START/FINISH Odd Down Park and Ride, BA2 8PD

WALK INFORMATION AND ACCESSIBILITY: Overall this walk has approximately a 270m ascent with steep section down the field at Horsecombe Vale and an uphill towards the end. Paths – tracks, tarmac path/cycle path, road, hard paths. There are a steps at the Wessex Water to get onto the cycle path. There are some sections of narrow paths. There are toilets at the P&R. One busy road to cross - the B3110 Road, after leaving South Stoke and the road crossing at Midford is on a bend. Between Tucking Mill and Midford you’re on a shared path, so look out for cyclists.

EXPECT TO SEE • Villages of South Stoke and Midford • • Beautiful valleys and woodland • Relics of the Somersetshire Coal canal • THINGS TO DO • If you’re enjoying the walk in the summer, when the paths are less mud- dy, keep a look out for wildflowers • There are a couple of pubs for lunch on the way - the Packhorse in South Stoke and the Hope & Anchor at Midford • DID YOU KNOW? • The coal canal was built between 1794 and 1805, fell into disrepair in 1898 and closed in 1902 • At its height in the 1820s it carried 100,000 tons of coal a year • Midford Castle is a and is in the shape of ‘clubs’ from a pack of cards TRAILS

3-4 hours

6.5miles, 10km 6.5miles, TO MIDFORD TO

SOUTH STOKE SOUTH STOKE ODD DOWN, ODD DOWN, 3 2 1 village of South Stoke. Follow the road through the village for a short time, where the road splits road where the a short time, for the village through the road Follow ofvillage South Stoke. Lane) that (Packhorse taking the road then continue straight, the left fork take at the telephone box, under arches doors left. wooden on your large with four the village leaves When you’ve enjoyed the view, continue along the track continue a T junction and turn to the left entering the view, enjoyed When you’ve Continue on the road for 400m, at the break in the hedge, take the footpath on your left across a left across on your the footpath take 400m, at the break in the hedge, for Continue on the road field. In summer this is full of wildflowers. public footbath which is a track – turn left and take the track all the way to Millennium viewpoint, viewpoint, to Millennium which public footbath a track is the track– turn way all the left and take which where there track side opposite on the right hand find three - one straight divides into you’ll properties. left into private to the and two ahead which take you’ll Leave the Park & Ride car park on foot via the main road entrance and turn right at the roundabout and turn entrance right at the roundabout main road via the car park & Ride foot on the Park Leave the take the lane, 100m down Just under Lane. Hay immediate right the take and then the path until it meets on the permissive Continue the footpath. left and take path on the permissive 6 4 5 to the left, leaving the road on the narrow footpath on the right. Follow this footpath through the woods and stay and stay the woods through this footpath on the right. Follow footpath on the narrow to the left, leaving the road as the right. The path is marked the course of canal on your and former the brook path as it follows on the obvious . Stay on the path till you reach the disused Midford Station/Hope & Anchor pub. Leave the path via the driveway reach via the driveway the path Station/Hope & Anchor on the path till you Leave disused Midford the Stay pub. (taking care as visibility is difficult here) and go under the bridge the road Cross the gate. on the right and through then goes to the right, through some woods, following the stream on your right. the stream on your following some woods, then goes to the right, through straight down the hill, at one point the track goes round to the right, but stay on the footpath, through a gate, a gate, through on the footpath, to the right, but stay the track the hill, at one point goes round down straight reachYou’ll eventually a stream and the path three fields. across Continue downhill slightly hidden in undergrowth. When you reach the road, walk a little way to your right on the pavement to give you good visibility and then cross visibility and then cross good you to give right on the pavement to your a little way reach walk When you the road, Continue track going downhill. a wide grass it’s a kissing gate, through is almost opposite, The footpath the road. Link footpath to the rigth till you reach to the rigth till you the Hope & AnchorLink footpath pub.) you’ve turned the wrong way at the top of the steps). This is a busy shared walking and cycling route, so take care. care. so take route, and cycling at the top of the steps). This is a busy shared walking way turned the wrong you’ve the Limestone and following the road Mill, crossing leaving Tucking on the map, is that shown route (An alternative compound. Down the track, you will see the angling lake on your left. Pass under the impressive viaduct, the under the impressive left. Pass on your lake will see the angling the track, you compound. Down reach As soon as you the footpath, to the lake. next the road take is on the right behind a fence – don’t footpath the steps up onto the top oftake the viaduct and enter a long tunnel the viaduct and turn left (if go over you ROUTE Mill Tucking Water After 500m, at the end of into the Wessex and the kissing gate this path, turn right, through Leave the Park & Ride car park on foot via the main road entrance and turn right at the roundabout and then take the immediate right down Combe Hay Lane. Just under 100m down the lane, take the permissive path on the left and take the footpath. Continue on the permissive path until it meets the public footbath which is a track – turn left and take the track all the way to Millennium viewpoint, which you’ll find on the right hand side opposite where there track divides into three - one straight 6.5m/10km MAP ahead which you’ll take and two to the left into private properties. 3-4 hours

When you’ve enjoyed the view, continue along the track to a T junction and turn left entering the village of South Stoke. Follow the road through the village for a short time, where the road splits at the telephone box, take the left fork then continue straight, taking the road (Packhorse Lane) that leaves the village with four large wooden doors under arches on your left.

© Crown copyright and database rights 2020 OS 100023344 (Bath & NE Council). You are permitted to use this data solely to enable you to respond to, or interact with, the organisation that provided you with the data. You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. 7 8 9 visit the pub/church/shops of South Stoke, continue straight on and then retrace your steps. visit the pub/church/shops your then retrace on and continue straight of South Stoke, The footpath then joins a lane, bear left and continue uphill. You will reach the original track bear left and continue uphill. You then joins a lane, The footpath to want 2. If steps from you your that and retrace left. Take to your millennium viewpoint from As the path bends round to the right, you’ll reach a wooden gate with a footpath going to the with a footpath reach gate to the right, you’ll a wooden round As the path bends Link going see the Limestone after 60m, you’ll the gate, continue through left, ignore that and left. your with the stream on off – ignore that, and continue straight a stream to the left over of a field with a house in front goes uphill across the stream and the path as it leaves Follow a field. across and the woods uphill through on the path that leads straight Stay you. path. From this path you can glimpse the derelict Combe Hay locks from the Somersetshire the Somersetshire locks from Combe Hay the derelict can glimpse you this path path. From left. on your Coal Canal ROUTE through path to the left, Limestone Link the and startgoing uphill, take enter woods When you and reach the road Cross you’ll uphill. After 350m going a lane. not the footpath the gate, Continue on the opens). a stile (the gate with a gate passing through the bridge, go under