6 Best Somerset Walks: From the Quantock Hills to the Secret Somerset Levels
1. Aller and the Rhynes: A Winter Skyscape Walk
Is a taste for landscape similar to our liking for food? Our appetites change; Brussels sprouts seem the work of the Devil when we are young, but by 40, we crave that bitter depth. That is how a love for "flat country" came to me. As a child, I loathed the Somerset Levels’ empty skies, preferring the hilly intimacy of home. Today, I find those magical marshes and rhynes irresistible.
Farmhouse at Aller
The Route
I began this "lowland lope" under Oath Hill. A footbridge leads across the River Parrett and the Sowy River, placing you on a path heading dead straight toward Aller Church.
Interior of Aller Church
This peaceful spot belies a bloody history. In 1645, during the English Civil War, 17,000 soldiers clashed here. As the Royalists were routed, men fled into these marshes. It is said the rhynes ran red that July day. Today, only swans "skirmish" here.
The path continues past Aller Court Farm—once an island in an impenetrable swamp—into the churchyard. From here, follow Aller Drove to the hamlet of Pathe, returning along the waterside to join the River Parrett Trail back to Oath.
Distance: 4 miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Map: OS Explorer 140 & 128.
Somerset Wildlife Trust: Aller and Beer Woods – Information on the "island" woodland and views overlooking the moor.
Aller Church
2. Bicknoller and Weacombe: The Jewel of the Quantocks
Path Bicknoller Combe to Weacombe
After many years and thousands of miles of "perambulating" for the Western Morning News, I often return to this: one of the very first walks I ever described. It remains a prime example of why hiking in the West Country is the best free thing you can do.
The Route
Start at Bicknoller, walking up toward the "hallowed confines" of Bicknoller Coombe. Instead of entering immediately, turn left to fringe the hills toward Weacombe. This stretch offers sublime views of the Vale of West Somerset—keep a sharp eye out for wild red deer.
Weacombe is a dramatic cleft in the red sandstone. Follow the stream upward to Bicknoller Post. This spot marks the watershed junction and offers 360-degree panoramas that rival any in the world. From the ridge, find the "big groove" that is Bicknoller Coombe and descend back to the village for a well-earned pint at the local pub.
Distance: 4 miles.
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate.
Map: OS Explorer 140.
Quantock Hills NL: Quantock Hills National Landscape Official Site
Walking up Weacombe
3. Brent Knoll: The Sentinel of the M5
No bit of terra firma is more "bleedin’ obvious" than Brent Knoll. This mini-mountain presides over the M5 like a sentinel. For many, it’s a place they’ve driven past a thousand times, promising, "I must go up there one day."
The author on Brent Knoll
The Route
Starting in East Brent, the path ascends through pleasant fields before becoming as steep as a house roof. At the 449-foot summit, it feels like flying. You’ll see Glastonbury Tor, the Mendips, and Wales across the channel.
This giant outcrop of clay and limestone was once "Frog Island," surrounded by Jurassic seas. It has hosted Bronze Age tribes, Roman temples, and a Saxon battle against the Danes in 875 AD. Descend via the National Trust path toward Manor Farm, circling the seaward slopes back to the village church.
Walkers on Brent Knoll
Distance: 3 miles.
Difficulty: Gentle with one steep climb.
Map: OS Explorer 153.
4. Langford Heathfield: A Sylvan Dream
Bluebells at Langford Heathfield
In the rural triangle between Wellington and Wiveliscombe lies Langford Heathfield. I’ve driven past its sylvan acres a thousand times, but finally stopping felt like stepping into a Turgenev novel—wild, silent, and hauntingly beautiful.
The Route
This 226-acre Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve is a mosaic of ancient woodland and heath. Entering from the south, I felt mesmerized by the light and the solitude. It is a haven for nightingales, tree pipits, and woodpeckers.
Follow the thread of paths north-west to the Poleshill lane. To extend the walk, take the public footpath south through the fields past Stancombe. In spring, the bluebells are a force of nature. It is a place to wind down, chill out, and lose yourself in a very pleasant dream.
Distance: 3 miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Map: OS Explorer 128.
5. Maunsel Lower Lock: Canal-Side Idleness
They used to say a spade handle would grow if planted in the peat of the Somerset Levels. In the 1800s, navvies used those spades to carve the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal. Today, their handiwork offers a perfect, level "bucolic idyll" for walkers.
Maunsel Lock
The Route
Start at the Maunsel Lower Lock car park (which features a fine tea room). Head north past Coxhill Bridge and North Newton. This waterway was built to link Exeter to Bristol, bypassing the treacherous sea route around Land's End.
The path follows the lowest contour of the Quantocks. To your left, the hills begin; to your right, the Levels are as flat as a pancake. Return via the footpaths across the rhynes toward Wisteria Farm. It is a gentle, watery stroll—perfect for the "balmy midlands of middle age."
Distance: 4.5 miles.
Difficulty: Very level; easy going.
Map: OS Explorer 140.
Canal & River Trust: Maunsel Lock Visitor Centre
6. Burrowbridge: The Magic Portal to Sedgemoor
Junction 24 of the M5 looks like urban sprawl, but it is actually a magic portal. One turn takes you into a landscape of rhynes, drove roads, and the furtive wildness of centuries past. You are on Sedgemoor.
Burrow Mump
The Route
The centerpiece is Burrow Mump. At 100 feet high, it’s a mountain by Levels standards. King Alfred used this "island" as a stronghold while the Danes hunted him. At the top sits a roofless, mystical ruin of a chapel with views like a hot air balloon panorama.
From the Mump, follow the lane along the River Parrett to Samways Farm, then take Burrow Drove across the flat vastness. Cross toward Pathe and follow the footpath south across Southlake Moor toward Stathe. The final leg brings you back to Burrowbridge along the East Deane Way, ending at the door of the excellent King Alfred Inn.
Burrow Mump: National Trust: History of Burrow Mump
View from Burrow Mump during floods
Distance: 4 to 8 miles (extendable).
Difficulty: Easy but occasionally tricky to navigate.
Map: OS Explorer 140.
Burrow Mump from the south
Visit South Somerset: Explore the River Parrett Trail – The Official River Parrett Trail Guide .
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