Explore the Levels , and Stoke St. Gregory

Discover these interesting villages, set amongst the watery landscape

Pumping Station Museum Willow crafts Battle of site King ’s base RSPB Nature Reserve One of a series of car-free Guides to the Levels & Moors Find out more at www.explorelevelsandmoors.co.uk A cycle or walk—choose your own route to visit Willow Industry the features shown Cycling—mainly quiet lanes but some busier roads (A361 6 The Willows & Wetlands Centre, Stoke St. Gregory and A372). Walking—footpaths and bridleways criss-cross PH Coate & Son have been growing willow on the the area; use OS Explorer 140. since 1819. This family run Public Transport— Buses from to Westonzoyland business has developed and a busy Visitor Centre and Middlezoy, from Taunton to Stoke St. Gregory and from now runs alongside the willow growing, basket Langport to Middlezoy. Nearest train staon is Bridgwater. making and arsts’ charcoal producon. Car parking— on-street in the villages. Burrow Mump from Middlezoy 7 Somerset Levels Basket & Cra Centre, Lyng Basket Maker Rd, Image supplied by kind permission of Land Reclamaon Make and sell baskets. One of the largest P H Coate & Son Ltd selecons of basketware in the country. 1 King’s Sedgemoor Drain is an arficial drainage channel which diverts the River Cary into the River Historical events Parre . The channel helps to drain the peat moors of 9 King's Sedgemoor. The main channel was constructed 1 between 1791 and 1795. 8 Alfred the Great and Athelney The Isle of Athelney is a raised area sing slightly 2 Westonzoyland Pumping Staon is a steam powered 3 above the surrounding marshy moors. King Alfred staon that helped to drain the area from 1830 unl rested here before defeang the Danes at the Bale 1951. The building is now home to the Museum of Steam of Eddington in 878AD. He founded a monastery at Power and is open on Sundays and for special events— Athelney which lasted unl the Dissoluon in 1539. see www.wzlet.org A small monument marks its locaon (visible from 2 A361 but on private land). There are interpretaon boards near the river.

9 The Bale of Sedgemoor This was the last bale fought on English soil. The supporters of the Protestant Duke of Monmouth fought the Catholic King James’ army just outside Westonzoyland in July 1685. The King’s men won and hundreds of Monmouth’s supporters were executed or transported aer being sentenced by 5 Judge Jefferys in the ‘Bloody Assizes’. The Moors in winter, from Burrow Mump 7 Wildlife Sites, Trails and Viewpoints 8 3 Nature Reserve (RSPB) has a new all-access 4 family trail and a willow hide ‘wall’.

4 The River Parre Trail runs through this area, on its 50 mile route to the sea at Steart.

5 Burrow Mump, a sandstone hill, stands at the juncon of the Rivers Tone and Parre, and gives a Re-enactment of Bale of Sedgemoor stunning panorama of the Moors. Interpretaon panels 6 Image supplied by kind permission of Somerset Tourism, explain its history. . © Crown Copyright and database rights 2011. Ordnance Survey Licence No. 100022861. Survey 2011. Ordnance rights and database Copyright © Crown Other informaon Visitor informaon is available at the Somerset Visitor Centre, Sedgemoor Services, M5 southbound, and at the Langport Informaon Centre, Bow Street.

Facts about the area Unl the Dissoluon, owned large parts of this area, which were farmed as common land. Flood defences along the River Parre, from Burrow Mump The Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden built

several small-scale drainage schemes nearby in the mid 17th century. Acts of permission of Somerset Tourism, Somerset County Council. Front cover on the Levels’ image of ‘Willows supplied by kind Parliament were passed between 1777 and 1801 which authorised the construcon of drainage schemes in the Levels and Moors. The 10.5 mile King's Sedgemoor Drain was completed in 1795. Generaons of arsans have used willow to produce baskets of many types. Other uses of willow include riverbank stabilisaon and as a medium for sculptors—for instance, the Willow Man on the M5 near Bridgwater, designed by local arst Serena de la Hey. Westonzoyland has a pub and a shop. The church, as well as being used to incarcerate Monmouth’s men immediately aer the Bale of Sedgemoor, now houses a comprehensive and informave visitor centre. When the shop & post office closed in Middlezoy, the community decided to plan and run a community shop & post office. There are fine views from the Church of the Holy Cross in Middlezoy. Stoke St. Gregory has 2 churches, a post office, a village shop, and 2 pubs/restaurants. Nearby has an excellent coffee shop, run by community volunteers.

To find other car-free guides and ineraries, visit www.explorelevelsandmoors.co.uk For informaon on Somerset, visit www.visitsomerset.co.uk Funded by Levels & Moors Local Acon for Rural Communies (LARC) Wrien & Designed by Ma Day, Somerset Towns Forum Printed by FWB Prinng Ltd, Wincanton