Between Banwell and Barton

Banwell grew up around several Barton springs and the pure waters from these were used in local mills producing paper and corn. Take this circular walk to Barton and back to see the water ﬂowing. However, low-lying ﬁelds can get waterlogged during wet weather so it is best tackled during a dry spell.

Walk information How to get there Distance: approx 4.5 miles Start at map ref: ST 398592 (OS 153) Difﬁculty: medium – numerous stiles Car: Banwell sits on the A371, and uphill sections. Can get muddy, so wellies recommended halfway between Weston-super- Mare and Churchill. A free car park Duration: approx 2.5 hrs is available opposite the primary Map: OS Explorer map 153 school on West Street (the A371)

et off from West Street car park, Walk along High Street, past the old Join the wider track on the opposite Sopposite Banwell Primary School. cottages and pretty houses. On your side, and follow this through the gate Go over the zebra crossing left is a well and pump which was into another field. and turn right. The erected to celebrate Queen Keep to the left edge public footpath Victoria’s golden of this field and begins on the left, jubilee in 1887. continue on and between numbers At Rock House, over a stile. You 35 and 37. head up Hill Path are now near the At the end of the on your right. eastern end of path continue up Continue up the hill Banwell Hill, the road to the t- but take time to stop which was a junction with and enjoy far-reaching racecourse until Littlefields Avenue. The views. 1798. footpath continues straight on, next to The path gets narrower and leads You will eventually exit the field over a number 27. Follow this and turn left at behind Trail’s End house, through the stile. Turn right here onto the track. This the end. If this section of footpath is metal gate and into the wood. lane was an ancient route from the closed, follow Littlefields Avenue round Continue on and when you enter a Mendip lead mines to the port at to the left and onto High Street. field, keep to the left edge. Uphill.

16 North Somerset Life December 2012 The public footpath drops downhill to Walk along the track, through the Cross the road then head down Dark the left, shortly before the white house. metal gates, and exit onto Barton Road Lane, to avoid the A371. At the end, Go through the wooden gate and next to Home Farm. Turn left onto the turn left onto East Street, then right at follow the yellow way marker across road and through Barton. the junction with the A371 and back to the field, towards the opposite Continue past the houses until your starting fence. The stile is about point. you see a gap in the hedge halfway down the field and a rusty gate leading on the right-hand side. into a field. Go straight Continue ahead across the field to the across the next field, corner of the hedge and downhill. Here and follow the you can enjoy wide- footpath sign to the ranging views across right. the valley. This area Keep to the edge of the forms part of the field and exit over a Mendip Hills Area of wooden bridge. Go Outstanding Natural Beauty. clockwise around the next field and The stile is in the middle of the fence at out on the opposite side over another the bottom. Go directly across the next wooden bridge. Go straight across field and exit onto Christon Road the next field, towards the through the metal gate. metal gate. Cross the road and go straight into the Head directly across the next field, heading towards the farm next field, to a wooden buildings. stile in the hedge, Go through the round metal gate, past where you exit left the farm, and then onto the road. At onto Max Mill Lane. the junction, go over the stile into the A water-powered corn next field, with Crook Peak directly mill once stood in this ahead of you. lane. Although the mill is Start and finish Exit this field in the far left corner, gone, you can still see the across a little wooden bridge, then millpond and wheel. veer left across the next field. Continue Continue up the lane until you reach a ahead, keeping to the left edge of the gap in the hedge and a stile, with the field. At the end go through the gate footpath sign pointing north across the on your right, over the metal bridge, field. Go across this field, over the then head to the far left corner to exit stile, then continue ahead. Exit this the field. Go through the gate into the field over a wooden stile next to the next field, and continue ahead, with farmhouse. Barton in front of you. Turn right onto The Rhodyate and Go through the next metal gate, follow the lane round to the left as it continue ahead, then exit through continues uphill. You will come out another metal gate. alongside Banwell Castle.

North Somerset Life www.n-somerset.gov.uk 17