little angling lake that makes a good picnic spot. It was one of six dug into the grounds of Hunstrete House – a magnificent country mansion of 17 bays with statues to match. It was planned in the 1780s under the influence of Bath's new streets and squares, incomplete in 1797 and already falling down in 1822. Landscaping plans at nearby country houses were even more ambitious and expensive. At Marston Bigot and at Berkley, to improve the view from the windows, they removed and rebuilt a parish church. The authorities charged with making up reasons for footpaths have had to use some imagination. At the start of this walk you'll use the Two Rivers Way: the rivers are Yeo and Chew. From Lord's Wood to Hunstrete you're on the 'Three Peaks Walk': these are not Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike; they aren't even Yorkshire's Whernside, Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough. They are, in fact, Maes Knoll, Knowle Hill and Blackberry Hill, but none of this will detract from the pleasure of this walk.
Somerset remains rural and unspoiled, and ever popular areas to visit are the limestone and red sandstone Mendip Hills rising to over 1,000 feet, and by complete contrast, to the south and southwest, the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels. Another popular spot, the Quantocks, once the haunt of poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, are noted for their gentle slopes, heather-covered moorland expanses and red deer.
"Serenity enjoyed in a rich landscape nestling between the busy cities of Bristol and Bath."
Walk details
3hrs 30min
Difficulty:
Medium
Gradient:
Gentle
Distance:
6.25 miles (10.1kms)
Ascent:
700ft (213m)
Walk directions
From Woollard's crossroads take the road signposted 'Hunstrete' across the River Chew, then bear right at a 'Circular Walk' sign. The byway is underwater at first, but a path parallels it on the right. At the high point of the byway, after it becomes fully tarred, turn left through a gate into Lord's Wood. A wide path runs downhill, crossing a track, to a pool. Pass around to the left of this, to a waymarker and a track junction. The track opposite leads up to the edge of the wood.
1 of 7
Turn right, and drop to a hidden footbridge under trees. Head uphill, passing along the right – hand edge of a plantation, to Pete's Gate beside a corner of Hunstrete Plantation. Turn left, and go around a hedge end. Turn right, then left around the field corner, to go through a kissing gate on the right. Continue along the same hedge, bending right at the field end, to join a lane into Hunstrete.
2 of 7
Turn left beside Cottage No 5. Go down the right-hand side of a field to a gate into Common Wood. The track ahead passes through a paintball sports area. After it crosses a stream and bends left, turn right up a signposted green path that rises to the top of the wood. Pass through a small col with a lone ash tree, and keep straight on (aiming for a distant grass hilltop) down a field to find a short hedged path. A path leads straight down the left edge of the next field into a little valley. Bend round left over a stream to join a lane at Marksbury Vale.
3 of 7
Turn left towards Court Farm; just before the buildings turn right over a stile, and take the right-hand track for 100yds (91m) to a stile on the left. Pass to the right of the farm buildings to a rough track following Bathford Brook. Head downstream, to right of the stream, to reach a tarmac lane at Tuckingmill.
4 of 7
Follow the lane past a handsome, 18th-century manor house to a ford. Cross the footbridge and turn right, alongside the stream, which is again the line of an underwater byway – rejoin it as it emerges. It leads to a road, with Compton Dando 700yds (640m) away on the left.
5 of 7
Turn left past the Compton pub, then right into Church Lane, and go through the lychgate. Round to right of the church a stile leads down steps, one of which is a 17th-century gravestone. Turn left behind The Old Mill, and pass to the left of the mill pond, to reach a footbridge over the River Chew.
6 of 7
Bear left across a field to a kissing gate into Park Copse. At its top follow the right-hand edge of a field round to a stile. In the lane beyond turn left; it becomes a hedged track and runs past a tiny gorge as it descends to Woollard.
Somerset as an entity is older than England itself; it came into existence as a kingdom of the Saxons after their defeat of King Arthur. This book conforms to the ancient boundaries established, perhaps by Alfred himself, in the 9th century. Local Government reorganisation in 1974 split off a... section and called it 'Avon' – the people of Somerset were not pleased. Destruction-of-Somerset Day happened to be 1st April, and to mark this particular All Fools' Day a muffled quarter-peal of Somerset Surprise Major was rung from Yatton church. Name game Local government re-organisation in 1996 largely restored the ancient county. However, this corner remains separate as a unitary authority called Bath and North East Somerset, resulting in the unfortunate acronym, 'BANES'. The other end of Avon has become another unitary authority, North Somerset. The very names of them are an admission that they may be convenient units of government but aren't actually proper places at all. Although it has no striking natural features, 'BANES' does have a character of its own. It can be seen as the final petering-out of the Cotswolds, even if it does lack the Cotswolds' sudden edges – for the most part it's a quiet land of gentle hills, with villages hidden in the occasional small valley. It's rich farming country, with small but bushy woods on the slopes and stream banks too steep for the plough. Bigoted views A remnant of that farming wealth is at Hunstrete, where there's an attractive little angling lake that makes a good picnic spot. It was one of six dug into the grounds of Hunstrete House – a magnificent country mansion of 17 bays with statues to match. It was planned in the 1780s under the influence of Bath's new streets and squares, incomplete in 1797 and already falling down in 1822. Landscaping plans at nearby country houses were even more ambitious and expensive. At Marston Bigot and at Berkley, to improve the view from the windows, they removed and rebuilt a parish church. The authorities charged with making up reasons for footpaths have had to use some imagination. At the start of this walk you'll use the Two Rivers Way: the rivers are Yeo and Chew. From Lord's Wood to Hunstrete you're on the 'Three Peaks Walk': these are not Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike; they aren't even Yorkshire's Whernside, Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough. They are, in fact, Maes Knoll, Knowle Hill and Blackberry Hill, but none of this will detract from the pleasure of this walk.
Somerset remains rural and unspoiled, and ever popular areas to visit are the limestone and red sandstone Mendip Hills rising to over 1,000 feet, and by complete contrast, to the south and southwest, the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels. Another popular spot, the Quantocks, once the haunt of poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, are noted for their gentle slopes, heather-covered moorland expanses and red deer.
