Walking Sue Gearing

Amazing views on this walk around Tickenham

A CIRCLEof 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. 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

get traffic noise from the parallel M5 in the valley. After about 0.8 miles, ignore a forked track going right. Stay on the Tarmac lane. Drop down and then continue on the rough track which leads up to Cadbury Camp.

4. CADBURY CAMP

This is an Iron Age hill fort taken over by, or possibly built by, the Dobunni tribe who occupied this area. The name may mean "Fort of Cador" – Cado was the regional king or warlord in the middle to late 5th century. It is one of three sites in Somerset to include the Cadbury name, the others being Cadbury Castle, near South Cadbury and Cadbury Hill, also known as Cadbury-Congresbury. Nowadays it is managed by the National Trust. There is no access for vehicles.

Go through the gate and up into the double-ditch fort.

The views are really amazing. They take in the mouth of the Severn and the River Avon, the Sugar Loaf in South Wales, ports along the South Wales coast, the Foreland light in North Devon, Dunkery Beacon, the Quantock Hills, flat Holm and Steep Holm islands as well as Brean Down and the western end of the Mendip Hills. It also takes in Dundry Hill, and Lansdown Hill north of Bath. If you had been here on January 20th, 1607 at 9am, looking across Tickenham Valley, you would have seen the huge Tsunami which hit Somerset rushing up across the North Somerset Levels.

Go through the fort and out the other side and then bend right paralleling the outer ditch. When you see a metal seven-bar gate over left in the fence

OS Explorer 154, Bristol West & Portishead, grid ref: 462718, postcode BS21 6SE • 4.2 miles, about 2.5-3 hours walking.

line, go towards it, and then before reaching it turn left and go down the grassy area parallel with the lane, dropping down. This is all part of the Open Access Area of the camp. On reaching an ash tree, fork down left across the grass and head for a narrow, wooded combe. Join the small path going down the combe. Go through a gate and carry on down.

5. TRACK

Bear left, ignoring a path with steps on the right and continue on down the track, with Baye’s Wood left and open area right. Stay on the track, passing signs for the environmental work going on in the area. Reach an open area with two wooden seats. Pass an environmental round building over on the right, and further on reach a hedgelaying area. Arrive at a gate and follow the path to the right to the main road in Tickenham.

6. TICKENHAM

It’s left now for a few yards. Cross and take the footpath on the right which leads down to the Land Yeo River. Once over the bridge, turn left along the river bank. Come to what was Tickenham Mill.

It was established in the middle of the 12th century by canons of the Abbey of St Augustine and is now a private house with a bridge over a roaring sluice.

Keep on. At a bridge and crossing footpath, turn right and go across towards Tickenham Church. Reach a road and continue ahead.

7. CHURCH

At a junction, our route goes left on Church Road but you may like to go to Tickenham Church first which is on the right, with Tickenham Court at the side.

The Court dates back to the start of the 15th century. One of its occupants was Eleanor Glanville who, very unusually for the time (C17th), became famous as a butterfly expert. The Glanville Fritillary is named after her.

So now, go along Church Road which is pretty quiet. Reach the main road and, again, as at the start, great care is need as you turn right to get back to the Star.