Family Explorer Walks

Every effort has been made to ensure that the
information provided in this publication is correct. But we
cannot guarantee it is free from errors and omissions,
particularly information sourced from third parties.
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Designed, produced and distributed by
the Blue Skies Rural Visitors Group.
or your local library
www.somersetcoast.com
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Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01934 888 800
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Fax: 01934 641 741
Weston-super-Mare Tourist Information Centre
Beach Lawns
Weston-super-Mare
North Somerset County Council BS23 1AT
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More copies are available from your local rural attraction, or from;
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The rural attractions of North Somerset
help to make the area a better place for
residents and visitors. We look forward
to seeing you again soon.
Make a day of it. There’s always
another place to visit nearby like the
majestic Tyntesfield or cosy Clevedon
Craft Centre. Stop in a local pub
or café and help to make North
Somerset a vibrant area.
Enjoy the North
Somerset Countryside
A361
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A361
A361
Trail start/finish
A37
A372
A359
Coastal
Path
A30
A357
North
SomersetA358
has great countryside ready for you and
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your family to explore. Use this map to find the detailed routes
overleaf and to discover other trails around this beautiful area.
Cadbury Camp
CLEVEDON
We’ve also suggested great things
to see and do when you’re walking or
riding the routes. A family walk should
never be just a walk, it’s an adventure of
sticks, wildthings, views and memories.
The Family Explorer has been designed
with you in mind. There is clear simple
advice about each route from the
family viewpoint. The routes may not
be suitable for all ages so we’ve given
advice based on our experience. Each
route is in an area where there are loads
of other routes to explore.
Welcome to our favourite family routes in
the area. From the wild Mendips to the
windswept coast and sheltered woods
there’s always somewhere new to
discover or an old favourite to visit again.
B3133
Explore the North
Somerset Countryside
Sand Point
Backwell
Station
West
Town
Chelvey
Yatton
Brockley
Combe
o
Strawberry Line
Heritage Trail
Winford
B3130
Redhill
Chew Magna
Regil
Wrington
Chew
Stoke
Butcombe
Rolstone
West Wick
B3440
Sandford
A3033
Locking
Banwell
A368
A371
Hutton
Uphill
West
Mendip
Way
Lower
Langford
Court Farm Park
Weston Bay
Tropical Bird
Garden
Barley Wood
Walled Garden
Rive
rY
e
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Felton
Congresbury
Puxton
Worle
Lulsgate
Bottom
Goblin Combe
Environment
Centre
Hewish
Weston-super-Mare
Station
Brean Down
A38
Bristol
International
Airport
Puxton Park
WESTON-SUPER-MARE
B3130
Backwell
Barrow Gurney
Cleeve
Kewstoke
Worle Station
Community
Forest Path
Dundry
Wick St Lawrence
Sand Bay
Temple Meads
Station
Long Ashton
Flax Bourton
Brockley
Weston Woods
Ashton Hill
Plantation
River
Ken
n
Claverham
Yatton
Station
Ashton
Court
Failand
North End
Kingston
Seymour
A369
Avon
Timberland
Trail
Tyntesfield
NAILSEA
NORTH
RT
SOMERSET
S
OMERS
OMERSET
MERS
SET
ET
T
Leigh
Woods
B3128
Clevedon Craft
Centre
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M5
Worlebury
Abbots
Leigh
Ponds
Noah’s Ark
Zoo Farm
Wraxall
Tickenham
Kenn
Woodspring
Priory
Abbots
Leigh
Clevedon Court
and Norton Woods
Clevedon
Court
Ham
Green
Easton-inGordano
Gordano
Round
Walton in
Gordano
This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material
with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf
of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
© Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction
infringes Crown copyright and may lead to
prosecution or civil proceedings. (North Somerset
Council) (100023397) (2007)
A303
A378
Gordano
Map not to scale.
Pill
Clapton in
Gordano
B3124 Weston in
Greenland/woodland
A359
A371
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Portbury
BRISTOL
River
Avon Trail
M5
Mendip Hills
Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty
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Sheepway
North Somerset border
A36
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PORTISHEAD
Redcliff Bay
‘B’ road
A362
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A358
Minor ‘A’ road
A366
A371
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Major ‘A’ road
A36
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A38
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Battery Point
Motorway
A368
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Train station
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A368
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A39
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Ecclesiastical building
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National Trust building
A420
A38
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A46
A370
M5
Tourist information
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M49
Family attraction
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Key
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Butcombe
Bay
Churchill
Blagdon
Lake
Action Centre
Scratchy Lane
Burrington
Nempnett
Thrubwell
Chew Valley
Lake
Bishop
Sutton
Blagdon
Dolebury Hill Fort
A371
Bleadon
Hill
B3114
Burrington
Combe
Winscombe
Christon
Tidal
Trail
Blackmoor
Bleadon
Loxton
Animal Farm
Adventure Park
A370
Cheddar Gorge
Crook Peak and
Wavering Down
B3371
Axbridge
Cheddar
A38
B3140
B3151
B3134
Chewton
Mendip
Butcombe Bay
Scratchy Lane,
Bleadon Hill
Follow the trail to Butcombe Bay, along
the edge of beautiful Blagdon Lake.
Take a picnic and enjoy the stunning
views across the lake to the Mendip
Hills Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. Roadside parking available.
Scratchy Lane on Bleadon Hill, an
introduction to mountain biking on the
Mendip Hills!
Butcombe
Bay
Coastal Path,
Clevedon to Portishead
The
Coombe
Elborough
Hill
Glebe
Wood
East Hill
Elborough
Wood
Hutton
Hill
Picnic
Field
Christon Hill
Christon
Plantation
Blagdon
Lake
Distance: 3km/2m.
Time: 1hr (with a 7yr old and lots of
playing). Numerous other additional
loops to the walks for older children.
Blagdon Pumping
Station
GUIDE
Time: 1.5hr with a 7 and 8 yr old.
Surface: Firm, narrow in places.
Surface: Compact gravel surface
then unsurfaced lane.
Obstacles: CAUTION – steep drops
from the path and rocks.
Walk Activities: Field to picnic in
before the return leg.
Local Services: Village Stores, Blagdon.
Local Services: Bleadon and Hutton
have shops and pubs.
Local Services: Clevedon and
Portishead have a wide range of shops
and pubs and seaside attractions.
Parking: Small car park on Roman
Road.
Parking: On-street parking in Bay
Road, Clevedon.
Dolebury Hill Fort
Abbots Leigh Ponds
Discover this tranquil hidden piece of
countryside on the edge of Bristol. A
great place to ride on quiet lanes and
woodland tracks.
Three
Cornered
Wood
Snake’s Well
Wood
West Tanpit
Wood
East Tanpit
Wood
Abbots
Pond
Fish Pond
Wood
Yew Tree
Plantation
Time: 1.5hrs with a 7 and 8yr old.
Round Hill
Clump
Surface: Lanes, surfaced and
un-surfaced.
Round Hill
Log
Obstacles: Wet and muddy in winter.
GUIDE
Local Activities: For the more
adventurous riders the Timberland
Trail passes nearby in Fifty Acre
Wood, Ashton Court and Leigh
Woods, where there are more trails
than you’ll know what to do with.
Worlebury
Time: 1.5 hours with a 6 and 8 yr
old plus a dog – gentle pace with no
stops. Other loops on foot and bike
are possible.
CHELVEY
BATCH
Family adventure in these deep
woodlands. Small technical challenges
will concentrate your mind in some
atmospheric countryside.
Chelvey
Wood
Backwell Hill
Cook’s
Wood
Shipley
Brake
GUIDE
Ride Activities: A more challenging
route for off road riders where the
surface will change from un-surfaced
lanes to slippery rocks. A technical
challenge for novice mountain bikers
of all ages but a great sense of
achievement can be found at the end!
Off-road buggy
Dog (on lead)
Brockley
Combe
GUIDE
National Trust building
Start of disabled route
Woodland
End of disabled route
Fort
Walk Activities: At the western
end of the woods there are rocky
limestone outcrops and Foxes Cave
to discover, some are remnants of the
designed landscape behind Clevedon
Court. The rest of the woods are ideal
for den building and tree climbing.
GUIDE
Local Services: Nearby Backwell
and Cleeve have shops and pubs.
Local Services: Nearest pubs are
in Cross. Winscombe and Axbridge
have plenty of local shops.
Parking: King’s Wood Car Park, off
the A38 south of Winscombe.
Court
Hill
Court
Wood
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East
Clevedon
GUIDE
Winscombe
Forest of Avon, Ashton Court Visitor Centre,
Bristol BS41 9JN
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Web:
Compton
Hill
Wavering
Down
Compton
Bishop
Kings
Wood
0117 953 2141
0117 953 2143
[email protected]
www.forestofavon.org.uk
Mendip Hills AONB Service,
Charterhouse Centre, Blagdon,
Bristol BS40 7XR
Tel:
Email:
Web:
01761 462338
[email protected]
www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk
Weston Tourist Information Centre,
Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1AT
Obstacles: Steep in places.
Local Activities: Historic Axbridge
is nearby and further on is Cheddar
Gorge.
The
Warren
Further information on walks and the countryside in
North Somerset
Yarberry
Surface: Grassy and uneven.
Walk Activities: Great place to
fly a kite and feel the wind in your
face! The woodland s are rich with
flowers like wild garlic and anemones
in spring and buzzards are common
riding the thermals.
Nortons
Wood
Swiss
Valley
Local Activities: Clevedon Court,
National Trust (check opening times).
Clevedon Craft Centre.
Parking: All Saints Lane, Clevedon
or Hill Lane, Tickenham.
Crook Peak and
Wavering Down
Maps not to scale
Obstacles: Some steep paths and
gates.
Land Yeo
Time: 2.5 hours walking there and
back or 1 hours cycle there and back.
Willis’s
Batch
Start / Finish (Cycle route)
Parking: Car Park for the woods at
the top of Belmont Hill on the B3129.
Distance: 7km/4.5m.
Brockley
Wood
Parking
Surface: Woodland paths.
Barton
Yorkhouse
Cave
Start / Finish (Walk route)
Local Services: Clevedon has a
wide range of local shops and places
to eat.
Local Activities: Brockley Combe
has loads of bridleways to be
discovered.
Parking: Informal parking at the
entrance to the timber products
centre.
• Consider other people.
Time: 30 minutes – 3 hours.
Crook
Peak
Surface: Lanes and tracks, loose
and rocky.
WESTON-SUPER-MARE
Dog
Distance: A maze of different paths
allow you to tailor a route from short
30 minute strolls to all afternoon
exploring and den-building.
Barton Hill
Obstacles: Long descent and climb
with loose stones.
Bike permissible
Local Services: Failand village has
a shop and pubs. Long Ashton has
several pubs and shops.
Distance: 3km/2m.
Time: 1hr with a 12 yr old.
Surface: Compact gravel path and
woodland path with small stones the
further on you go (once past the iron
age fort).
• Keep dogs under close
control
The Gordano
Round
Surface: Compact gravel forest
roads.
Crook Peak towers over the M5
outside Weston. It’s a great place
to feel the wind blasting across this
open ridge of the Mendip Hills. An
adventurous walk or ride with views
from Glastonbury Tor to the Severn
Estuary on National Trust land.
Tap’s
Combe
Ashcombe
Wood
Age 10yr +
George’s Hill
Plantation
Weston Woods
Town
Quarry
Steep surface
Climb through evergreen oak woods
to discover caves and rocky outcrops.
Paths loop round the contours and there’s
always something new to discover around
the corner like the woodman’s cottage
or the limestone seats.
Local Activities: The Timberland
Trail for more experienced young
riders starts at nearby Ashton Court.
Tyntesfield, National Trust, is only
2 minutes drive along the B3128.
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is 5 minutes
drive on the B3128.
Worlebury Hill
Distance: 3km/2m.
Local Services: Various local pubs
and shops.
GUIDE
Brockley Combe
Find a moments peace with your family
in the woods above Weston. Where
glimpses of Sand Bay and the coast
punctuate playing in the woods.
Local Activities: Birnbeck Pier and
Sand Bay.
Dolebury
Warren
Local Activities: Rowberrow
Church, High Action Centre
– tobogganing, snow boarding, dry
skiing (Churchill), swimming pool at
Churchill Community School.
Weston Woods
Walk
Walk Activities: Follow the path in
a straight line and you come to the
iron age fort, lots of rocks piled up in
heaps, then onto the dug out bunkers,
large holes that are great fun for hide
and seek. Fantastic views of Sand
Bay from a clearing in the woods on
your right.
Dolebury Hill
Fort
Ride Activities: Good wide trails
and a variety of slopes are great for
practising braking on descents and
pedalling out of the saddle! More
adventurous challenges can be found
on the ‘singletrack’ in the woods.
Parking: Small car park in Dolebury
Bottom, off the A38 south of Churchill.
Age 7yr +
Clevedon Court Woods
Time: 1hr riding with a 7yr old.
Obstacles: Very steep terrain.
Parking: A public car park down a
lane from Manor Road.
Medium surface
• Protect plants and
animals and take your
litter home
Steep area (arrow direction denotes downhill)
Distance: 3km/2km.
Obstacles: Some long gentle
descents and climbs.
Local Services: Churchill Post Office
shop, Fish bar, 24 hour store,
4 pubs in Churchill and the Swan Inn
at Rowberrow.
Age 3yr +
Map Key
Ashton Hill
Plantation
Limestone
Link
Walk and
ride route
GUIDE
Churchill
Quarry
Surface: Concrete track, then stoney
lane and then grass slopes.
Local Services: Abbots Leigh has a
pub. Tyntesfield (National Trust) and
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm are to the west
along the B3128.
Gordano
Valley
Swoop down through the plantation
and pedal hard up the climbs. Ashton
Hill Plantation is a fun family ride
through woods.
Churchill
Batch
Time: 1.5 hrs with 6 year old
twins and plenty of playing ‘Robin
Hood’ in the trees and on the fort’s
embankments.
Walk Activities: Really steep slopes
to play on and trees to hide in and
climb. For the really energetic you
can follow the ridge line along which
leads to Rowberrow Forest and Black
Down above Burrington Combe.
Walton in
Gordano
Weston
Moor
Ashton Hill Plantation
Distance: 2km/1m.
Snake’s Well
Plantation
Distance: 3.5km/2m.
A challenging climb that takes you back
in time to the top of a hill fort. Dominating
the countryside below Dolebury Hill
Fort is a place of high adventure where
imaginations can run riot.
Ladye
Bay
Weston in
Gordano
Ride
route
Flat surface
Local Activities: Public golf course
at Portishead and Weston Lodge
Shooting Grounds (paintballing) in
between Clevedon and Portishead.
Local Activities: Helicopter
Museum at Locking. Weston-superMare and the seafront is only 10
minutes away.
Local Activities: Blagdon Pumping Station, fishing
(permits required),
Burrington Combe.
Obstacles: A few small inclines –
the paths are suitable for bikes
(not stabilisers), 3 wheeler prams
(the off-roading type).
Walk Activities: Lots of places
to get down on to the rocks to play
in rockpools and scramble around.
Watch for the high tides.
Ride Activities: Easy start to the
ride and then some more challenging
riding along the lane with some loose
stones, ruts and mud.
Obstacles: Stiles and bridges over
streams.
Ride Activities: A gentle ride in
this beautiful area with orchards and
hidden valleys. Stop and play by the
pools or pick blackberries along the
lanes in autumn.
GUIDE
Back
Hill
Walk
route
• Leave gates and property
as you find them
Weston
Wood
Common
Wood Hill
Walton
Down
Walk and Ride Key
• Be safe, plan ahead and
follow any signs
Charlecombe
Wood
Weston
Down
Clover
Cliff
Distance: A maze of different paths
allow you to tailor a route from short
30 minute strolls to all afternoon
exploring and den-building.
Distance: 3.5km/2m.
Obstacles: One really steep climb.
Surface: Compact gravel path and
woodland paths.
Taste the sea air with this walk along
the coast from Victorian Clevedon to
Portishead. An adaptable route for
children of all ages, with younger ones
just stop at the many rock ‘balconies’
by the sea and play in the pools.
Time: 2.5 hrs to walk from one end
to the other with a child older than 10.
With young children turn back when
their interest in rockpools gives up.
Bleadon Hill
Follow the
Countryside Code
Redcliffe
Bay
GUIDE
Tel:
01934 888800
Fax:
01934 641741
Minicom: 01934 643172
Email: [email protected]
Web:
www.somersetcoast.com
Goblin Combe Environment Centre,
Plunder Street, Cleeve,
North Somerset BS49 4PQ
Tel:
Email:
Web:
01934 833723
[email protected]
www.goblincombe.org.uk
Forestry Commission,
Recreation Ranger, Coleford Area Office,
Forestry Commission, Bank House,
Bank Street, Coleford GL16 8BA
Tel:
Email:
Web:
01594 833057
[email protected]
www.forestry.gsi.uk
National Trust,
Estate Office, Valley Road,
Leigh Woods BS8 3PZ
Tel:
Email:
Web:
0117 973 1645
[email protected]
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Clevedon Visitor Information Centre,
Clevedon Library, 37 Old Church Road,
Clevedon BS21 6NN
Tyntesfield,
Wraxall,
North Somerset BS48 1NT
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Web:
Tel:01275 461900
0870 458 4500 (Infoline)
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
01275 873498
01275 343630
[email protected]
www.somersetcoast.com