Chris Sperring MBEWildlife

Beauty from an industrial past

THIScircular ramble starts in the Forestry Commission woods above East Harptree in the Mendip Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and explores little-known paths, going near one of the sources of water that flows down to Bristol and passing the amazing last lead smelting chimney on Mendip. All the industry has gone and now we can enjoy gorgeous woodland with bluebells in spring, streams, fields and great views over Chew Valley Lake. We head along a wooded combe and under an amazing stone aqueduct. Go past East Harptree Church, the Waldegrave Arms pub and through East Harptree passing the community shop. To complete the round there is a modest climb back up, through fields, on a small lane and through a wood set up by a local family. This walk puts us in exploring mood, enjoying new paths and tracks. There are about four or five stiles en-route. PARK: In East Harptree Woods Forestry Commission car park, which is off the BB134 road heading from Mendip north towards East Harptree. There is a barrier at the entrance, 6.6ft (1.98m) high.

START: From the car park turn left through a forestry barrier and along the broad track in the woodland. This area is now all open access. Continue until you reach a turn right signposted to Smitham Chimney. Follow the track as it bends round, past a fenced-off area around new planting and arrive at a rustic wooden oak seat made by Rickford carpenter Roger Baker, overlooking the pond and the magnificent 70ft chimney. Carry on around the pond to an information plinth about the chimney, the mining and resmelting.

1. CHIMNEY

This, the last lead smelting chimney on Mendip, is a visible reminder of the thousands of years of lead mining that have taken place on the hill. This Cornishstyle chimney was built mid-19th century when an industry sprang up here and at other Mendip mineries to re-smelt the piles of slag from previous mining. The chimney was connected by horizontal flues to a furnace, now long since gone.

Reach a T-junction with a track and turn left away from the chimney. Soon take the next clear track on your right (ignore a couple of small footpaths off right over the bumpy ground). You will have a plantation of pines on your left and humpy bumpy ground on the right, more evidence of former mining. Go through a gap in an old stone wall and almost immediately fork right on a smaller path (opposite a mining hollow on the left). This is a small grassy path which soon goes downhill under an avenue of pines.

2. VALLEY EDGE

Reach the edge of a steep valley, Garrow Bottom, and a crossing track. Down in the Bottom is a spring feeding water down to Harptree Combe where it combines with another source of water from Chewton Mendip. This then continues down towards Bristol and Barrow Tanks, using only gravity feed, thanks to the skill of the Victorian engineers. We see more of this later.

Turn right with the valley down left. The slopes were carpeted with bluebells and ransoms (wild garlic) when I came. Follow this main track when it bends sharp left and drops down back on itself still in the woods. At the end, turn sharp right on a track along the bottom with a stream on your left – the stream coming from the spring further along. After rain, expect some mud. The track leads all the way to a lane, going through one of the traditional old forestry barriers.

3. LANE

Cross to the kissing gate (KG) opposite. Go ahead across the field to a marker post with a choice of paths and bear up left. Continue diagonally up, to a small copse ahead of you in the top right corner of this field. This is full of wild garlic in the spring. Go through a gap in the stone wall; you will see a footpath marker post pointing diagonally back down towards beautiful views of Chew Valley Lake. Follow the footpath direction down this field, walking towards the lake. In the corner, go through two KGs separated by