Above the levels

This is a flat, timeless, very rural Somerset circle off the beaten track from historic Wedmore, which is on a ridge just south of the Mendip Hills between Wells and Burnham-on-Sea. It's six miles, about 2.75 hours walking. Use the map OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge and Mendip Hills West, grid ref: 437 481. Park in the village's free car park – what a great asset for any village! This is just to the north of Wedmore off the road leading to Cheddar and is well marked.

T his is a virtually flat walk off the beaten track from the old Somerset market centre of Wedmore through the timeless tranquility of the farming hamlets out along the high land above the levels.

Pass orchards and follow old tracks and lanes which lead to the door of a great pub at Blackford (about one and three-quarter hours from the start). Then it is across through fields back to the start – about an hour away.

It is not ideal for less agile dogs as there are a few stiles where the dog may have to jump or find a way around.

Follow quiet lanes and tracks at first with most of the field footpaths towards the end.

Some of the fields will undoubtedly have grazing cattle as this is the nature of the countryside here.

Back in Wedmore is a good pub and a choice of cafes.

START

Take the Tarmac path out the back of the car park. Reach a residential road. Turn right and bend round right and come out at the main village street in Wedmore.

Turn left past a variety of interesting old cottages and shops. At the top, bend right and very shortly, cross and go left up the footpath between walls, climbing. Cross a stile and turn right and out on to the road through a gate. Turn right.

1. SHORTLAND LANE

Shortly, turn left up Shortland Lane. It becomes a track and just follow it on, ignoring side paths. Bend right and continue to the end to a lane on the edge of Wedmore past cottages.

Go left and continue uphill out of Wedmore.

2. FOOTPATH

At the cottage on the left, Apple Dumpling Cottage, turn left on the marked public footpath track. Continue past a house, go through a kissing gate at the end and on across a short stretch of field and over a stile. Follow the left edge of the field, where there is a Beware of Bull sign (but no bull when I came). In the corner, cross a stile and go on a yard or two more. Then go right through an old rather rickety large iron gate and up the field to the farm. Go through the farmyard and join a lane.

3. LANE

Turn right along this quiet lane which goes through this rural landscape along the edge of the ridge above the Levels. Ignore all side paths and turns. Pass the entrance to Sand Hall on the left and go through Sand hamlet (not signed). After a total of about six minutes on the lane, opposite a line of houses on the right, turn left down the side of Ash Grove Farm on a track known as Castle Lane.

4. CASTLE LANE

Pass an orchard and as you progress there are peaceful views across the Levels and, of course, to Glastonbury Tor. Go through a gate and continue on past a cottage and farm on what is now a stony track and later becomes Tarmac. At the end reach a T-junction with a lane.

Turn right and immediately left. Reach a cottage on the right by two telegraph poles, and opposite, go left through a field gate marked with footpath arrows.

5. FIELD

Bear diagonally right down the length of the field. In the corner, go out and cross a track, leading to a yard and nursery, and go straight over, past a large freight container. Tucked in the corner find a stile. Cross into a field and follow the left hedge through three fields until you reach a house ahead.

Cross the stile barrier into the garden and straight through with the house on your right. Go out through a gate by a cattle grid and turn left immediately along the hedge. Hidden in the corner is a covered fence "stile". Cross over into an old orchard and continue with the hedge on your right to a large metal gate on to a grass track.

6. FARM

The track leads out past a farm on to a lane. Maintain direction. This is another stretch along a quiet lane past mellow farms and through the hamlet of Westham and you are now down on the very edge of the Levels.

7. FOSSE LANE

After about seven minutes, reach a junction and turn right towards Blackford. This is Fosse Lane. After about another 10 minutes, go round a left bend.

8. GATE

Just past it, turn right through a marked metal gate.

Go up the left hedge and through the gate ahead in the corner. Turn left along the hedge and round the corner, ignoring a gate. Continue with the hedge on your left all the way to the corner where a stile leads onto a tree shaded path. Follow this along and then right.

9. BLACKFORD

Continue all the way to the road in Blackford and the Sexeys Arms opposite. It's a comfortable old village pub with a garden behind and open daily.

Go in front of the pub and take the footpath track on. Before reaching a house, turn right up steps and turn left in the field along the wall and fence. Cross a stile and continue on, to cross two more stiles and come on to a stony track past converted cottages. It is all pretty clear. If the stiles are difficult for your dog there are adjacent gates which are probably easy to open. The track leads to a lane on a bend. Go straight on (right).

10. BEND

Very soon, on the bend, go straight ahead on the footpath and you are now leaving Blackford. Go through a metal kissing gate and left along the bottom of a field. In the corner, continue ahead under trees, ignoring a stile right, and reach a large gate which takes you through into a field and keep on. Down on the right, obscured by trees is a stream. Cross a small footbridge ahead of you in the field and continue across to the far side of the field to a large metal gate.

Once through this head across the next field where there are two metal gates ahead. Bear slightly left and go through the left hand of the two gates. Go straight through, bearing very slightly right (not along the left edge) on a path, which even when the field was high in maize was still passable. Reach a hedge on the far side and turn left along the edge of this large field.

This next section is rather tedious and heavy going when I came because of the maize, but hopefully the harvest will be over when you come.

In the corner, cross two stiles and go straight on in the field with the hedge on the right. Go through a large gate on the right in the corner and then bear diagonally left across to a metal gate leading to a lane.

11. STILE

Cross a stile on the other side and head across the field and over a stile/footbridge/stile. Continue on, bearing slightly right across two narrow fields with notices about the richness of hedges, ditches and grass. Then head down the centre of the next field diagonally to an opening in the hedge near the far corner. You can see houses in Wedmore ahead. Once through, turn left for a few yards and go through a metal gate.

Head down across the centre of the field diagonally to the bottom left corner by houses on the edge of Wedmore. Cross over on to a path and follow it left along to a drive which leads out to Lascot Hill. Turn right and reach a junction in Wedmore.

12. WEDMORE

Turn left. Reach the beautiful Norman church of St Mary's, sometimes referred to as The Cathedral of the Levels, and go through the churchyard straight on and out the other side down onto the village street. Follow it down. On the left on the corner at the bottom is Lloyds the Chemists, which was one of the very first "department stores" in the West Country, Tonkins.

Turn left passing the Swan over on the right and the village hall on the left and bend right on the Cheddar Road. Cross with care and go along only a few yards, to take the first drive on the right, marked as "Barns" and "No Public Access". Find the footpath over a stile at the end onto the entrance drive to the village car park. Turn right to the start.

Sexeys Arms, Blackford. Tel: 01934 712487. The Swan, Wedmore. Tel: 01934 712231. Please call before setting out to confirm opening times.