Walking Sue Gearing

A circular walk from Uphill

THISis a glorious, short and easy circle from Uphill along the sandy beach though the salt marshes and open grassland to several nature reserves following the Brean Down Way and the newly established Tidal Trail for some of the way. It is more or less flat and has no stiles. It’s an ideal afternoon or early evening walk when parking might be easier and if you can come when the tide is not far out it is more attractive to see the river with water rather than mud. There’s a popular café at the Marina.

PARK: Uphill beach (£6 for four hours) at the end of Links Road, or somewhere nearby on a side road; or Uphill Marina (free but very limited spaces) or park nearby.

START: At Uphill beach. If you parked at the marina just walk along the road to Uphill beach and then you don’t have to do this at the end.

NB. If you want to cut out the beach and make the walk almost a mile shorter, start at the marina.

From Uphill beach car park follow the Tidal Trail coast path left along the beach towards the River Axe and Brean. Come alongside the River Axe and continue on. Pass a jetty and at a wooden pole turn left heading towards Uphill church on the cliff in the distance.

The tower on the hill to the right of the church is the remains of Uphill Windmill dating back to 1729. By 1829 only the walls remained and in 1863 it was used as a beacon. It later became an observation point and then an observatory.

Maintain direction, go down a dip and continue on. At a bank ahead, go up on to it and turn left. Go on, through a gate and follow the path out to the road. Turn right and right again into the marina.

1. MARINA

Pass the Boathouse Café and go straight on alongside a preserved lime kiln with an interesting information board. Take the gate ahead into Uphill Nature Reserve. Pass Uphill Quarry.

This was in operation from the 1800s to the 1940s. In 1826 three caves were discovered used by Neanderthal people during the Ice Age. Tools and bones were discovered including those from a cave lion and woolly mammoth.

On your right is a lake and campsite and further on reach a 19th century explosives store on the left used for blasting out stone for the quarry.

2. LARGE GATE

Go through another wooden gate and immediately fork slightly right across the grass. You are following the West Mendip Way which will get you off the Tarmac for a while. On the far side go through a gate and turn right up steps into Walborough Nature Reserve.

3. WALBOROUGH

This is a beautiful limestone grassland area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with exceptionally rich plants including a number of nationally

rare species. The best areas of grassland are on the steeper slopes, where you will find dozens of butterfly species in summer.

Follow the narrow path around the edge of the hill with great views across the river and to Brean Down and Brean. Drop down gently. Pass a gate at the foot and a yard or two further on reach a raised crossing track with a Bristol Gate on the right. We return to this later, but it’s not for now. Meanwhile drop down ahead off the bank and cross the field to a kissing gate/footbridge/kissing gate. Maintain direction across the next field and return to the Tarmac track again. Turn right through a gate.

Keep straight on (soon leaving the West Mendip Way which goes left). Pass the metal sculptured No. 3 for the Brean Down Way and stay on the track for about half a mile until reaching a Tjunction with a lane.

4. BLEADON LEVELS RESERVE

Turn right on the path alongside the lane, entering Bleadon Levels Nature Reserve and go through a car park. On the right is a disabled access bird hide to view the lagoons.

This reserve was established by Wessex Water when it built the nearby sewage works in the 1990s. It includes saltmarsh, tidal creek habitat and rough grassland, reed bed and open fresh water lagoons.

3.75 miles from Uphill beach. About 2 – 2.5 hours walking. OS Explorer 153 Weston-super-Mare,Uphill beach car park, grid ref: 312587. Uphill Marina grid ref: 314586. Postcode for both BS23 4XY.

Continue on, passing a sign for another hide. Go ahead ignoring the crossing Tidal Trail and go up steps or up the ramp onto the sea wall permissive path and turn right.

5. SEA WALL

We are now heading back towards Uphill. Continue all the way along the sea wall to reach the Bristol Gate you were at earlier and Walborough Hill. Retrace your steps left, climbing slightly, and after a few minutes take the small path which drops down left.

6. SMALL PATH

Go through a metal kissing gate onto the flat land. Turn right. Soon come close to the River Axe and just by a jetty take the higher path up along a bank. Head back towards the marina. Go through a gate ahead and immediately another on the left. Go along and round, along by the river passing the campsite. After one more gate, the path takes you past boats and back to the marina and café.

If parked on or near the beach, simply go left along Links Road to the end.