This walk is intended as the return leg to the central section of the East Mendip Way from Shepton Mallet to Cranmore Tower and is originally published on the East Mendip Way Facebook page.
Calculated time: 2h25[?] 
Distance : 4.88mi
Vertical gain : 161ft
Vertical drop : 643ft
Highest point : 945ft
Lowest point : 427ft 
Difficulty : Easy
Back to starting point : No
Walking
Location : Cranmore
Starting point : N 51.203635° / W 2.464798° 
Arrival : N 51.194707° / W 2.546133° 
Start from Cranmore Tower.
(D) Walk north along the broad path along the edge of the wood for 200 metres to a crossing of paths. Go left here and continue to a junction of paths at Dallimore Lane. Go left here and walk down Dallimore Lane, going slightly downhill once past the wood on the right where you meet the East Mendip Way.
(1) Go right and follow the East Mendip Way to the point where the path widens to a track (Funtle Lane). Continue past the point where the East Mendip Way turns to the left. Leave the East Mendip Way here and continue straight on to meet the Old Wells Road opposite Long Cross Farm. Turn left and walk down the road to Long Cross. Go right here and walk 25 metres to the junction with the Old Frome Road.
(2) Go over the stile on the left hand side and follow the path to the south west across three fields to meet the farm track to Newman Street Farm. Cross the track and continue onto the path on the other side. Walk across one small and one large field to Kings Road to come out into the road on the slight bend at the 243m spot height. Cross the road and follow the path across four fields to meet Bodden Lane. The farms at Bodden are clearly visible down the lane to the south.
(3) Go left into the lane and almost immediately continue onto the path on the right across a very large irregularly shaped field. Walk towards the south west and follow the field boundary to the north, then cross one more field to reach the Fosse Way.
(4) Go left into the Fosse Way and after 50m where there is a junction of paths on both sides of the way. Go right and follow the path which leads south west, aiming for the viaduct of the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. Walk diagonally and downhill across four fields. When you reach the farm rejoin the East Mendip Way and go through two metal gates to the A37.
(5) Cross the road and follow the waymarked East Mendip Way footpath around the Brothers Drinks cider mill.
After 75 metres go through the gate on the left and onto the path which leads diagonally downhill past the backs of the houses on Garston Street to meet the public road at the Quarr. Walk down the Quarr, joining Garston Street at the Dusthole restaurant and B&B. Continue past the Dusthole and towards a junction of five streets at Leg Square.
(6) Walk towards the large double fronted house at the west end of Leg Square and down Lower Lane on the right. After 50 metres go right and walk up the cobbled Barren Down Lane. At the top of the lane continue into a scrubby field to rejoin the East Mendip Way. Walk along the southern fringe of the field to the stone steps in the south west corner of the field which lead down to Waterloo Road. Cross the road and go down the alley to Cowl Street. This is the start of the central section of the East Mendip Way from Shepton Mallet to Cranmore Tower.(A)
Waypoints :
D : mi 0 - alt. 945ft - Cranmore Tower
1 : mi 0.74 - alt. 817ft - East Mendip Way
2 : mi 1.78 - alt. 801ft - Stile
3 : mi 2.36 - alt. 787ft - Lane
4 : mi 3.52 - alt. 728ft - Fosse Way
5 : mi 4.09 - alt. 522ft - East Mendip Way
6 : mi 4.51 - alt. 430ft - Leg Square
A : mi 4.88 - alt. 463ft - Cowl Street, Shepton Mallet
If you want to do this walk and return by bus, Frome Bus provides four return journeys each day. The service runs from Frome to Shepton Mallet via Stoke St Michael and Cranmore. The The Frome Bus website is http://www.fromebus.co.uk/timetables/
Names of various roads and unsurfaced lanes are given in the text where they are shown on the Ordnance Survey map however very often there is no name board actually in the lane.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
Cranmore Tower is a mid-Victorian folly built on the highest point between Shepton Mallet and Frome, 280 metres above sea level. It is one of a number of towers at various high points of the county including Alfred's Tower, Ammerdown and the Hood Memorial. The tower used to be open to the public and there is a café. The tower has been closed to the public for some time for a major renovation to the structure of the building. At the time of writing the owner's website does not state what plans there are to reopen the tower and the café once the current lockdown ends.
Check out http://www.cranmore-somerset.co.uk
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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.
