Walk Lake Grounds Portishead
The Walk Start on Portishead’s Esplanade and head south, going up Beach Road West. When the road bends left, turn right towards the picnic benches. Follow the gravel path in to the field and continue straight ahead, keeping to the right side. Mariners’ Pathbegins at the end of the field. Go over the wooden bridge and continue past the golf course.
You will pass Sugar Loaf beach, named after a sugar loaf-shaped rock which stood on the eastern end but collapsed during a severe storm in 1990. Go past the slipway for Portishead Yacht and Sailing Club and just past the club house, bear right to continue on the coastal path. Pass Nore Park Cottage and Black Nore Lighthouse, which was built in 1894. At the crossroads in the path continue along the coastal route. At the top of the hill you will see the former National Nautical School. It opened in 1906 as a school to train boys going into the navy, carpentry or engineering but it now houses luxury apartments. Continuing on the coastal path,you enter the Redcliff Bay area owned by the National Trust. At a fork in the path take the left-hand route leading up to Hillside Road. Head right, past the unusual turreted house, and follow the road as it wind suphill. Keep right where it meets Pembroke Road, go past The Ship pub, and turn left onto Down Road.Turn right into Valley Road and continue onto Blackberry Lane. A sign states this is a private road but it is also a public footpath. Pass Brockley Cottage and a sign for Middle Hill Common, an area of limes to negrass land. Continue on the foot path and when it forks, take the right-hand path. 18
This opens into a grassy area with wide-ranging views across Seven Acre Wood and beyond, with a bench to rest your feet. Veer down the hill, towards the houses. You will come out onto a gravel track, so turn left onto Hill Lane, then left onto the B3124, opposite the White Hart pub.The pavement runs out just after the car garage and the speed limit increases to 50mph, so take care walking on the grass verges. You will eventually come to a short row of houses on the right-hand side. The public footpath starts on the left, opposite the lay-by. Go through the wooden kissing gate and up the narrow path.Turn right at the t-junction in the path.This is the start of Old Black Rock Quarry, part of Weston Big Wood nature reserve. Take the right-hand footpath, part of the Gordano Round. The path comes to a junction but continue ahead, on the level, which leads into a field. Continue ahead and veer towards the top far corner, where trees have been cleared and a new metal kissing gate installed. Go through here and continue across the next field, towards another kissing gate. You will come out at a playing field sogo around the equipment, through the gate and left onto Underwood Road. At the end, cross the road into Wetlands Lane, right onto St. Mary’s Road, and up a narrow alley on the left next to a stone house called The Cot Continue to the end, veer right out of The Garstons, and left onto St Peter’s Road. Go past the church and continue a head, going across to Slade Road,over the Cabstand into Battery Road,and then into Rodmoor Road. This leads back to the Lake Ground.
