This is a beautiful circle of highs and lows close to Hutton, near Weston-super-Mare, on the western end of the Mendip Hills. It's about seven miles, about 3.5 hours walking. Use the map OS Explorer map 153, Weston-super-Mare, grid ref: 358 589. Park on the edge of Hutton village, which lies about two miles east of Weston hospital. At the very far eastern end of the village, on the way to Locking, turn up Windmill Hill (next to Canada Combe). Park a little way up on the right in a parking lay-by for the Millennium Walk. Put your car in nose first at an angle to maximise the space. If it is full, drive on up Windmill Hill and park at the side of the road, near the top, after the houses. You can park anywhere up along here as our circle passes this way, so you lose nothing. Just continue on along to the end of Windmill Hill and follow details from 1. TRACK.

E xpect to enjoy some unparalleled views, hear the skylarks' song, feel the wind and enjoy any sun that is going on this circle in North Somerset.

It explores the western end of the Mendip plateau from Hutton village near Weston-super-Mare. Choose a clear, sunny day if you can for the best views.

Go through the Millennium green and climb fairly gently up Windmill Hill. The views improve all the time and then on Bleadon Hill you can enjoy a 360-degree panorama.

Drop down Shiplate Slait and follow the foot of the hill to cross and follow the River Axe.

In Bleadon there is a good pub for a stop before a fairly stiff climb up through a wildlife area on Hellenge Hill and then along Hutton Hill and through woods before dropping down Canada Combe.

There is a balance of hills, flat and downhill stretches, there are lots of kissing gates and most stiles have dog gates.

START

Go into the village green on Hutton Millennium Walk, a very beautiful area maintained by the village. Bear right, then bend up left where there are seats and great views over Weston and the Channel. In spring expect to enjoy the wildflowers here, including cowslips. Go up to the top and out on to Windmill Hill.

Turn right. Continue to climb getting good views the higher you go.

1. TRACK

At the end, continue on along a track. Turn right at the first junction and pass woodland on your left where you may see bluebells in season.

2. COTTAGE

At a cottage, fork left. Ignore a right track, bend and climb more steeply up what is now a rocky route. At a junction at the top, turn up right, still ascending. At a signpost. Keep straight on in the Loxton direction.

3. BLEADON HILL

The track leads to a gate leading on to Bleadon Hill where you really are on top of the world with views all round. It can also be mighty windy up here! There are particularly magnificent views across the Bristol Channel to Lavernock Point.

Go straight across the hill and find a wooden hunting gate just to the left of woodland.

4. SHIPLATE SLAIT

Go through and downhill, down Shiplate Slait.

It would be appropriate if you saw sheep grazing down here, as it was described as "one of the finest sheep slaits (pastures) in England" at the end of the 18th century. The name shiplade, meaning sheep path, appears to date from the 10th century.

Go through a couple of gates on the way and then join a lane which takes you down, round bends, to the Loxton-Bleadon road at the foot. Cross with care.

5. FARM DRIVE

Take the stile on the right at the start of the farm drive. Go down the field parallel with the drive and bear gradually right to reach a stile and small footbridge in the far right corner by a telegraph pole.

Cross the bridge and follow a hedge on the right along the line of telegraph poles.

You have reached the edge of the Levels, criss-crossed by rhynes and irrigated by the River Axe and the backdrop is the sunny southern slope of Mendip.

At the end of the field, do a bit of a dog leg but continue to follow the power lines. Maintain direction on the flat through fields following footpath arrows until you reach South Hill Farm.

6. FARM

Don't go into the farmyard. Instead, turn left in the field passing alongside the farm on your right. In the corner go right through a gate and reach the River Axe. Follow it along on your left, and go through another gate.

7. FOOTBRIDGE

Reach a large metal footbridge over the Axe. Cross and then turn right. Follow the river on your right through several fields and reach the main A370. Go right along the pavement.

8. BLEADON BRIDGE

Cross Bleadon Bridge and view the large tide gates and sluice.

The Axe rises 20 miles away in Wookey Hole and before the construction of the doors here in 1802, the river was navigable for coal vessels and small craft as far as Cheddar. It also had important fisheries but for a long time these were ruined by poisoned water from lead works at Charterhouse and by chemical refuse from paper mills. Today, it is once again favoured by anglers.

Go through a parking lay-by at the side of the road and then turn right. Almost immediately turn right again, next to the residential raod, with a quarry on your left up a metalled track.

Follow the footpath sign up to the left. Go up the hill, through a gate and on to reach a footpath marker. Go straight up and follow the quarry fence on your left.

Continue on to an iron gate, taking you through on to a path which drops downhill all the way to the church in Bleadon.

9. BLEADON

The noble tower of this church is a landmark for miles. Bleadon village has had its share of interesting rectors. One, Edward Powell, refused to take Henry VII's Oath of Succession and so was hanged, drawn and quartered at Smithfield in 1540. He has since been recognised as a martyr by the Catholic Church.

Turn left passing the church door and go out the main gate. Pass the old stone village cross, part of which dates back to the late 14th century. Turn right on the village road. Up ahead on the left is the welcoming Queen's Arms.

To continue, go along Shiplate Road towards Loxton. After two or three minutes, reach a footpath marker on the grass verge. It directs you left up a Tarmac drive.

10. HELLENGE HILL

At the top go through on to Hellenge Hill following the West Mendip Way.

This area of grassland, designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance, is in the care of Avon Wildlife Trust and is home to several rare plants. It is also a good habitat for birds, invertebrates and adders. Go straight on up and at the next marker continue in the same direction (not right), climbing now quite steeply up through gorse and out on to the open hilltop.

Keep on to a stile on the left. Once over, maintain direction along the right fence up to a line of houses on Bleadon Hill.

11. ROAD

Turn left on the road and shortly go right up a track following the footpath sign. Cross a stile at the end into a field and bear diagonally right across and on to the crest of the hill. Carry on in the same direction and reach the corner of a wall. Go ahead and drop down into a gully.

12. GULLY

Cross the stile and go up the other side into another field. Maintain direction and on the far side cross a stile and continue on, coming alongside woodland on your left. Follow it along and in the corner cross a stile into Hutton Woods.

13. WOODS

Go on through. The hollows you can see through here are pits from earlier mining for yellow ochre, widely used in the paint industry. The miners discovered a cave system and in the mid 18th century remarkable fossils of wolf, tiger, cave bear, ox horse and elephant were discovered.

Once out of the woods, continue on down a track

14. UPPER CANADA

Eventually reach a lane at Upper Canada. Turn left and go on down Canada Combe, a very beautiful valley. There may be some traffic along here.

15. HUTTON

Reach the main road in Hutton and turn right and right again up Windmill Hill to the Millennium Walk. If you had to park further up the hill, go right through the gate to the village green and follow the directions from START.

The Queen's Arms, Celtic Way, Bleadon, Weston- super-Mare BS24 0NF. Tel: 01934 812080. Please call before setting out to confirm opening times.