On the levels

Sat 8 Mar ‘25 DH, RW, PCL, DL, JS

Following the last couple of weeks walks which have been being quite undulating I thought it only right and proper that this week would be predominantly on level ground, and there’s no better place to do that than at Somerton and the very eastern side of the infamous Somerset Levels as the high ground gives way to a flat expanse which stretches some twenty miles to the Bristol Channel. With the Mendips to the north and the Blacdown hills to the south, all water heading west has to pass through the 160,000 acres of a rich biodiversity of national and international importance. The whole area, only split by the Polden Hills supports a vast variety of plant and bird species and includes 32 SSSIs and 12 special protection areas.

With just five of us available for selection this week we met at the Brunel shopping centre car park, which allows three hours of free parking. Phil driving the Bruton car this week (whilst Richards car is in dock) opted to park at the furthest point away from where the Wincanton trio were but we managed to meet in the middle and start on todays new route, an anti-clockwise loop to the north of the town. We exited the car park over the London Paddington line and headed down a small path on the edge of the town cemetry. At the edge of the housing estate we dropped down a steep path and as the fishing lakes and some new cabins under construction came into view through the trees, I heard from the group behind me the often heard phrase on our weekly walks ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was here’!

What we had dropped down into was the parking area and clubhouse of the Viaduct Fishery, with half a dozen individually named lakes fed by the River Cary behind. The new cabins built on the banks look like they will be accommodation for overnight visitors. The combined area of the lakes looked to be far less than earlier in the year at Todber Lakes, but there were a good numbers of anglers on some of the lakes. We headed out along their access road and onto a minor road heading north.

As we progressed along Barpool Lane following the line of the River Cary and past the sewage works, the large mound which is Dundon Hill was directly in front of us and to our right the ridgeline behind Compton Dundon covered by Copley and Great Breech Woods curved around to form the slim finger of land, known as the Polden Hills. This spot of higher ground extends out into the lower ground of the levels and splits them into North and South areas. At the end of the lane we paused to admire some young cattle in a barn and Etsome Dairy Farm, whilst I weighed up the options to stick with my original route or extend it slightly at this point. We opted for the latter and crossed Etsome bridge before turning left and onto a path on the north side of the river.

On the far side a windsock was flying, although it was difficult from our angle to see the grass strip but it did enable us to learn how to read the wind speed from a sock. We progressed along the river bank as it slowly dropped its ladt bit of height before the slow crawl to the coast. With the wind behind it looked like the ether was some good flow on the river, although ober the mile that we walked alongside it, it would only loose around 5metres of height. The path along the field edges was wide and very firm considering how much rain we have had so far this month, and it was good to see the water looking clearer than expected. We followed the slight twists as we made our way to our next crossing point at Somerton Door bridge. This small stone bridge was an ideal backdrop for todays groupie, after which we climbed onto the bridge to admire the scenery for a few minutes.

As we arrived on the bridge a fellow walker came from the far side with a pair of golden retreivers, both just itching to get into the water, as is their style. We stood on the bridge watching them retreive sticks from the river, although often making the exit up the bank more difficult than they needed to for them selves. Our next leg would take us back towards Somerton but looking in the opposite direction up a straight track, we could just make out the white structure of the old Windmill which sits on the Polden hills above Street.

We set off along a small unclassified road and past Somerton Door Farm before turning left onto a bridle way which would climb us through the woods and into the outskirts of Somerton. At this point we had been mud free all the way so far, but with water running into the lane from the adjacent fields and there being obviously tractors using the track, despite the stone base it was muddy and slippery in places and quite a steep and slow plot up to the top.

We all paused to get our breath back for a while (for once I can’t saw we stopped to take in the view, as we were stuck between large hedgerows which afforded little to no view of the surrounding countryside). The muddy track had by now turned into a tarmac coated pathway and with a bit of downhill we soon got the pace going as we passed the edge of the Branscombe trading estate and then the recently built (2012) King Ina primary academy. We then had a to do a bit of ducking and diving through the housing estates at the edge of town before eventually coming out just above the Fire Station. On the forecourt stood an immaculately clean and shiny appliance on a MAN chassis. No doubt the pride and join of the crew at this on-call station. Another few twists and turns and we were back at the car park in perfect time for breakfast. A steady 4.4 miles completed in just over 1hr 45 minutes.

We were booked into the M and M cafe in the shopping arcade for 11.00 and with Deryck already having bought his bread this week, we were quickly in our seats placing our orders. It has been a couple of years since we were last here but the menu hasn’t changed much and the prices only increased a reasonable amount. Our mugs of tea and coffees were quickly at the table and food not far behind. I had opted for an extra portion of black pudding, and was assured the £2.40 was great value as it was a good thick slice, but to be truthful it was no better than a average portion at most other locations that only charge a pound or so. However, it’s only a minor issue as the breakfast as a whole was good, the sausage and bacon were both very tasty, and the service was very good. Hopefully we’ll be back again soon.

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