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MENDIP TIMES
Back to nature – a walk through Priddy’s history
THE old mining area around Priddy has been rewilded by nature in all its glory and is now a beautiful and important wildlife habitat with many flower species in the meadows as well as animals, reptiles and insects. From Priddy, the highest Mendip village, we climb gently up to North Hill through humpy ground and then go back in time past two sets of ancient burial barrows. Walking is on narrow paths, tracks and quiet lanes with good views. This is an ideal, short, summer circle when paths
With Sue Gearing PAGE 50 • MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2022
will be drier and you can enjoy the high open land without being too cold. Expect long grass at this time of year. There are a number of stiles.
PARK: Priddy village green in the heart of the village. Park near the now empty old New Inn.
START: Walk across or round the left side of the green with its famous hurdle stack. This is purely symbolic these days, but originally these sheep hurdles were used during the annual Priddy Sheep Fair, which is believed to have come up to Priddy from Wells around 1348 at a time of plague. Alas, the fair is a thing of the past. Turn right along the top of the green past Manor Farm – a mecca for cavers. This area is honeycombed with caves and one of these, accessed from near here, is Swildons. Turn left and cross onto the high pavement. After a few minutes, bear up right on a Tarmac track taking you up to the higher green. 1. SCHOOL Continue up to the village hall and primary school. Over left is the church which we visit at the end. At the end cross a stone slab stile into a field and
head downhill, probably through a temporary fence and then on down the bank. Go to the corner to a wooden stile and the remains of an old stone stile. Once over, go straight up the field and reach a very large stepped stone stile. Maintain direction in the next field following the left wall. Up on the hill left you can see some of the ancient barrows. Go through a gate at the end and continue on a path which goes up a bank and then across the field, bearing right, to a ladder stile. Once over, keep on to a small campsite and out onto Eastwater Lane. 2. LANE Turn right a very short way passing Eastwater Farm and then go left through a Bristol Gate. Now bear right down the field towards a green shed. To the left of this cross a stone stile and continue across the field and a stone stile onto the road. Turn left. After a few minutes go left on a drive to Underbarrow Farm, at the side of Rose Cottage. Soon look for the footpath arrow which diverts you left off the drive and past buildings of The Belfry, a cavers’ centre. Note the skeleton on the wall! Turn right through the garden and cross back onto the drive. Go straight over to a footpath.
