Black Down Common Circuit

 By car: Drive eastwards from Beam Bridge towards Wellington on the A38. At a roundabout turn right onto the Wellington bypass then turn right towards Wrangway. At Pleamore Cross turn left and follow the road over the motorway and through Wrangway. At the top of hill where road sweeps around to the left is your starting point. There is plenty of unrestricted parking at this wide road junction. Postcode TA21 9QH will get you close.

There is no public transport to the start.

 [1] Head south on the unclassified road towards Culmstock. Shortly you will pick up woodland, firstly on right and then on both sides of the road. Where the woodland stops and the road drops down a little bit steeper, look for a field gate on right. The village down in the valley in front of you is Hemyock.

[2] Pass through this gate and immediately turn left through a second gate. Walk along the green lane, which soon becomes a banked woodland track. The track drops down to come out onto a concrete drive beside a house. Just past the house turn right and follow the track gently uphill. This is a gentle climb up the side of Culm Davy Hill. At a Y-junction bear left and continue upwards until coming out onto the common through a field gate.

[3] Turn left and follow the track keeping close to the hedge/fence on the left. This path finally bears around to the right to arrive at Culmstock Beacon (A). On a good day, Dartmoor can be seen in the far distance in a south westerly direction.

[4] In front of a stone bench, take the steepish footpath downhill in a south westerly direction. The path bears around to the right to come off the common via a pedestrian gate onto a muddy track. Turn right and follow it straight on as it becomes tarmaced after a house on the left and reaches the end of a metalled lane at Purchas Farm.

[5] Turn left, and then in a short distance, right over a stile, opposite a lane and into fields.  Following the left hand hedge, cross over three stiles and then follow a green lane which leads to a field gate.

[6] Go through the gate and turn right. (Your OS map might show the right of way going straight ahead, a diversion is now in place)  Walk up to a track and turn left. Follow this track to its junction with a private drive to house on left. Shortly on right will be seen a pedestrian gate leading onto the common (B).

Unless you are in a very adventurous mood, do not try and follow the footpath passing a house called Windwhistle that is shown on your OS map. It is very difficult to navigate.

[7] Go through the pedestrian gate and follow the rough stone track uphill until it meets a wide grass track. Turn left  and at a pond left again to follow another obvious track going in a north westerly direction. At the end of the escarpment bear right down hill. The town in the valley before you is Wellington.   When you arrive at a gate leading onto a metalled lane, do not go through it. Instead bear around to the right  and follow bridleway along the edge of the common. Keep close to the fence on left, which is barbed wire at first and then wooden. The bridleway eventually meets a metalled lane.

[8] Turn right, walk up and along the lane, then sharpish left to take you back the the starting point.

 (A) Culmstock Beacon, a stone hut standing 250m above sea level, close to a triangulation pillar and on the edge of the Blackdown Hills. It partially enclosed a pole-beacon which was a communications signal ready for use when the Spanish Armada was sighted in the English Channel in 1588. Fires on the coast would be lit and then one by one a network of fire beacons set ablaze. This was the signal for all able bodied men to arm themselves, assemble at their local church and await instructions. This is possibly the only beacon hut in the country to survive in its original form. It linked with others at Holcombe Rogus, Upottery and Blackborough. This slit window allowed observers to watch for a light at Upottery beacon.

(B) Black Down Common along with Sampford Common has the finest and most extensive surviving examples of the heathland,  woodland and marshy grassland habitats that have developed on the acidic soils overlying the Greensand and Keuper Marls of the Blackdown Hills. The heathland supports a typical invertebrate fauna, including a wide variety of butterfly species, and with spiders notably abundant. The site is regionally important for birds which favour heathland habitats.

Map: OS Explorer 128. Taunton & Blackdown Hills.

Terrain: Unclassified country roads, tracks, green lanes, heathland and fields. One gentle and one moderate climb.

Stiles: 4

Dogs: on leads near livestock and when requested

Refreshments: Nothing in the immediate area.

Total walk ascent: 781 feet

Navigation: Easy with OS map. Occasional way-marking and finger posts

 Country roads and lanes without a footpath. In general whilst walking on a road without a footpath, you should walk single file on the right hand side of the road, facing the traffic. However, on narrow roads and faced with a right hand bend, it is advisable to move over to the left so as to be able to see and be seen by traffic coming towards you. Move back to the right as soon as safely possible.