Walking Sue Gearing

Doing a stretch from this medieval town

YOUmay well end up in prison at the end of this walk, but you should actually enjoy it! This is a circle of contrast – from the medieval town of Shepton Mallet with its shambles, viaduct and historic prison, going up across fields and then along the Fosse Way. Here we enter Beacon Wood known for its wild flowers and bluebells. The return leg is across fields and along a very quiet lane/drive to take us to Chelynch with a popular pub. Finally head across the hill and back down under the old railway and to the disused prison, a feature of the town for 400 years. There is a welcoming café and free visitor centre in the prison – ideal for the end of your walk.

After rain expect some mud. There are several stiles. It is a steady climb up out of Shepton but the rest is easy-going and then downhill.

PARK: In the centre of Shepton Mallet in the well signed large car park – the Commercial Road car park which is next to the car park which serves Haskins, Aldi etc. Parking fee is reasonable, especially on Sunday (£2 all day). Toilets.

START: Go out on the path at the side of the toilets signed to the Town Centre and join Commercial Road. Continue on to the traffic lights and turn down left into the old part of the town, the shambles and market square with its iconic Market Cross.

There was a market cross here as far back as 1500. In 1685, following the Monmouth Rebellion, 12 of the followers of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth were hanged, drawn and quartered at the cross.

Here in the square is a good café, the Cheeky Bean. Go straight on through the square and then shortly turn right in Church Lane towards the visible church. Go left round the side of the church and past the Old Grammar School House and Old Rectory. Follow the path down left and reach the Batch.

1. RIVER SHEPPEY

Go down the path on Edengrove and soon cross the River Sheppey. The path meanders and then goes under an arch with a sign – Mendip 40 – which was the old name for the East Mendip Way. Turn left and then climb uphill, up steps and at the top cross a stile into a field. Continue to climb straight up.

2. RAILWAY PATH

Reach a crossing track, the remains of the former Somerset and Dorset Railway (affectionately known as The Slow and Dirty). Turn right along the track or if you prefer take the footpath at the side. It all joins up later. Continue along and then cross right to join the fenced footpath and carry on. Ignore a stile on the right and bend left on the path, soon going under the railway tunnel. At the path end go down steps onto the main A37 road.

Turn left and, shortly, cross with great care and take the footpath by Ivy House Farm. Go through a gate with an old sign warning you of the penalty of not closing it! After another gate get good views of the elegant curving viaduct right.

Charlton Viaduct which has 27 arches is a Grade II listed building, built in the 1870s to carry the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway over the River Sheppey. Originally the stone bridge carried a single railway track but was widened to carry a second track in 1892 using red bricks.

Take the left of the two footpaths, going into a field.

3. FIELDS

We now climb gently up through fields, gate and stiles in the same direction until, up in a top field corner, cross a pipe stile onto the north-south old Fosse Way track.

4. FOSSE WAY

Follow in the footsteps of the Roman military. This was one of their most important roads helping them to maintain rule as they crossed the country.

Turn left. There may be some mud along here. After about 0.4 miles go down into a dip, where on the right is a pond in the remains of a former marl pit.

Marl was extracted to use on fields as a fertiliser.

Reach a road, Bolters Lane. Sadly, access to the Fosse Way straight on is not possible. So go right on the road and take the first lane left. After about 200 yards on a slight bend reach large boulders right which return you to the Fosse Way. Stay on this all the way to Beacon Wood.

5. BEACON WOOD

Beacon Hill Wood is a beech and Scots pine woodland situated on a prominent ridge at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills. It includes Bronze Age burial mounds old quarry pits and a central circular earth bank with a single standing stone. It used to have a beacon, hence the name. Parts of the wood are carpeted with bluebells in spring. It is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust with support from the Beacon Hill Society.

Pass an old stone boundary marker and at the second marker leave the track which bends left and instead go straight on towards the wood. At the foot of a steep slope, turn right on a path along the bottom of the wood, a lovely sunny path with good views south.

Taking this route should keep us away from the forestry work in the wood done during January and February this year. The work aims to bring light into the wood. Some paths are churned up and covered with fallen timber. Hopefully the wild flowers and bluebells will make their usual show this year.

The path bends uphill into the wood with a well-sited seat near the top. Follow a crossing track right and stay with this through the wood and then bend left out to the road.

6. ROAD

Turn right along the verge and after a few minutes, as the road rises, go right over a stile on the marked footpath. Cross diagonally to the far corner over the top of the field passing to the right of a clump of trees and then over a stile in the corner. Go left a few yards, cross the road to a stone slab stile. Diagonally cross the field to the corner by a barn. Go down the field edge a short way and left over a stile/track/stile. Head down and across the field. Find a stile in the hedge to the left of two trees. Cross the road and take the no through road opposite towards Newman Street.

7. NEWMAN STREET

Go through this hamlet and keep straight on. When the Tarmac ends go straight on along a footpath to the left of garages. Cross a stile and continue to a house ahead. Follow the diverted path left round the side of the house. Join the drive and follow it out to the road.

8. CHELYNCH

Turn right and continue to Chelynch and the popular Poacher’s Pocket. Go on past the pub and take the first lane right towards Bodden. Drop downhill, past a pond and continue with a wood on your left ignoring a footpath and track. At the end of the wood go left on the East Mendip Way into a field. Follow the left edge along this high land, which is Ingdons Hill. Reach a crossing track and maintain direction with the hedge now on your right. At the top of the hill enjoy a good view across country to Glastonbury Tor. Keep on, dropping down and then bear over to right to a marked gate. Go down the path into a field. Follow the left edge. Go through a gate and cross a lane into an old Showerings’ orchard. Once out the other side, turn right down the edge and maintain direction to a stone slab stile. Then cross a track and take the stile opposite. Head across towards the viaduct.

9. VIADUCT

At a choice of paths at the foot, go straight on under the viaduct. Keep on past a broken stile by a gate and up the path to the end of a road. Go straight on along a hard track. Keep your eyes open for an ammonite in the left wall! Reach the main road by the Showerings’ factory and go straight over passing the factory buildings. Keep on until you reach the old prison.

6.9 miles, about 3.5 hours walking. OS Explorer 142 Shepton Mallet & Mendip Hills East, grid ref 617 434, postcode BA4 5SB.

10. PRISON

It is worth finding out about the fascinating and rather macabre history of this prison which dates back to 1625. It was decommissioned in 2013.

Just before the prison turn up the walled path alongside the prison wall and turn right on a lane to the entrance to the prison, free visitor centre and simple café (open daily until 5pm). We continue on this lane (Gaol Lane) afterwards.

The staff are very happy to take you in! They serve good coffee, tea, cakes, biscuits and snacks and you can discover more about the prison. Prison tours, self-guided or guided are available too.

Come out, turn right on the lane by the prison. Turn right again and at the end go left on a walled alleyway. Do a dog-leg and head alongside the churchyard railings with the church on your right. Retrace your steps through the Shambles and the Market Cross. Then go up left and right Commercial Road. Turn left back past the toilets to the car park.