Will's Neck – the highest point of the Quantocks – open heathland with heather and breathtaking views, wooded combes and an ancient church nestling in the side of a hill – these are all ingredients for this quintessentially Quantock circle.

It's about six miles, 2.75 hours walking. Use the map OS Explorer map 140, Quantocks Hills and Bridgwater, ref 180 338.

Park in Lydeard Hill car park not far from West Bagborough. It can be approached from Bishops Lydeard on the A358 or from Bridgwater or North Petherton. A narrow lane then leads up and into the signed parking area over a cattle grid.

T his is a poetic walk in more ways than one. Ramble over the Quantocks from Lydeard Hill and down to charming Aisholt, much loved by the poets Wordsworth, Coleridge and Henry Newbolt, and then climb up above Aisholt Common and wax lyrical about the great views and the open, high heathland.

We finish by going over the highest point of Quantock and out along the hill.

It is a fairly strenuous circle full of contrasts with a reasonable amount of uphill work but also easy downhill and flat stretches.

Walking is mainly on old tracks. Go well prepared for colder weather on the top. There is no refreshment en route, so take a picnic.

This is a good walk for dogs, with mainly gates to negotiate rather than stiles.

START

Enjoy the tremendous views from the car park. Then, facing into the car park from the approach, go out on the right side through a small gate marked with the sign for the Quantock Hills AONB. Head along with woodland on your right. Go through an old boundary and continue on, getting your first views to Wales on a clear day across Flat Holm. Reach a gate ahead into a field. Don't go through, but turn right over a stile by a wooden gate.

1. WOOD

Take the track through the woodland. On the far side reach a T-junction with a track and turn left (you will be on this for well over a mile). It is lined with the ubiquitous Quantock beeches which have now grown as trees on the high banks but started out as beech hedges. Start to get some good views across Somerset. The track gently descends. Ignore a by-way left. The track becomes more sunken.

Pass the entrance to a farm on the right and then the track becomes harder under foot and more like a country lane. Pass a cottage on the left under renovation, and ignore a footpath right. At the next long stone cottage on the right, go left on the marked footpath.

2. FOOTPATH

The path goes under hollies. It is blocked at the end, so go up into the field on the left. Maintain direction as before and keep the hedge on your right. In the corner, drop into another field – it's long and narrow. Go across, bearing very slightly right and go through a gap in the hedge opposite. In the next field bear diagonally right to the far right corner by cottages on the edge of Aisholt. Cross a dilapidated stile on to a path and turn right. Join a lane and turn left into Aisholt.

3. AISHOLT

This charming little hamlet spanning the Canning Brook was enjoyed by the romantic poets, including Coleridge who described it as "a green, romantic chasm". Aisholt was also a favourite place for another poet, Sir Henry Newbolt. He settled here in "this beloved valley" in the 1930s in a fine thatched cottage further down the lane, the old schoolhouse.

Newbolt is famous for his poems of sea battles, notably Drake's Drum. The hamlet's name comes from the fine ash woods which surround it and provided cover for deer and other game.

Reach the picturesque ancient church and go through the parking area into the churchyard and down to the church. It was probably founded by a hermit priest before the Norman Conquest. It has a beautiful simplicity and peace. Some of its interesting features include evidence of a Devil's Door, a hagioscope and a very early oak dug-out chest.

Leave the churchyard by a small side gate and drop on to the lane. Immediately opposite is a footpath. You have a choice of routes. The first is to turn right on the lane and pass the thatched cottage where Newbolt lived. The second is a little shorter and is a pretty route off the lane and across the fields and brook.

For the first, simply turn right on the lane dropping down to the brook and pass the thatched cottage. Continue on up the lane to a junction and turn left. Carry on to reach the footpath stile on the left where the other route joins. Follow directions from STILE.

For the second, cross the stile opposite the side church gate by Shepherds Cottage. Drop down the field, passing to the left of a magnificent old oak. Cross a footbridge over the brook and climb up the other side. Go through a gate and continue on up to reach the top hedge and stile on to a lane.

4. STILE

Turn left on the lane. Soon turn right up a Tarmaced bridleway and start a fairly steady climb out of the valley. It becomes a sunken path. The way was blocked by a fallen tree after the February snows but the Quantock AONB service were going to deal with it. The track continues up to a gate into the Open Access land of Aisholt Common. You simply want to continue up on the track towards a broad crossing track along the top in front of woodland.

Before you get there you can turn left and follow a grassy track across the common which parallels the top track but gives you more open views. Eventually it brings you back up on to the top track.

5. TRACK

If you go as far as the track, turn left. You remain on this track, beech-lined for much of the way, for well over 1.75 miles, so don't worry about the directions, just enjoy the scenery as you stride out above the common with fine views across some of the hills that make up the Quantocks – Middle, Lydeard, Bagborough and Marrow.

You climb for quite a while, level out and then climb again before the track becomes flatter. Ignore all tracks and paths leading off. Eventually start to get some views right over trees and Cockercombe.

The track curves right and crosses the head of the combe. After a few more minutes, see ahead a large metal gate, which leads to the parking area of Triscombe Stone.

6. SHARP LEFT

Don't go this far, but turn sharp left up a broad track which almost goes back on itself and climbs. It begins with a wooden post stating "no vehicles or bikes".

The track forks – stay on the left branch and climb steadily up with great views across to Wales until you eventually arrive at the trig point at Wills Neck, 384m above sea level.

7. WILL'S NECK

Carry on past the trig on your right and now walk along the top of the hill clad in heather and gorse. Ignore side paths. Drop down towards woodland and stay over to the left to pass to the left of the woods and carry on with the valley dropping down on your left. Eventually arrive at a gate ahead which leads on to Lydeard Hill.

8. LYDEARD HILL

You have to reach the far side of the hill. You can either stay fairly much on the level on the main path following the right fence which leads to the car park. Or, take the middle path, which goes up over the hill and is a pleasant grassy track for much of the way with good views left over Bridgwater Bay and later over Somerset to the right. Take the right fork and just continue on and then drop down to the car park.