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Saturday, August 30, 2008, 08:00
ENJOY this ramble in the Gordano valley through farmland, glorious woodland, along a "millionaires row" and down to tiny Clapton-in-Gordano village, with an ancient church and the popular cider and real-ale pub the Black Horse.
Then woodland and field paths, tracks and a lane lead back towards the car. There is a short-cut, and also a quick extra diversion to an Iron Age hillfort, Cadbury Camp. There may be a little mud in places. The only downside is noise from the M5 which our circle crosses, but it makes you glad not to be pounding along in traffic.
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START
Go out the Nailsea end of the layby on to the main road, crossing the side road. Immediately take the marked footpath right through a gate into the field. Don't stay on the track, but instead follow the path alongside the Yeo stream, passing Wraxall Monitoring Station. Go through a gate and on.
1. KISSING GATE
At a footbridge, turn right through a kissing gate and across rather marshy land, over a footbridge and then up a field and into woodland. Maintain direction on the main path uphill through the woods. At a crossing track by a house, turn left on the flat, still in woodland. Pass a sign about this ancient broad-leaved woodland – Towerhouse Wood. Another track joins from the left. Bear right and eventually reach a junction with stony tracks. Turn up right. Avoid the footpath right and continue up to the main B3128.
2. MAIN ROAD
Cross with care on to the pavement and turn left. For some of the way it's a raised pavement. After a few minutes, just before a junction, turn right over a stile. Go down the full length of the field, through a gate and straight across the next field in the valley. Go over a stile by a gate near a pylon. Now bear right down the valley. Cross a stile and continue on, climbing out of the valley. About halfway up, bear up left more steeply to a stile by woodland.
3. WOODS
Cross into the woods and go straight over a track, over another stile and now follow the path uphill, going along fencing and bending, climbing quite steeply all the way to a stile at the top on to Cadbury Camp Lane.
4. CADBURY CAMP LANE
This is a very beautiful, private residential road of large individual houses in spacious gardens, but it's also a right of way. Turn left.
For the shorter and less scenic route: almost immediately turn right on the bridleway. Take this all the way down to a junction. Then on down, under the M5 to Clapton-in-Gordano. Turn left to the Black Horse and rejoin the main route. It's a stony bridleway downhill. It can be wet and is quite difficult to negotiate.
For the main route: stay on Cadbury Camp Lane for nearly a mile. There will be only access traffic. It's a glorious, wide, wooded flat lane. Fork right on a stony bridleway. If you want to visit the well preserved Iron Age fort, stay on the lane a little further and take the second footpath on the left into Cadbury Camp. To continue, soon, opposite John's Meadow, turn right on the Gordano Round (a circular walking route). The path approaches the M5 as you can hear, goes along above it on the edge of woodland and then reaches the bridge.
5. M5 BRIDGE
It's quite awe-inspiring to cross at this point and see the amazing construction of the motorway as it forges its way along the valley side. Turn right on the far side into chestnut woods. Follow the motorway for a short way and enter a field. Now just maintain direction through fields, with several dog-friendly stiles (these may in time be changed into kissing gates – the practice these days). You are gradually descending and moving slightly further from the M5. There are good views over the Gordano Valley. Go through a kissing gate and along a path, maybe a little overgrown in parts. Bend round left and a gate accesses a farmyard. Go straight through to Clevedon Lane.
6. LANE
Turn right. Bend round past Clapton Court and then at the next bend, very shortly, turn up right to the circa 13th-century St Michael's Church, now cared for by the National Churches Trust and sadly locked when I came here. A bench seat gives good views over the valley and across to Portishead. Go left through the iron gate and along the old church path. Follow it all the way to the lane in the village.
7. CLAPTON-IN-GORDANO
Turn right to the Black Horse, a 17th-century inn and former magistrate's gaol. It has a large garden at the back. Here the shorter route joins. Go on a few yards and turn right up Wood Lane. Go under the M5 and on up to a junction of tracks and signpost. (For the shorter route, this is a retrace.)
8. SIGNPOST
Go left to a stile into a field. Once over, go up the bank and follow the top along with great views across to Wales. Cross right over a stile and go straight up through the woods, following the path as it bends over a stream and up the other side. A kissing gate exits the wood. Turn right and come down to Naish Farm.
9. NAISH FARM
Go through a stile by a gate and then leave the Gordano Round and continue ahead over a stile and straight up the field along the left hedge. Continue the same in the next field – the end of your climb! – and in the corner, cross over on to Cadbury Camp Lane. Turn left.
10. STILE
Just past a very modern house, turn right over a stile. Follow the right edge, soon coming alongside woodland.
Cross a stile and follow a path on, alongside a beautiful garden. This narrow path may be a little overgrown. Go on into woodland and maintain direction. Come down all the way to the main road.
11. TOWERHOUSE LANE
Go across and down a single-track lane, Towerhouse Lane. Stay on this, ignoring a left turn, and it leads downhill to the layby.
The Black Horse, Clapton-in-Gordano, 01275 842105.
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