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Southern Southern England 05/08/2014 17:01 09 Burrington , 10 Truro, Cornwall l Distance 13½km/8½ miles l Time 4hrs l Type Moor, hill and wood l Distance 6½km/4 miles l Time 2hrs l Type City and wood NAvIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAvIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine autumn 2014 walk magazine autumn 2014 plan your walk plan your walk l Newport l Bristol Wadebridge l l BuRRINGTON Newquay COMBE CORNWALL SOMERSET l Cheddar TRuRO l Redruth l l Falmouth

Where: Linear walk from Where: Scenic circular to the walk around the historic tEVE MorgaN S PhotograPhy: village of , city of Truro. KEIth FErgUS PhotograPhy: via Beacon Batch and Start/end: Truro Cathedral This bite-sized section of the path splits at the foot of Black The city of Truro is Cornwall’s main 1. START The walk begins from . (SW826449). Mendip Ring long-distance trail Down, bear R up a track that winds administrative centre and a lovely outside the splendid and intricately Start: Lay-by at the top terrain: Pavement, takes in the sculpted limestone towards the summit, Beacon Batch. place for a leisurely wander. It’s designed entrance of Truro of Burrington Combe riverbank and woodland landscapes around Cheddar Gorge Now turn L and follow a gravel dominated by the magnificent Cathedral (SW826449). It is open (ST488581). paths. and Burrington Combe, as well as track that eventually reaches a cathedral (above), which was daily and entry is free (although end: Church of St Leonard, MapS: OS Explorer 105; Beacon Batch – the highest point gate leading off the moor. completed in 1910, some donations are welcomed) and the Rodney Stoke (ST482498). Landranger 204. in the Mendips. It’s a visual Continue through the gate and 30 years after the Duke of cathedral is as beautiful inside as it terrain: Mainly gentle GettinG there: Truro is banquet of tasty views, and packs look out for a stile on the R, where Cornwall (later Edward VII) laid is externally. Turn L onto High tracks, paths and bridleways, well served by public in plenty of historical interest to the path diverts down a pasture the foundation stone. It was the Cross then R onto Cathedral Lane. with the odd stiff climb. transport on rail and road boot. Be sure to keep your eyes field. Cross a small stream and first cathedral to be built on a new Cross St Nicholas Street onto MapS: OS Explorer 141; from across southwest peeled for the remains of the keep it on your R as the route site since Salisbury in 1220 and its Lemon Street then take a L onto Landranger 182. England (✆ 0871 200 2233, Second World War decoy town on undulates down to a small road. centre spire climbs to a height of Lemon Quay. Walk along here GettinG there: If public www.travelinesw.com). the slopes of Black Down, as 76m/250ft. Truro itself dates back and, once through an underpass transport is your only option, eatinG & drinkinG: Plenty well as the distant views over to 2. Turn R at the road and then to around the 12th century, when (SW828447) beneath the A39, walk take a train to Bristol Temple of options in Truro, Glastonbury Tor, Exmoor and the almost immediately L down a Richard Luci, Chief Justice of L then R onto Riverside Walk. Meads then catch the Airport including Mannings Severn Estuary. The walk ends footpath. Follow a stream as it England, built a castle here. By the Flyer Express to Bristol Airport on Lemon Street in Rodney Stoke, which is one of winds through woodland and, 1300s Truro was one of Cornwall’s 2. This is a paved path that and then board the A2 bus (✆ 01872 270345, www. the nine Somerset ‘Thankful when you reach a stile, continue five stannary towns and therefore proceeds easily along the western to Havyat Green, which is manningshotels.co.uk). Villages’, where all those who straight through a grassy field entrusted with collecting tin bank of the River Truro. Here you a half-an-hour walk from SleepinG: Numerous served during the First World War towards another stile in a drystone coinage for the Duchy of Cornwall may well spot a variety of birds, Burrington Combe. Bus 126 options in the city, including returned home alive. wall. Keep the woodland on your or the Crown, with industries such including swans, grey herons, the County Arms, runs from Rodney Stoke to R to cross several more stiles, and as tin smelting, pottery and carpet oystercatchers and sandpipers, Wells where you can catch a Highertown 1. START From the off-road when the path reaches a dead end making, helping Truro to prosper. as well as a variety of gulls. bus back to Bristol and Temple (✆ 01872 273972, www. parking at the top of Burrington at a drystone wall, turn R. Almost Away from the city streets, quiet Eventually, the path makes its Meads station. (✆ 0871 200 countyarms truro.co.uk). Combe (ST488581), turn L along immediately go through a gate countryside and riverbank paths way between the river and houses

2233, www.travelinesw.com). ViSitor inforMation: the main road and then quickly R and turn L into a combe that leads provide a lovely contrast. and then swings R to reach

eatinG and drinkinG: Truro TIC (✆ 01872 274555, down a bridleway marked with a down to the road through Newham Road. Turn L, follow ▲

There are no pubs en route, ▲ www.visittruro.org.uk). ▼

Cheddar Gorge. the pavement for around 250m, ▼ ‘Mendip Ring’ marker. When the 57-58 walk44 ramblers routes SOUTHERN.indd 1 57-58 walk44 ramblersroutesSOUTHERN_rev1.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2014Media048/14 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2014Media048/14 Continued... Continued... 1 START Guidebook: Pathfinder but a small diversion will Guides: Cornwall Walks allow you to stop off at the by Sue Viccars (£11.99, popular Galleries Inn in Crimson Publishing, Cheddar (✆ 01934 744796). ISBN 978 1854586810). sLeepinG: Cheddar has LoCaL RambLeRs GRoup: START FINISH a good selection of Carrick Ramblers accommodation. Arundel (✆ 01872 520368, www. House B&B (✆ 01934 742692, cornwallramblers.org.uk). 2 http://arundelhousecheddar. 5 co.uk) leads the pack. 2 then go R onto Gas Hill VisitoR infoRmation: (SW830438). Somerset Visitor Centre, Services, 3. Follow this for a few metres and Rooks Bridge, bear L onto cycleway 3. Once 3 (✆ 01934 750833, Map not to scale. through a gate, you pick up a www.visitsomerset.co.uk). 3 Representation of OS Landranger wooded path that follows the Guidebook: Pathfinder MAP 182 1:50,000 course of the old Newham Railway Guides: Somerset, the www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk line. This was once part of the Mendips & Wiltshire (£11.99, West Cornwall Railway Line that Crimson Publishing, ISBN 978 began in 1846 and reached 1854585295); or visit www. Newham in 1855. Newham 4 mendipring.org.uk. eventually became a goods-only LoCaL RambLeRs GRoup: station and the branch line was Mendip Ramblers closed in 1972. Today its course (✆ 07768 556735,

grants a lovely walk around the Map not to scale. www.mendipramblers.co.uk). outskirts of the city. At a junction, Representation of cross a road and take the path, OS Landranger 4 MAP 204 1:50,000 3. Turn R at the road and then signposted for Redruth, which www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk continues south and then west, quickly L to begin a steep climb up through lovely countryside. Blue a rocky track through woodland. tits, treecreepers, buzzards, Pass through a gate at the top squirrels, bluebells and red To download this route and hundreds of others, of the woodland and bear L, campion can be spotted at various visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes continuing until you reach a farm times in the seasons. track. Go L here and follow down to a busy road, where the route building which is scheduled to turns R along the road. When you 4. After just over a mile, go become a boutique hotel and spa. reach a crossroads, go through the through two gates on each side of Keep descending to pass Truro FINISH gate on your R and take the grassy a single-track road (SW820432) just railway station onto Richmond Hill. track that heads straight . At north of Calenick, then shortly At a mini-roundabout, go straight the top of the hill, you’ll meet an afterwards cross a bridge above on and continue onto River Street, To download this route and hundreds of others, old drovers’ track that passes the A39. After another kilometre, then go L onto St Nicholas Street. visit through a gate and eventually www.ramblers.org.uk/routes the path crosses a bridge over a From here, a L turn onto King minor road and swings R through joins with the West . Street leads back to the cathedral. path downhill. When you hit an straight over the road to reach a gate. Turn L onto a track, which Route devised by Keith Fergus open grassy field, descend to its lay-by parking by the Church of soon veers R, with a path now 4. When the drovers’ track forks bottom R-hand corner and join a St Leonard. climbing gently past County Hall R, take the bridlepath through the track that bears R to the main road Route devised by Hanna Lindon (the headquarters of Cornwall gate on your L and head straight through Rodney Stoke. Cross Council) and through a gate to through the field to another gate. gain Highertown (SW812446). Now bear R to descend steeply for approximately 50m before taking Carrington 3-in-1 a third gate on your L. Cross over 5. Turn R then cross Highertown A tough-wearing jacket engineered Dayhike Trousers for demanding days in the hills. a small road and continue over a The Dayhike trousers are made beside a roundabout onto Station from lightweight 4-way stretch Isotex 15000 makes it waterproof, stone stile, past a tumbledown Road, which descends towards the breathable and windproof, and it fabric, designed to give freedom of movement. city centre, past the impressive has an insulating Symmetry farm building. Head towards a 11/08/2014 13:00 Visit www.regatta.com fleece inner for extra warmth. gap in a line of woodland to pass Old County Hall – a Grade II-listed Visit www.regatta.com through a gate and follow the