Somerton Strolls
Somerton Strolls
We are very fortunate in Somerset to have one of the longest footpath networks of any county on a pro rata basis and indeed particularly lucky here in Somerton to have so much good walking so close by. Within close proximity we have the serene river Cary, some lovely wooded areas, the Somerset levels with rich black peaty soils, a great piece of Victorian railway engineering and, for a very modest effort, some fabulous views.
Walks 1 to 9 updated August 2020.
Walks 10 to 12 updated September 2020
Walks 13 to 15 updated October 2020
- Walk 1 – Grove Lane and Bancombe
- Walk 2 – Kingsdon Wood and Midney
- Walk 3 – Long Sutton and South Hill
- Walk 4 – South Hill and Burnt House Lane
- Walk 5 – Copley Wood and Littleton
- Walk 6 – Etsome Hill and Littleton
- Walk 7 – Lollover Hill
- Walk 8 – Hurcot and Charlton Mackrell
- Walk 9 – Cary Valley and Kingsdon
- Walk 10 – Blacks Moor Hill and Knole
- Walk 11 – Littleton and Dundon Beacon
- Walk 12 – Pitney and Upton
- Walk 13 – Etsome and Park
- Walk 14 – Park and Pitney Wood
- Walk 15 – Somerton Places of Worship and “Drains”
AUTHOR’S NOTES
These walks will each take 2½ hours or so – maybe slightly less if you walk quickly or maybe a little longer if you amble or stop to admire some of the wonderful views. So, each can be accomplished in a half-day – a good enough reason to start in the morning and finish in time for lunch, or maybe have lunch first and then walk afterwards. Either way there are lots of good places to eat in Somerton. I chose the Half Moon car park as the starting point because parking there in many of the bays is unrestricted and it’s near my house! However, since they are circular walks, you could start or finish wherever you wish. The Ordnance Survey 1:25000 maps would be useful and they are available at Stationery House in the Market Place.
Some of the walks involve walking along roads, some of which carry fast traffic and have no pavements, so do take care. Conventional wisdom suggests walking to face the oncoming traffic but on some occasions it may be prudent to disregard this – for example when approaching a bend or when walking with the sun behind you. Make sure that you can be seen easily by motorists and as early as possible!
Many of these routes will involve the possibility of muddy sections in the winter (or indeed any particularly wet spells!) and seasonal growth such as nettles and brambles in the summer. Generally, I tend to walk in shorts but with knee length socks and lightweight walking boots – I find those with a breathable membrane do tend to keep the feet dry except in extreme wet conditions. Sometimes, I use walking sandals, which are ideal in dry conditions (as long as you don’t mind the odd nettle sting, scratch from brambles or stepping into a cow-pat!).
Thanks go to the group of friends with whom I walk most Sundays, for bearing with me whilst trying out the routes described – in order (hopefully) to ensure accuracy. Special thanks also to Becky Sanders at SSDC for help in setting up the publication of these walks, Somerton Tourism and Heritage Partnership for financial support and to Nancy Langmaid for her line drawings and general encouragement. Last, but not least, thanks to my wife Sue for the helpful (sometimes) suggestions and continuous coffee.
I do hope you enjoy these walks. If you have any comments, suggestions or corrections, do let me know!
These walks were originally printed in 2008, but the print run is now exhausted. Therefore, it seems an opportune time to update the walks and to put them on the Town’s website – thanks to Ian Laker for his assistance in this.
Martyn Smith
June 2015