TR Oakhill, Maesbury,Beacon Woods, Somerset. 8 mile circ. 19th Aug '11

[alewife]

 
Short trip report of an 8 mile circuit that I did today with a new forum member hillndale.
 
This was a country walk from a book called More Mendip Walks by Sue Gearing (very nice clear instructions and some little snippets of info about different parts of the walk).
 
We parked in the village of Oakhill, between Shepton Mallet and Bath. Then re-parked 10 yards away after one of the locals scowled at us and said she had visitors coming – obviously her visitors couldn’t walk 10 yards .
 
 
The first section of the walk took us onto an ancient iron-age fort with fantastic views across to the Bristol channel  to the NW approx 40 miles away. (and Wells cathedral but no picture of that)
 
Bristol channel



Another view from Masbury Hill Fort



 
 
From here we walked via a quiet lane and fields, towards Shepton Mallet where we had a view of Glastonbury Tor
 
 
Glastonbury Tor just visible between the two trees.
 


 
 
 
We then joined the old Fosse Way, which took us up into Beacon woods, a small ancient woodland with standing stones and some nearby barrows.
 
Leaving the woods we could just see  Downside Abbey tower (right in the middle of the pic).
 




 
Continuing on the old Fosse Way and we rejoined the lane to Oakhill returned to the car (no sign of scowling local – or her ‘visitors’)


Pics don't do the views justice but I know you guys like a few pics



 
 
 

[Catbells]

Looks like a good day you had lovely trip report, I know what I would have told the scowling lady!!

[Glyders]

Looks lovely alewife - not a dual carriage way in sight 

[freeas.abird]

Pics don't do the views justice but I know you guys like a few pics

Agreed! It is hard to get a scale of the Mendip in a photograph.
 
Oakhill was alright when we lived there! (maybe...Ha!)

[alewife]

 
Oakhill was alright when we lived there! (maybe...Ha!)

We lived in the next village to Oakhill for 16 years, but I had never done this walk before .

[hillndale]

Glad to see that your camera-work was successful!
Might be worth mentioning that there are a great many stiles on this walk and some of them were 'challenging'. Easy walking in between though.

[freeas.abird]

We lived in the next village to Oakhill for 16 years

So what was your local pub called? We used the Wagon and Horses quite a lot, before it was ponsified by that Italian bloke....
Was pleased to read you TR, the Mendip is lovely in the Summer, very rural and quiet. Winter can be brutal though.....

[alewife]

So what was your local pub called? We used the Wagon and Horses quite a lot, before it was ponsified by that Italian bloke....
Was pleased to read you TR, the Mendip is lovely in the Summer, very rural and quiet. Winter can be brutal though.....

Do you mean Francisco? (he was (is) Columbian)


You must remember Bill and Babs then from before then. We used to go there too, mostly before we had litte'uns.


I was given the Mendip walks book when I left a job, and have never really looked at it before but have decided  to do all 12 walks  when I'm looking for somewhere locallish to go. Some are a bit short but I can add a bit on.

[freeas.abird]

You must remember Bill and Babs then from before then

 
Blimey, that's a blast from the past! We used to see Bill about a bit in Wells after they left the pub, not seen him recently......
We never really got to know 'Francisco'. He ran it more as a Gastropub, like most others these days. No lock-ins! It was open again when I went past the other day.


I had a nice walk up Ebbor Gorge via Wookey Hole recently, and I have a TR of Cheddar Gorge lined up when I get the chance to post it. Plenty of good walking on the Mendip. Looking forward to your next Mendip meanderings..