Fact file...
Distance – 4 miles.
Time – 3 hours
Start – Ring o’ Bells in Hinton Blewett (GR 595569 or postcode BS39 5AN).
Maps – OS Explorers 141/142 Mendip Hills West and East.
Terrain – Undulating; one moderate climb.
Contact – via vilewalks on Facebook or email nigelvile@gmail.com
Directions
Getting there: Follow the B3114 from Chewton Mendip towards West Harptree. In 2 miles take a right turn to Hinton Blewett. Keeping right at two junctions, follow for 1 mile until you reach the Ring o’ Bells on the left.
Follow Litton Lane opposite the pub, signposted to Litton and Chewton Mendip. In 100 yards, by the village hall, pass through a gateway on the left to follow a signposted footpath. Follow this across 4 fields. In a fifth, veer right towards a telegraph pole and, then drop downhill to a gate at the end of a wooden fence. In the next field, drop downhill to a gate in the bottom left corner of the field and the road in Cameley. Turn right and walk through the village and, 100 yards past the church, with stables on the left, pass through a farm gate on the right and walk across to the far end of the field where there are two gates. Pass through the right hand of these gates before following the left edges of the next 4 fields.
In the corner of the fourth field, pass through an old gateway on the left and walk ahead to a gate and Hollow Marsh Reserve. Walk down the right edge of this meadow, woodland on the right. In the bottom corner of the field, cross a footbridge over a stream and enter another meadow. Walk down the left edge of this meadow and, in 80 yards, just before a wooden bridge over a stream, turn around and walk back on yourself, bearing left, to the far left corner of the meadow ahead. Leave this section of Hollow Marsh via a handgate and follow a path to a point where it ends at a stream. Turn left and walk down the edge of the woodland to a stile and field. Walk down the right edge of this field for 100 yards before turning right through an old gateway. Walk up the left edge of the field ahead to a gate and track. Turn right and, at a junction in 350 yards, turn right down to a handgate and Hollow Marsh.
Turn left and walk along the top edge of this meadow to a handgate on the left in 20 yards. Beyond this, walk uphill following the right edge of a field. At the top of field turn right into the adjoining field, then immediately left into the next field before turning immediately right through a gap in the hedge into the adjoining field. Turn left and walk down the left edge of this field to a gate. In the next field drop downhill, bearing slightly left, to cross a stream bed, before climbing uphill to a gate in the top right corner of the field. Follow the hedge ahead for 20 yards to a corner, turn left and follow the line of hedge down to gate, walking in line with Hinton Blewett Church. Cross the next field to a gate then walk across the next field to point where hedges form a corner. Walk downhill, hedge on the left, to a gate in the bottom corner of the field. Turn left and retrace your steps across this field to a gate and road. Turn right back up to pub.