[1] Head down the pedestrianized High Street to the end, passing historic Bath Place on the left. Cross Corporation Street, turn left and mount the steps to the right of the Municipal Hall, a former 16th century grammar school.
(A) The rebuilt Taunton Castle lies ahead with the original arched castle entrance on the right.
Turn left into the pedestrianized square in front of the Winchester Arms inn. Head diagonally to the right hand corner and then down the glass sided ramp alongside the castle. Cross the small bridge over the Mill Stream, turn right along the River Tone then cross the wooden footbridge to the other bank. Turn left along the riverside path until you reach an extensive green and continue straight ahead along the backs of the properties until the river path is rejoined. The footpath continues with a low wall bordering fields on the left. Continue to the end of the path which finally turns right where it meets fences bordering gardens of houses.
[2] When this path emerges into a street, turn left then right and beyond a row of garages turn left on to a footpath by some garden allotments. Turn right here and continue on to Staplegrove Road. Cross the railway bridge on the left and turn left into Bindon Road.
[3] At a pedestrian crossing cross the road and turn left heading towards a bus shelter. Just before reaching the bus shelter turn right into a footpath through some metal barriers. Follow this to the end then cross the main road and turn right passing the front of the village hall and then immediately turn left into the public footpath between iron railings to the right of the village hall. When this path emerges into a playing field turn left by the children’s play area to a gate in the left hand corner. Continue left along the road, past the church entrance, to enter a footpath in the trees on the right (a no cyclists sign prominently marks the start of the path) signed to Burlands Bear right then cross a stile into the fields.
(B) At the fourth stile an open view of the Quantock Hills presents itself.
Go ahead downhill under the power lines to a stile at the bottom of the field. The track ahead leads through several gates on to the road by Lower Burlands. Turn right on the road then immediately left through two field gates at a public footpath sign. Bear diagonally right across the field aiming just to the right of a white house, Higher Yard Farm. Cross a stile and keep the hedge on the left past the corner of a stone barn, then bear slightly left to a stile in the corner out into the road. Continue straight ahead on the road to Edgeborough Farm
[4] Turn right through a field gate just before the farm entrance and follow the hedge on your left for a few yards and then pass through gap in hedge into a field. Keep hedge on your right and follow several bends to a stile in the corner of the field and exit into a the road. (If you are using an OS map you will see that there is a divergence from the definitive path which is blocked by hedges). Turn right on the road for a few yards to a field gate on the left. Go through and cross the field ahead to a gap in the hedge. Turn left on the far side of the hedge to another gap then turn right to rejoin the right of way route. Continue along the hedgeline to a gap in the right-hand corner. Go through then bear slightly left, aiming to the right of a clump of trees round a small pond midfield. Bear slightly left behind the clump to a small gate in the hedge opposite. Go through and turn right along the hedge. Pass through a gate by a barn and bear slightly left to pass through another gate. Now head towards the field gate opposite (this gate is just to the right of a smaller gate marked "No Public Right Of Way"). Pass through the gate and keep the hedge to the left going onwards to a stile in the far left-hand corner leading on to the road at Yarford.
[5] Turn left on the road, passing Crossways Farm house and ignoring the turning on the right to Yarford. Continue to a public footpath on the right by The Old Smithy. Go on this track and continue along a left fork, past a cottage to a field gateway. Cross the field, bearing slightly right and heading for a stile to be seen at the end of a line of hedge and just to the right of three trees midfield . Cross the stile and continue on the same line to a double stile in the hedge opposite. Over the stiles go uphill with the hedge on the right to a stile then turn left along the fence.
(C) If you look back you will see the wide sweep of the Blackdown Hills crossed earlier and the coastal hills bordering the Bristol Channel are off to the right, with the Exmoor heights ahead.
Keep along the fence to another stile then along a line of trees before turning left near the hedge to a stile in the bottom corner with a flight of steps on to the road.
[6] Turn right uphill then left at a T-junction heading for Toulton Farm.
[7] Just before a sharp bend in the road cross a stile on the right into a field and follow the hedge on the left to a stile in the corner. Cross the stile and descend the bank on to a track. Turn left then and almost immediately right and cross a stile into a field. Keeping hedge on left go ahead to a stile by a gate. Cross the stile and turn right along the fence and continue to a double stile in the top corner. Cross the stiles and head straight across the hillside aiming to the right of Lawns Farmhouse. Do not go through the house gate but skirt the small barn ahead and continue slightly left to a stile in the fence on to the driveway. Go along the drive to the road at Cothelstone. The ancient buildings of the manor farm and the church lie a few yards downhill.
Cross straight over the road arid go through a small gate opposite. Cross the stream, pass the trees on the left and continue along the fence to a gate in the far corner. Bear left here round the copper beech tree and the churchyard.
(D) Cothelstone Manor is a Grade II Listed Historic House situated at the foot of the Quantock Hills and dates from the early 1600's, although there has been a settlement at Cothelstone since Saxon times. The 13th century church of St Thomas of Canterbury sits behind Cothelstone Manor. This church is open during the day and has some lovely stained glass windows, ancient bench ends, font and pulpit, and effigies of the Stawell family. The Church has been well looked after in the past by the two families who have owned the estate. Cothelstone Manor: http://cothelstonemanor.co.uk Cothelstone Church: http://achurchnearyou.com.
From the churchyard turn right on the cross-field path. Pass through a small gate into another field and go uphill aiming to the left of the woodland ahead, through some stately oak trees, to a field gate and a track to the road.
[8] Go up the bank opposite then bear diagonally right across the field to the corner, passing to the left of two trees midfield. Go through a field gate and into a narrow opening to the left of a garden. Continue up the sunken track and cross a stile. Turn immediately left over a further stile and then diagonally left over the field, passing between two electricity poles and through a gate in the corner of the field. Turn right along the hedge, pass a small pond in a clump of trees and go through a gate before continuing diagonally left to another gate onto the road.
(E) Looking left Wellingtons Monument can be seen on the ridge of the Blackdown Hills.
Cross the road and follow the field track to Shopnoller Farm passing in front of the farmhouse with its central portico.
[9] Turn right here across the small car park and go over the small dam at the end of the pond. Cross the track and bear left over the field, heading for a house to be seen over the left-hand hedge. (This field is sometimes cropped and it may be easier to follow the track to the left and then turn right along the hedge to this point). Go down a flight of steps hidden in the hedge on to the road and continue straight ahead, past the cottages and farm buildings on the left, to the crossroads at London Cross.
Cross the road and follow the farm road opposite to its end where it is barred by a field gate. Go through and across the open field to an opening in the hedge and continue in the same direction with the hedge on the left.
The Brendon Hills stretch away to the left and the Quantack Ridge is on the right.
At the corner of the field go down over a stile and along a track by a shed. Turn right in front of the house and follow the driveway to the road. Turn left here then cross the main A358 road with care.
The cottages opposite used to be The Stag Inn, now closed.
Go down the small lane by a post box in the wall, turn right at the T-junction and continue in that direction along the driveway in front of a row of cottages. This continues as a byway track through the fields, by an old quarry and dives under the West Somerset Railway track until it emerges into a lane.
[10] Continue straight ahead, ignoring the left-hand turnings and passing by the right-hand turn to the Denzel House which was formerly a Youth Hostel. At the T-junction turn right and then right again. Turn left and cross over the railway again. Immediately turn right and then follow the road to the station.