Walking Sue Gearing

A wander around the Isle of Wedmore

THISsummer circle explores the beautiful Isle of Wedmore and also the Somerset Levels and Moors. This is the best time for walking across the moors – the land of the Summer people – and it is a glorious patchwork of green, white and yellow – green fields, cow parsley, hogweed, daisies, tall buttercups and bright fringes of irises along the rhynes. Enjoy big skies and fine views. There are swans and herons to be seen and many other birds, possibly even an otter, so take your binoculars. Walking is along droves between the rhynes, along tracks and field footpaths and there are several stiles. Most of the time you are on the flat. In high summer some of the paths can get slightly overgrown so shorts may not be ideal and it would be handy to have a stick to cut down vegetation on a couple of paths. There is no refreshment en-route.

PARK: At the huge car park at Wedmore Recreation and Sports Ground out of Wedmore on the Blackford Road. Postcode of car park, BS28 4BS. Park near the far end by the children’s play area.

START: Go out the main entrance and straight over along the short side road. Turn left at the junction and soon, opposite the main door of the farmhouse on the left, go right up steps in the hedge on the signed public footpath. This can get quite obscured by vegetation. The path technically goes diagonally left across the field, to the top left corner, but usage has it that you go along the bottom edge and then round the corner and up the other side. Go ahead across the next field parallel with the right hedge and bear away slightly to go through an opening in the far side. Then go up the field and aim for just short of the far right corner by a house.

1. SAND

Go down steps and over a stile in the hedge and onto the lane in the hamlet of Sand. Turn right and shortly just past the stone entrance pillars, turn left along a track – Sand Hill. This is a beautiful section of about 0.7 miles taking you along and then down onto the Somerset Levels with wide vistas and a very different landscape to that of the Isle of Wedmore. The track becomes rougher. Reach a hard track. Go on a few metres and turn right on the track across the moors.

2. DROVE

The moors are known for their rare moorland plant species, wintering birds, water fowl. Also, otters have been monitored here for many years.

This is Allermoor Drove which heads across Aller Moor between rhynes adorned with yellow flags and with good views up right to the Isle of Wedmore ridge.

This very peaceful area where cattle graze and heron fly hides a tumultuous happening in the past when in January 1607 a tsunami from the Irish Sea crashed across the Levels as far as Glastonbury, destroying lives and homes.

After just over half a mile reach a crossing lane, Jack’s Drove, and continue on as before.

Tealham Moor. Reach a crossing lane, Kid Gate Drove, and turn right. Follow this quiet lane as it rises towards the Isle of Wedmore ridge.

Over on your left on the Levels is the site of a Roman Saltworks which is still shown on the map but nothing remains to be seen. Salt extraction on the Levels by the Romans was widespread. In Roman times coastal tides reached this far inland. Seawater was collected in large vats to evaporate so only salt remained. Salt was, of course, a highly valued commodity worldwide.

4. WESTHAM

Continue up to Westham and take the first lane right. At a left hand bend, go straight on by Westham Farm along a track. As it bends right you go straight on following a grassy public footpath. Go through a kissing gate (KG) and continue on along the left edge of a field past a rather dramatic gnarled old tree. Go through a KG on the left and choose the permissive path which goes up left, alongside a wildlife garden. Bend round and continue to another KG. Then turn right in the field following the bottom hedge. Turn the corner by a house and get the first of many good views across to Glastonbury Tor and over the moors you have crossed earlier. Carry on to a gate in the next corner, then immediately another gate and enter a field.

Continue as before along the bottom of the field. After a stile, join a path under trees, which might be a little overgrown. Cross a stile and continue along the bottom of rough grassland and trees on a mown strip.

Cross a stile and follow another small path which leads to an open area and maintain direction as before. Reach a track at the end and on the right by the large gate find a footpath which continues on through a KG. Come into a field and go ahead following woodland and then a hedge on your right. Not far from the corner reach a kissing gate on the right; don’t take it, but stay in the field and bear left across to a KG in the corner by a gate.

6 miles, about 3-4 hours walking. OS Explorer Map 141. Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West. Grid ref: 424 474

5. HEATH HOUSE

Turn right into the hamlet of Heath House. At the junction, go straight over into Castle Lane. Follow it on. Keep straight on (don’t bend right with the track). Go closely alongside two houses and then it becomes an ordinary footpath which goes through a gate and on in the area known as Castle.

Roman coins have been picked up at Castle, in the hamlet of Heath House. Here also in February 1883, three or four human skeletons were found during stone quarrying by Robert James at a depth of 3ft. Others had been found at the same spot in former years. A Roman coin was also found nearby at Hazzard, others at Heath House, and a small copper coin of Probus was found in the vicinity about 1880 by a turf-digger.

The track leads to a lane on the edge of Sand. Turn right. After a couple of minutes take the first track left (restricted access sign).

6. MADWOMAN’S LANE

This is known as Madwoman’s Lane, said to be named after a mad woman who lived in a tree along here.

It is a shady thoroughfare of about half a mile which is uneven under foot in parts and in winter could be muddy and hard-going.

At the end, turn right. Shortly, take the first lane left and retrace your steps back to the start and the recreation and sports ground.