[1] This walk starts where the road through Uphill meets the sea defences. Walk left from the car park away from the Dolphin Pub to the bend in the road and the entrance of the boat yard where, on the left side of the flood gate, a white notice proclaims that the West Mendip Way was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 27 May 1979.
Take the driveway through the boatyard to reach a metal barrier with the remains of a lime kiln on the left. Pass through the barrier into Uphill Nature Reserve by an information board and go ahead on the broad, surfaced path, with the tall cliffs of the old limestone quarry on your left. Leave the Reserve via a wooden barrier and follow the path to the top of the hill.
(A) There are good views now behind you to the disused St Nicholas church and the ruins of a windmill on the cliff top. The mill was once fortified and formed part of the coastal defences during the Napoleonic Wars.
Pass through another barrier, then descend through a third to reach a fourth metal kissing gate at the far side of a meadow. Beyond this, with a broad track ahead, go left through an unmarked metal gate and follow the bridleway, eventually passing beneath a power line where the track bears right to climb between houses onto a lane. Go left here and in a few metres you come out on to the busy Bridgwater Road.
Turn right along the road as it crosses over the railway, and keep to the footpath on right hand-side of the road for some 200 metres at which point you will see a waymark on the opposite side of the road. Cross the road with extreme care , and take the lane immediately in front. This lane runs parallel to the main road and you stay on it until Coombe Farm is reached.
[2] Beyond the farm and a pair of barns on the right, look for a track climbing up to the left (opposite a wooden field gate). The incline lessens as you near the top and here on the right, look for a kissing gate next to a metal farm gate. Pass through, and take the path as it runs back downhill with good views left towards Bleadon village. In a few metres, pass through a second kissing gate and continue with a wire fence to your left. As the path bend to the right, keep close to the left boundary to a stile which you climb into a field. Walk downhill between wire fences towards the farm buildings and go over the stile by the farm gates.
You are now in a concrete yard and just beyond two metal gates on your left there is a further stile which you climb, then follow the field boundary on your right until you come to a stile next to a gate; go over onto a farm track, turn left and continue on through a metal farm gate. As the track jinks around to the left, walk ahead to an old stile with the remains of an orchard on your right.
[3] In a short distance you climb another stile and the path becomes more enclosed with low stone walls at the backs of houses on your right Three closely spaced stiles brings you out on to the edge of a field, continue ahead with a boundary on your right, then over a further stile into an allotment. Exit via a wooden gate and go ahead to take a stile by a metal farm gate; here, watch the waymarks as they direct you first left and then half-right to pick up the right-hand field boundary. In a few metres where the hedge turns right, go half-left across the field aiming for a stile next to a metal farm gate which is overlooked by several houses. Go over and keep the fence to your right to cross a second stile in the corner, then turn left with the property boundaries on your left. Pass a stable block on your right then climb a ladder stile in a wall ahead to gain access to a road.
Cross the road then take the tarmac driveway marked ‘Public Footpath’ off to the left. This route leads past the frontage of some houses, don’t worry about the road sign to Combe Martin, you are not that far off course! As you enter woodland, climb a stile and go ahead along a tree-lined path which climbs slightly, bearing right to a stile in the wall on the left. Go over, then walk across the field keeping to the left of a lone bush and aiming for a waymark post in trees ahead.
[4] The waymark directs you into the wooded area, follow the path as it bears right, climbing a few steps to a further stile in the wall corner. Cross then continue ahead following the path as it emerges from the wood and heads up the centre of the pasture. As you pass a rocky outcrop on the right, a wooden kissing gate in the fence comes into view, this gives access to a lane where you turn right. You follow this lane for almost 1600 metres, climbing gently with fine views south over the Somerset Levels to Brent Knoll. As you approach the top of the road there are spectacular views north over Woodspring and the Severn Estuary towards Newport. An observation point is now soon reached on the left and it is an ideal spot for an early lunch or late coffee stop. Continue along the road, losing height, to reach a left bend; here go ahead on a stony track. There is easy walking now for about 800 metres, generally downhill with fine views to your left.
[5]The last part of the path is through scrubby woodland which brings you out to a T-junction where you turn right to head up the hill. At the crest of the rise take the track leading off to the right by a waymark sign, then in a few metres (no more than 50) look for another waymark directing you down a track to the left where you pass through a wooden gate on to a ridgeway . Be careful not to take the adjoining track which drops steeply to the left alongside a wood. Follow the broad path along the edge of the field climbing initially with the conifer wood to your left, then descending gently for a little over 1600 metres to Loxton village. After passing through a second gate, the path upgrades to a track and is enclosed by trees and bushes, through which you catch glimpses of the M5 motorway and Crook Peak beyond. There are good views again of the Levels as you approach Loxton, then as habitation is reached, the track becomes a tarmac lane which bears round to the left passing North Lodge on your right; here you say goodbye to the West Mendip Way.
[6] Take the driveway on the right to North Lodge and Loxton Hunting Lodge (unsurprisingly, this is not waymarked) and pass between the buildings into a field which you cross to climb a stile in the far right corner. Go ahead keeping the hedge on your left, ignoring the first metal farm gate on the left, and pass through a metal gate at the bottom and a few metres further through another on the left. Cross the the field to a farm gate on the left and pass through to find a rather obscured stile in the hedge to the right of the farm buildings then walk straight ahead through a metal gate in front of a stable yard. Cross the farm drive and continue half-left over pasture ahead; in the far corner of the field a wooden footbridge takes you out on to a lane.
[7 ]Turn right and follow this for about 1500 metres until Shiplate Manor Farm is reached at a sharp bend in the road on the left. Fifty metres beyond the farm buildings on the left, turn down a drive to Shiplate Farm, also marked Shiplate Fishery, and immediately pass through a wooden gate into a field on your right. Walk diagonally across the field aiming for the right side of two low farm cottages to a wooden footbridge in the field corner. Cross, then walk ahead until you come to a stile, cross this and then when you come to a metal gate on right pass through and immediately veer left. Now keep hedge on your right follow field around passing farm buildings, to meet a rhyne; follow this to cross a stile by metal gate, then go straight over the field to a stile in the far hedge by an electricity pole. Cross this double stile and go ahead with the rhyne on your right.
Continue, crossing several fields keeping always to the right boundary until the buildings of South Hill Farm come into view. When you reach the first barn, turn left and with the barn to your right, cross the pasture to the dyke ahead. Here, with the River Axe in front of you, turn right to cross two gates separated by a narrow pasture. Now cross the iron girder bridge, turning right on the far side to follow the tussocky high ground with the river on your right. This path leads you across the bottom of a number of fields and with the roar of the traffic on the Bridgwater A370 Road getting ever louder you eventually reach Bleadon Bridge.
[8] Turn right, crossing with care to the far side, then take the fenced, concrete path beyond the bridge which leads you down to the bank of the river, now on your left. In a short distance look for steps on the right and climb these to a narrow footpath which you follow, with a wooden fence on your right and a stand of alder trees on your left, to reach a stile. Cross, then follow the river bank, climbing another stile into a second field and keeping to the river until you reach a waymark post. Here, go right towards a caravan park and cross a footbridge at the left of the site into a further pasture where you go half-left to the far corner. A stile here gives access to a track, turn right and follow this until you reach a road.
Walk left along the road as it snakes left, right, and left again, past the Mendip Model Motor Racing Circuit . Cross the railway bridge with great care and on the other side immediately take the lane on the right ignoring the road to the left. Follow this lane, Wayacre Drove, for most of its length, passing through blue metal gates then ignoring a bridleway on the left shortly followed by another crossing the lane.
[9] Eventually you arrive at the sea dyke, where the lane turns left. Climb the bank to the right next to a bird hide where the steps are in disrepair and walk right, passing wildfowl lagoons on the right and with views over the River Axe left.
[10] Walk to the end of the bank and cross stile and after a few metres turn left keeping close to the hedge on your left. The path begins to climb, and after about 150/200 metres look for a narrow, well-worn path running downhill to the left. Take this, it will lead you through a thicket to a stile in a fence and onto a causeway running between flood-meadows.
(B) There is much wildlife to be seen in this area at all times of the year, although winter is the best season for spotting wading birds. The redshank, with its grey-brown back can usually be seen searching the mudbanks for worms and molluscs; when disturbed, the white feathers on the trailing edge of the wings reveal its identity. The shelduck, more goose than duck frequently inhabits the grassland on the far bank of the Axe. From a distance, its white body and green-black head is clearly visible, closer inspection will also show a chestnut-coloured breast band. Cormorants are also visitors to this area, often seen perched with wings outstretched and drying in the wind.
At the far end of the causeway, pass through a KG and follow the path which soon takes you through the boatyard. Keep strictly to the path, passing the wire-fenced compound on your right and moored boats in varying states of disrepair on the left. Your route soon swings to the right, and you will find yourself back at the sea defences and your starting point.