7 minute read
Walking Sue Gearing
On track to Cranmore Tower
THISis an East Mendip walk of great variety that circles round from Stoke St Michael starting out up an old banked trackway, through open fields, wonderful beech woods and past impressive Cranmore Tower folly on the highest point of the East Mendip Way. It takes the walker alongside quarrying and for much of the way has good open views across the high countryside. The walking is gentle up and down and some of the way we follow quiet lanes. It’s a circle of quite a few wooden and stone slab stiles. We pass close to a pub after about 1.25 miles and then reach the historic pub in Stoke St Michael at the end. Refreshment might be available at Cranmore Tower which you can climb (see details at end of walk).
PARK: Stoke St Michael recreation ground car park on the western edge of Stoke St Michael in Frog Lane.
START: Cross the recreation field diagonally aiming for the far corner just beyond the children’s play area. Take the Tarmac path out through gates to the road in the village. Turn right for about a minute.
1. RED LANE
Then take the signed public bridleway by stone boulders on the left (known as Red Lane), just past the Slow sign on the road. This very old shaded sunken thoroughfare between high banks gently climbs. After levelling out, look for a bridleway on the right through a gate. Shortly, reach a large gate on the left marked with a footpath sign. It is very stiff to open.
2. FIELDS
Once through, go across this high open field on the public footpath. Over left is a bund (bank) round a large limestone quarry. After a stile, turn right and then go through several fields along the left fence and over stiles getting good open views. Reach a stile on the left into a small piece of woodland and cross another stile. Continue on the path with a quarry on your left. Then bend right to an old stone slab stile, unusually with carved grooves to hold the large slab. Head diagonally left up the field. Go through a gap and then aim diagonally across this next field towards a large corrugated Dutch barn in the far corner. Notice a couple of installations in this field to monitor dust pollution in the air presumably in association with the quarries.
3. MAIN ROAD
A Bristol Gate leads onto the busy Old Frome Road. A short step right along the road is the Waggon and Horses if you want refreshment now. To continue, cross the main road with care to the smaller road almost opposite. Follow this along to a crossroads and then turn left downhill for about eight minutes coming to a lane on the left.
4. NEWMAN STREET
This unclassified road (Newman Street) leads along to Newman Street Farm. Opposite the farm, the East Mendip Way (EMW) comes in from the right. The EMW together with the West Mendip Way makes up the 49 miles Mendip Way from Uphill to Frome. As part of the promotion of this Way, in this 50th anniversary year of Mendip AONB, a new plaque was put up outside Wells Museum – which I, together with Les Davies, had the pleasure to unveil.
Shortly, past the farm, follow the EMW left up through a field, with a solitary standing stone over left, and pass close to a small clump of trees. On the far side are two kissing gates (KGs). Then head across the next field going near a wind turbine minus its sails. Cross a wooden barrier (the top rail lifts) and a stone slab stile and follow a short path. Enter a field and head straight across to yet another slab stile onto a lane.
It's left now, and then turn right down Ball Lane. This leads to a crossing road in the hamlet of Waterlip by the Primitive Methodist Chapel.
5. WATERLIP
Cross the road and follow the EMW to a stile opposite onto a wide grassy track. This soon bends right. Then head up to go through a wooden KG into a field. Cross this and the next field. Near the far left corner look for a KG hidden next to a large gate on the left. Head across this
field, past a fence corner, to another KG on the far side. After crossing a small wood, turn left through a KG and go up to a track. Turn right past a house and enter a field. Now just follow the right edge through two large fields.
Take the hunting gate in the corner and go right still on the EMW. Soon, reach a junction and a small clearing and turn up left through a KG into a field. This next section is uphill. Cross a stony track on the way and follow the path as it continues up and gradually bends right. There are good views south across country. At the end a KG leads into a field. Turn up the left edge and soon another KG takes you into beautiful beech woods.
Go straight on, quite close to the wood edge.
6. CRANMORE TOWER
Soon reach impressive Cranmore Tower in a clearing on the right. For a visit to the tower and a climb to the top, see details at the end. This is the highest point on the Mendip Way. It was part of the fancy of landowner, John Paget, who lived below the hill in Cranmore Hall, and as was the fashion, wanted a folly, so it was built in 1862-4. During WW2 it was a lookout tower for the Home Guard and Royal Corps of Signals, but afterwards fell into disrepair before being rescued by the current owner, Farhad
OS Explorer 142 Shepton Mallet & Mendip Hills East, grid ref: 660 471, nearest postcode: BA3 5JL. 6.1 miles, about 3-3.5 hours walking.
Shahbahrami.
The 184 steps take you to the top, at 45 metres. There are breathtaking views. Go straight on past the tower, still fairly close to the edge of these magnificent woods. The EMW goes off to the right, but you maintain direction, dropping down and join another track. Keep straight on and when the track forks, go left and soon reach the main road.
7. LANE
Cross to the lane opposite. Follow this quiet route for about 0.75 miles to the end, ignoring a lane going right. At the main road on the edge of Stoke St Michael, turn right.
8. STOKE ST MICHAEL
Reach a junction in the village by the 17th century Knatchbull Arms.
It is named after the one time Lords of the Manor, the Knatchbulls, a wellknown English blue-blood family on the Mountbatten side. Nicholas Knatchbull, aged 14, and a local boy were killed in the IRA assassination of his grandfather Lord Mountbatten aboard his fishing boat in County Sligo in 1979. During WW2 the pub played host in secret to the largest single gathering of American generals away from American soil – Joseph Stillwell, Omar Bradley, Henry 'Hap' Arnold, George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall.
Go straight ahead to the right of the pub. On your right is an attractive roofed arch leading to a pleasant spot by the stream with a bridge and seat. The church is a little further on. As you come alongside the church, turn left up a Tarmac drive at the side of Bentleys Cottage. The path goes uphill and then forks. Go straight on, not right, and follow it all the way along to the recreation ground. Go diagonally across to the starting car park. l Cranmore Tower. The owner, Farhad Shahbahrani, is beginning to reopen the tower for visitors. So you can take pot luck and knock on the door if you want to go up the tower. Or, ring him beforehand and arrange to go. There is a small fee of £4. For groups, Farhad will also provide tea and cakes. But please make sure you honour your booking. Phone 01749 880742, or 07931 136091.
