Mendip Ring +

Mendip Ring Circular. Deerwood Common, Gare Hill, East Woodlands. 11.5 Miles

This walk start from Deerwood Common Grid Ref. ST 771389 Then goes through the woods to Gare Hill down to Bunn's Lane before a stroll through the woods at Longleat to reach East Woodlands Church, back through the woods to West Woodlands then some lane walking to Bull's Bridge and Tuckmarsh Lane over Smithwick's Bridge and on to reach Witham Park where you follow the MacMillian Way back to Deerwood Common.

1.
The car park at Deerwood Common is no longer open so you park on the lane, you start by walking down the rough drive towards Witham Park and where you come to a cross path where the old car park use to be you turn right, follow this path through the woods keeping to the main track, when you come to a Y junction keep to the right to follow the path out to reach the road again, turn left and follow the road until it bends to the left, keep straight ahead into the hamlet of Gare Hill, follow the road round to the left, and on reaching a small track on your left follow this down into the field and aim for the bottom left hand corner to take you back out to the road. Follow the road down the hill to take the first bridleway on the right, the path here differs from the map, follow this path across the fields to reach Bunns Lane.

2.
On reaching Bunns Lane turn right and follow the lane out to reach the B3092, cross this into the lane opposite and into Longleat Estate, follow the track passing the woods on your left to reach Ladds Planting, here take the track on the left following it downhill and back up again to reach the bridleway at East Woodlands, turn left and follow the path out to the Church at East Woodlands. Leave the church by the footpath next to the churchyard taking you into the woods and follow this sometimes very overgrown path down through the woods, you are aiming for a kissing gate in the boundary on the right which can be hard to find. Once in the field follow the hedge on the left, at the junction of paths take the one on the left to cross a stile in the bottom right hand corner, cross the next field aiming for the stile next to a gate halfway along the field boundary at the bottom, still in the same direction cross to a stile in the next hedge then aim for the bottom right hand corner of this next field to cross a stile onto a track, turn left then at the corner go through the gate on the right and follow the hedge on your left to cross a bridge over the River Frome. Head straight across two fields to reach the B3092.

3.
Turn right along the road to the next turning on the left into Bull's Quarries Road (Note the sign on the wall of the Old Toll House) follow the road to take the first turning on the left Tuckmarsh Lane, then on reaching Smithick's Lane again the first turning on your left, turn into this, follow the lane which turns into a footpath at the top go over the railway and pass Brick Yard Belt then onto reach Bunn's Lane again. Turn right and follow the lane to a T junction next to a railway bridge, turn left along the road and on reaching the first footpath on the right, by the side of Bound Oak Cottage turn right and after a short distance go through the farm gate on your left, down the field over a bridge across the field to reach Walk Farm. Here you turn left into the MacMillian Way and follow the long drive all the way back to the top of the hill and your car at Deerwood Common.