Nature Features

This walk is roughly three miles long and takes about two hours to complete, crossing fields and hills.

Taking you on this tour is Paula Ruddock and Owen Starr from the Mendip Ramblers Association.

Shepton Mallet walk

(Directions written by Paula Ruddock)

The walk begins in Charlton Road, Shepton Mallet. Take the footpath which crosses the playing field beside the Leisure Centre (close to Whitstone School) by crossing over the stone stile near the telephone box into the playing field and walk towards the bottom right-hand corner. Go through the gate, cross the road (A37) and turn left. 

Before the overhead walkway, turn right up the small road, towards Kilver Court (signed) and with a view of the viaduct. You will pass a gate giving a glimpse of the gardens on your left. Continue on to a footpath between two walls, over the stile and under the viaduct. Go through the wooden gate ahead and turn half right towards the houses and you will soon see a metal gate ahead with a kissing gate alongside. Go through the kissing gate, the stream will be on your right, then continue to the tarmac lane ahead.

Turn left and keep left, and take the footpath at the end on your right. Go through the kissing gate on the tarmac lane which you cross to follow the footpath ahead which continues slightly uphill to a kissing gate. Carry on in the same direction, initially with the wooden fence on your right. Where this fence turns right, continue straight on towards the hedge and trees where you go through a kissing gate.

Turn left on the tarmac path and very shortly turn right through the kissing gate. Walk across the field and through the stone “squeeze” and continue in the same direction towards the hedge ahead. As you meet the hedge, you will see a stone stile on your left with a kissing gate beyond. Cross these and continue to the double set of kissing gates (on the left of the biggish tree ahead of you).

Carry on to the next set of double kissing gates and then a wooden gate and kissing gate alongside. Continue through the next three kissing gates (still in the same direction), then walk towards the fence ahead. Keep the fence on your right then slightly beyond this you go through a kissing gate on your right. Follow the path, between two ponds which brings you out opposite St Adhelm’s Well.

Turn left and walk uphill along this lane until you reach Beech Close on the left. Turn left along Beech Close and almost immediately take the passageway on your left. Pass through the metal gate and follow the path with the school on your right. At the end of the school grounds go through the kissing gate and continue with the hedge on the left.

You will soon see a stone stile on your left which you cross and continue with the hedge now on your right and a small valley below on your left. Continue to the stone steps and stile, over these and turn left to walk towards the bungalows, with the fence on your left. Cross the stile with the bungalow on your right and continue to the stone stile with steps down to the road. On the road turn left, passing the pond on your right. At the end of the wood on your left, there is a kissing gate which takes you on to the East Mendip Way. 

Follow the fence line on your left, walking gently uphill, to cross a stone stile into the next field. Continue with the hedge on your left to go through the kissing gate which leads into a farm track. Continue in the same direction, with the hedge on your right, to the kissing gate where you follow the track to the left towards another kissing gate. Through this kissing gate to descend, with a view of Shepton Mallet and the viaduct ahead of you. Keep the hedge on your left and continue to the kissing gate which leads out of the field. Cross the lane and carry on through the opposite kissing gate into the orchard. Follow the footpath, half left, diagonally through the trees and you will then see a stone stile which you cross and go down the stone steps, then turn right.

You are now on the Fosse Way. Continue up the Fosse Way and just before the gas substation turn left and walk across the field to the stile in the opposite hedge. Continue walking in the same direction uphill and when you reach the brow you will see a stone wall on the left with a double stile crossing it. Once over, walk down the left-hand fence to the metal gate, go through this, then bear right to cross the metal pole stile which will then take you onto the footpath which passes under the viaduct and emerges on the A37. On reaching the A37, turn left. You will now pass Kilver Court on your left and Gaymer on your right. To reach the leisure centre playing field, where the walk began, you will need to cross the A37.