This walk takes in beautiful woodland, panoramic views, an old cedar drive as well as quiet farmland and a pretty village – this is an easy, short circle in Somerset, south of Street, above Compton Dundon. It's 4.75 miles, about 2.25 hours walking. Use the map OS Explorer 141, Cheddar Gorge and Mendip Hills West, grid ref: 503 331.

Park in Combe Hill Woods' free car park. The woods are between Street and Somerton, above Compton Dundon, on a road from Marshall's Elm junction (south of Street) leading to Charlton Mackrell

G iven a clear day, you will marvel at the widespread views across Somerset from Combe Hill as you stride out through woods and then along a ridge.

Drop down through quiet farmland, across an old drive of cedars of Lebanon, to pretty Butleigh village and a great pub, before cutting back across country and up on to the ridge again.

The contrast of great views, mixed ancient woodland, cider orchards and the working farmland make this a memorable interesting circle.

The paths, once we have left the ridge, are not well walked, so you have the satisfaction of knowing that you will be helping to keep them open. In late summer one or two of the fields will be planted with crops, and hopefully there will be a well marked route through. It is a good walk for a dog who is agile enough to negotiate stiles.

Start

With your back to the road, take the track out the back left of the car park through posts by an information board.

The woodland was set up in 1995 by the Nine Square Trust to benefit the people of Street.

En route are interesting boards about the area, including some of the flora and fauna.

There are great views over towards Compton Hill. Reach a junction of tracks and for the best views go out left to the point, passing a dramatic carved seat.

Return to the junction and (from the viewpoint) go straight on along the track. Reach two information boards, one about New Ditch, an Iron Age earthwork and the other about local plants. Head straight over on a small woodland path dropping down a bank.

1. Kissing gate

Go through a wooden kissing gate and you are now on National Trust land on a grassy ridge at Hatch Hill with meadowland. Here you have uninterrupted views. Ahead you can see the top of the Hood Monument in memory of Admiral Samuel Hood. Bend right with your grassy path and continue on to the road (ignore a stile on the left).

2. Road

Cross over and turn left and after a couple of minutes, opposite a path on the left, go right down to a stile by a gate. From here you can see across to Glastonbury Tor.

Enter the field and follow the wood on the right for two fields. Go through a gap and turn left by a copse. Now follow the hedge on your left through two fields and cross on to Wood Lane.

3. Wood Lane

Take the footpath opposite signed to Butleigh. You are aiming for the far right corner. The footpath cuts across the field to the corner, but if there are crops it is wiser to go round the right edge. Go over two stiles in the corner and a short way along on the right, cross a stile and a plank bridge.

4. Orchard

Enter a cider orchard and bear diagonally left across. Clip the corner of woodland on the left and continue on in the same direction across the next part of the orchard. Reach the old cedar drive.

5. Cedar drive

This was a mile-long avenue of cedars of Lebanon linking Butleigh Court to the Hood monument up on the wooded ridge. The Hood family lived at Butleigh Court. The Reverend Hood had two sons who achieved fame and peerage in the navy. Viscount Hood, born 1724, was the admiral who captured Toulon and Portugal in the Napoleonic wars and Lord Bridport, born 1726, commanded the channel fleet that defeated the French off Lorient.

Go left down between the cedars.

You can see that some of the old trees have died, but new saplings have been planted to replace them.

Go through a large metal gate on the right with a footpath arrow. Follow the left fence and carry on into the next field, still along the left. Shortly, go through a gate on the left in the first corner. Go down the right hedge to a stile on the right. Cross and now head diagonally across this large field to the far left corner to the left of a house. Here find a stile onto the road and come out opposite beautiful Butleigh Court.

The Court is noted for its interesting architecture, including the tall carved chimney stacks, which are all different. Local legend has it that the family was cursed to die out within 100 years, which subsequently happened.

Turn right on the road into the village.

6. Butleigh

Turn left down the High Street.

This is a charming, quiet village, whose history is bound up with agriculture rather than with manufacturing, quarrying or mining like many other Somerset villages. The village history is told in a slim book, Butleigh – One thousand years of an English Village, by E F Synge, former vicar at the parish church. A reconstruction of life of one farm worker, John Hodges, who lived in Butleigh in Victorian times, is illustrated at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury.

There is a useful shop on the right if you want a snack en route.

Continue all the way along, ignoring side turns. Go uphill leaving the village.

7. Drive

At a left-hand bend, go straight ahead on a wide Tarmac drive to Higher Rocks Farm. Go past the barn and stable on the left on a stony path. Continue on through a gateway and on through a kissing gate. The path was well mown when I came here.

Reach another road in the village and turn right.

8. Pub

At the junction with the main road come to the 16th century Rose and Portcullis, a very welcoming village pub.

Cross over and go down Wood Lane. Opposite Moor View nursery, go left on the footpath and up the field. In the far right corner, a stile brings you onto a path. In high summer it may be a little overgrown. Watch your footing, as there are several badger holes along here. Follow it up to the end and cross into a cider apple orchard. Go across and over a stile on the far side. Cross the drive and go ahead uphill on a track. Continue on up what is now a footpath. Bend right round the top of the wood and go along the bottom of a field. Cross a stile ahead. The route is diagonally up across the field, so hopefully the farmer will have left a path through the crops. If not, go round the right edge. One third of the way along the top hedge from the top left corner, cross a marked stile and footbridge. Now you want to head across another field of crops to near the far-right corner. There was a young crop of maize developing when I came here. The direction to plot a course across the field is due west.

9. Main road

Go through a gate onto the main road. Turn right with care. Pass the Butleigh turn after about four minutes.

10. By-way

Shortly after this, take the byway on the left signed to Compton Dundon. Go down just a few yards and then turn right on a path through the woodland. Eventually reach a stony track and turn right following it round back to the car park.

The Rose and Portcullis, Butleigh. Tel: 01458 850287. Please call before setting out to confirm opening times.