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MENDIP TIMES
Amazing views on this walk around Tickenham
A CIRCLE of beautiful contrasts from Stone-Edge Batch near Tickenham, climbing up through fields and woods to the ridge and along “Millionaires’ Row”. This leads into Cadbury Camp Iron Age Hill Fort and then down to Tickenham Moor along the river. It is mostly fairly good underfoot so ideal for the winter months. Try and go when the weather is clear to enjoy to the full the panoramic views from Cadbury Camp. The first part is a steady climb up onto the ridge, but it is flat and downhill after that. There are a number of stiles. Great care has to be taken on the busy B3130 road for a very short distance at the start and the end.
With Sue Gearing PAGE 42 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2022
PARK: At the Star Inn on the main road in Stone-Edge Batch near Tickenham on the road between Nailsea and Clevedon. Thanks to the management who have given Mendip Times walkers permission to park in their large car park at the rear. Do try and go in and have refreshment (check for current opening and food serving times). START: From the pub turn left and cross this busy road when you can. Take great care. Stay close to the edge and after a couple of minutes reach a turning left where we need to go. It is safer to continue past the turn and then, near the bus stop, cross over where visibility is better. Go up the pavement on the side road a very short way.
1. FIELDS Find a footpath left and stile to cross. Go ahead and across the field and go through gates to cross the route where the electricity cables from Hinkley Point have been laid underground down the valley. Reach a stile with footpath marker and a gate and now bear right up the valley aiming between two woods – Round Wood on the left and Abbot’s Horn on the right. These were the fields and woods familiar to Les Davies my walking colleague who was raised in nearby Hale’s Farm, one of the oldest farms in the area.
Cross the stile by Abbot’s Horn wood and then head diagonally on up across the field towards woodland at the top and a stile.
2. OLD LANE Cross onto the old packhorse route from Clevedon to Bristol known as Old Lane. Turn right (ignore the footpath sign here) and follow the track. At fencing on the left take the path left up the side of the fence. This is a fairly steep climb that eventually brings you over a stile onto Cadbury Camp Lane, a private road and bridleway, which runs along the ridge between the North Somerset Levels and the Gordano Valley. 3. CADBURY CAMP LANE This was one of the ancient routes to Bristol, which travellers found preferable to the lower one in the valley. Building along here began mainly with smaller, chalet-style homes and over the years increasingly these have been expanded to become very imposing with large grounds. For a while it was named “Harley Street” as a number of the earlier residents were doctors. Another local name for it as it became more affluent was “Millionaires’ Row”. Among former residents were Carol Vorderman and Eddie Large. Turn left along the lane passing the variety of homes. Increasingly start to
