The Chains & Exe Head
1
SS724403 From the car parking lay-by (just to the east of Goat Hill Bridge on the B3358) walk west for 200m and go right through a gate, with a tarmac track signed to Pinkery Outdoor Centre. Go through another gate and go left before the buildings, with a small wind turbine on the right. Follow the permissive path north to a gate and continue on the right-hand side of the shallow valley to another gate at an old reservoir known as Pinkery Pond. The reason for its construction is still the subject of debate and some think it fed a bizarre upland canal which followed the 440m contour.
2
SS722422 Turn left across the embankment, go through a gate after 200m and trend right towards a gate with fingerpost signed to Saddle Gate. Turn right and walk north over the moor to descend to a gate and continue, downhill, on a track for almost 1.5km.
3
SS714449 Turn right and leave the track by the house at Shallowford. Cross Ilkerton Ridge (though the land only rises 10m or so) and veer left towards a white house on the far side of the common. Go through a gate onto a track, cross a bridge and continue uphill past houses to a junction with a lane. Go round the left-hand bend and take the bridleway on the right. Pass a couple of gates and turn left through another gate for 300m. Turn right at the next gate and walk downhill, through a deep beech-lined holloway, to stepping stones over the Hoaroak Water – a cable is strung across as an aid for walkers but take care when the river is in full flow. Continue up the track on the other side of the valley, go through a gate and turn right up the broad grassy Cheriton Ridge.
4
SS737461 Now simply walk ahead for 3.5km. The ridge rises slowly and your route veers right to roughly follow the 350m contour and reach a gate as the valley begins to narrow. Turn right, walk down a footbridge and up to a good path on the right-hand side of the river. This is a glorious twisting valley – keep ahead for 2km, climb past a couple of side valleys and reach a gate on the high ground at Exe Head.
5
SS751415 Turn right through a gate onto a rough track and after 100m go through another gate. Keep ahead, with fence on the right, and pass through two more gates with fine views south to the hills beyond Simonsbath. After 200m a fingerpost with small gate leads right to the trig point, with stile, on the high point of The Chains (there’s also a sign with a warning about the nearby deep bogs). The empty panorama, from a height almost equal to that of
Dunkery Beacon, includes glimpses of the Bristol Channel and Lundy Island.
6
SS734418 Return to the gate and walk south, downhill, on a permissive bridleway. Pass through a couple of gates and continue straight down to a small gate at the road. Turn right for 500m to return to the start.