7 minute read
Walking Sue Gearing
Along the brook side
THISis a varied and fairly challenging circle from Crown Hill above Regil, near Winford following the Winford Brook, the busy stream of many mills that gave the village its wealth – mills making everything from gunpowder to snuff. Explore the old part of Winford and head parallel with the brook through fields, by a reservoir and then by a ford on the edge of Chew Magna. By contrast, we head up to higher ground up on Chilly Hill, Pagans Hill and North Hill. Walking is through fields, on tracks and quiet lanes and there is a mixture of uphill, flat and downhill. There are some fine views across country. A stick could be helpful to deal with some of the summer growth.
PARK: On Crown Hill, at the Crown Inn, Regil, above Winford where Mendip Times walkers have permission to use the spacious car park opposite the pub which has been well renovated. It’s well worth popping in for a drink or a meal to top or tail this ramble. Check opening hours.
START: At the entrance to the car park take the footpath left up steps into a field. Head diagonally left uphill across to the corner, and find a metal gate somewhat hidden in the hedge. Go straight across the middle of this next field to another gate under a clump of trees leading onto a crossing track.
1. TRACK
Turn left for a few minutes and turn right on the first footpath through another pedestrian gate. Follow the right hedge and near the end, go right through two gates into the field at the side. Now it’s left down the hedge and, at the corner, maintain direction down to another gate. Once through, carry on down to a Bristol Gate and stay straight on along the right hedge and round the corner. Near the next corner before a house, turn right through a gate. Follow the left edge round in this field. Opposite a farm reach a large field gate. Turn right on the lane and almost immediately left through a gate and through the farm. Continue on the farm drive to reach Frog Lane.
2. FROG LANE
Turn right. Take care of passing traffic. Drop downhill and then join the pavement into Winford village.
3. WINFORD
Cross to the Prince of Waterloo. To continue, go down Church Road at the side of the pub alongside the Winford Brook.
Its Old Saxon name, Winfrith, could mean “a happy holy stream” which would have accurately described Winford Brook at that time. Earlier, this road would have been the village high street leading to the church and ancient manor house, now Court Farm.
Reach the church which still boasts a fine 15th tower and baptism pool fed by the brook. Bend right over the brook and past the Court.
The date over the door is 1593 but there was probably an earlier manor house which was mentioned in the Domesday Book.
At the next corner turn left over a stile and follow the footpath under the aqueduct.
It was a major feat of mid-19th century engineering – perhaps the oldest surviving work of its type in the country – which carries the main water supply down to Bristol from the Mendip Hills.
Continue on through to another field until you reach Kentshare Lane.
4. KENTSHARE LANE
Turn left a short way to Kentshare Farm, a classic 17th century William and Mary
farmhouse. Just past it, go through a kissing gate on the right and follow the left hedge. Continue through fields in the same direction paralleling the Winford/Chew Road up right. Come alongside a hedge on the left and follow this to a gate. Go left over a footbridge across the Winford Brook.
This is the largest tributary of the River Chew and at one time it had nine mills over its three-mile length, the mills providing grist, snuff, dye, cloth, iron and gunpowder.
5. POWDERMILL FARM
Follow a path to a lane at Littleton. Go left to handsome Powdermill farm.
It is hard to believe that it was here that flourishing gunpowder production took place from the mid-17th century. The mill was said to be the largest powderproducing complex in the South West producing about 3,500 barrels of gunpowder by 1762. Also at Littleton from around the mid-15th century was a fulling mill to turn local wool into felted cloth, and a Redding pit producing iron ore and redding for dye. The pit reopened on a larger scale in 1871 and continued until after WWII.
Opposite the farmhouse, go right through a Bristol Gate and cross the field. Keep straight ahead and go through a plantation of commercially grown trees. Towards the end, bear left and go through a gate and over a footbridge and along a path to reach Littleton Lane.
Turn right. After a few minutes, pass an electricity installation on the right. At the side of this is a right of way. A two minute detour along here takes you to the old snuff mill, now part of Winford Business Park.
Carry on along Littleton Lane to the end and the junction with Limeburn Hill. Here on the right is another mill. Cross to the footpath opposite, still alongside the brook, and through into a field. Go ahead along the edge. After another kissing gate, join a fenced path straight on and start to see Chew Magna reservoir on the right.
Continue past a substantial house and follow the farm drive. Reach one of the entrances to the reservoir.
6. RESERVOIR
Owned by Bristol Water it was created by damming Winford brook to supply water for villages in the Chew Valley. It is popular for fly fishing and is stocked with brown trout. Ten years ago the reservoir dried up during a long period without
6.65 miles, about 4-4.5 hours walking. OS Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath, grid ref: 540 637, postcode BS4 8AY
sustained rainfall. Bristol Water rescued the trout and transferred them to nearby Chew Valley Lake.
Carry on along the lane and turn down right, soon going on the path alongside a ford over the brook. The lane takes you uphill on the edge of Chew Magna to the main road. Turn right on the pavement, and soon cross with care and go up Chillyhill Lane.
7. CHILLYHILL LANE
Follow this for 0.7 miles, past houses and continue on the track all the way to Chillyhill Farm and then on to a crossing road leading south from Bristol which can be quite busy. Turn left and shortly cross the footpath opposite through a kissing gate. Go across the field, through into the next field and passing below Pagans Hill Farm. Carry on through another field and near the end, turn right down a small sunken path to a lane by a sturdy power pole.
Cross over on the track signed to North Hill. Shortly, just before the North Hill postbox, go right over a footbridge and up into a field. Go across climbing gently to a gap in the hedge opposite and a kissing gate. Once through, climb more steeply across to the top left corner (it may be easier to go up and round the edge). Go through the hedge and join a path. Turn left round the field to the second corner and through. Head along the top of the field with good views across country.
8. FARM
As you near North Hill Farm, go right through a gate. Cross the grass, and the drive, and on to another stony drive. Turn left. Pass the farmhouse. By a dovecot, go through a gate and on through three fields, in the same direction, dropping down. Near the foot of the third go out right through a gate, under trees, and left along the edge round to a Bristol Gate onto the lane, called Whitling Street, joining the Mendip Way.
9. MENDIP WAY
Turn right for nearly half a mile going uphill and then down to a junction with Broad Mead Lane. Turn left. After a few minutes fork right on a lane. Reach a seven-bar gate right. Go through and diagonally left across the centre of the field, towards a distinctive stone house in the valley. Drop down to a gate in the hedge. Go left on a rather muddy bank and drop into the grassy valley. Turn left and near the end on the right, go through a gate, over a footbridge and then up across the field and onto a drive. Turn left to reach Regil Lane. Turn right uphill to the Crown.
