This is a fascinating and easy circle for morning or afternoon in East Mendip exploring the diverse country around Radstock and going up Jack and Hill hill, of nursery rhyme fame. It's about 4.25 miles/about 2hrs 15 mins walking.

Use the map OS Explorer 142, Shepton Mallet and Mendip Hills East, ref: 502 554.

Park at the free car park in Station Road, Radstock. Get to the junction by the Co-op in the centre of Radstock and go across into Fortescue Road which is parallel with the larger A362 Frome Road. Continue along here past a few shops and Victoria Hall and straight on at the junction. Continue for a few more yards and turn up right to the car park.

T his short Somerset circle in East Mendip makes tracks along the disused rail line, the Colliers Way, for half the walk, and then it's in the steps of Jack and Jill up the hill in Kilmersdon before following a stream and valley, through an Open Access area. The route also passes one of the old collieries.

Much of the walk is completely dry underfoot – on the rail track – where you can stride out and work up a thirst.

Stop en route at the pub in Kilmersdon about 50 minutes from the start or have a cuppa at the end in the friendly community Tea and Trade Cafe.

There's only one steep hill; the rest is flat or undulating. It's an excellent dog walk with very few stiles and these are not difficult.

START

Turn right from the car park and go along past St Nicholas Church. Just past it, set back on the right, is the Trade Centre and Cafe, which you can visit at the end. Continue along the road, cross the river, and shortly turn left in Meadow View. This turns into a footpath track at the end. Follow it on and over a bridge and up to join the old railway line, now the Colliers Way.

1. COLLIER'S WAY

Turn right along the route where, as you can see, the old line is still in situ. One can't help imagine the journeys that must have been taken along here in the past. Keep an eye and ear open for cyclists using this route.

The Collier's Way is part of the National Cycle Network that is set to run from Dundas near Bath to Southampton.

Pass a Collier's Way board, which aptly sets the scene for our walk.

It explains that Radstock was at the centre of the North Somerset coalfield, with mining active from 1762 to 1973. Two railway lines crossed just to the west of the town causing major congestion on the level crossings for years.

The route we are on is part of the old GWR route from Bristol to Radstock and on to Frome, closed in 1959. The main purpose of the route was to service the coalfield and the many collieries more efficiently than could be achieved using canals. The line opened for freight traffic in 1854 and for passengers in 1875.

Pass a bench seat offering a pleasant view over the valley. After a while the going becomes more open and you can see across the rolling Somerset farmland. Pass another bench. Soon see Kilmersdon church and village ahead on the right.

2. STEPS

As you near the village, go right down a flight of steps past a small sewage works. Join the Tarmac and continue on towards the village. On the rough grass on the left notice a large stone boulder. This gives the names of the apple trees planted nearby and along the Collier's Way.

Artists work on this project with local schools to develop a "linear orchard" along the old track, consisting of English apples trees to highlight the disappearing orchards in Somerset and echo self-seeded fruit trees (from apples cores thrown by train passengers).

3. KILMERSDON

Pass a beautiful old farmhouse on the right with a weeping ash in the garden and then as you draw closer to the centre pass the old charity school on the left, circa 1703.

Take the first turning on the right, Jack and Jill Hill, named after a local couple who used to go regularly up the steep hill to the well, and whose accident gave rise to the popular nursery rhyme. It is, of course, difficult to separate fact from fiction!

On the way up pass stones citing the individual lines of the rhyme.

4. WELL

Reach the well at the top, by the primary school.

The Jack and Jill millennium project discovered a medieval well shaft and 38ft-deep well in 1999, and built this attractive well head over it. Also notice the children's slate drawings on the wall of the school.

Continue on up to the road and turn right. Shortly, fork left and follow this flat lane, past a farm, and on all the way to the main road.

5. ROAD

Cross and take the track opposite. At the end of the field, go ahead through a wooden hunting gate and then downhill following the left fence.

Reach a stream in the bottom and go straight on through a marked gate and over a small stone footbridge. Go on along a path which may be muddy for a yard or two.

6. VALLEY

At a crossing footpath turn right into the field and now go straight ahead through the valley with the stream over on your right.

Go through another gate and on, passing a house and garden on your left. Come to a grassy, hummocky area which could be the remains of former mining.

The path continues on but at the same time climbs, so that soon you are walking above the stream. Over on the other side is a house and then woodland.

Keep on over two stiles and then ahead on the other side of the stream you can see the remains of a former colliery with its huge slag heap, now almost completely covered with vegetation.

7. STREAM

Maintain direction and drop down into the valley to a stream which crosses your path and find the best route across this, probably using some of the stepping stones, and go straight ahead up the hill.

Take the stile on the right and then drop down and turn left along the bottom with a hedge and woodland on the left. Ahead are houses in Radstock.

Continue on the path, which shortly drops down into a small wooded valley. The path goes along under the trees and bushes and scrub and then rises out of the valley. Come up very close to houses to a crossing path and here turn right and drop down away from them.

Climb up and go through the boundary on to the old slag heap and immediately turn left through an open grassy area. Soon pick up a path, going along with the wooded valley down on your left.

8. WOOD

Reach a wood and go straight ahead on a not very clear path, descending gently.

Start to bear down left to the stream and cross a footbridge – there will be three of these in total over the stream. On the other side of the stream go up over a stile and turn right on a path through the valley with the water on your right. After three or four minutes bear right towards the stream and keep your eyes open for a stile/barrier. Go over and turn left along the edge of the stream.

Go across a second footbridge into an Open Access area. You need to go straight ahead and can choose any route you like. There may be areas of mud churned up by the horses but there is plenty of space to negotiate a relatively clear mud-free passage. Go under power lines after about five minutes. Hear the noise of a weir and go towards it.

9. FOOTBRIDGE

Just on beyond the weir, find a third footbridge taking you back over to the other side of the stream. Go up ahead a yard or two and over a stile on to a crossing track and turn right. It's not long before you reach a stile by a gate .

Arrive at the churchyard of St Nicholas. Pass the church and come to the Free Trade Centre and café where you were earlier. Turn left back to the car park.

The Jolliffe Arms, Kilmersdon, Radstock BA3 5TD. Tel: 01761 436699. Tea and Trade tea rooms, Church Street, Radstock BA3 3QG. Tel: 01761 436016. Please call before setting out to confirm opening times.