Wootton Courtenay and Timberscombe from Dunster

This circular walk with ascends (one pretty steep!) and descents uses a section of Macmillan Way West with beautiful viewpoints from Grabbist and Knowle hills. Then, you will discover quiet villages and paths in Whits Wood before you go back to Dunster.

Technical sheet

4168309
A Dunster walk posted on 10/10/20 by charentimoy. Last update : 28/06/22
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.50 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 375 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 380 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 297 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 28 m
  • ⚐
    District: Dunster 
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 51.183862° / W 3.445967°

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Beautiful Thatched House along Bonniton New Road
Blue Anchor Bay from Grabbist Hill
View from Knowle Hill
Croydon Hill far away

Description

Park your car in Dunster (close to the dovecote and the priory church).

(S/E) Take Priory Green, then turn right in St George's Street and quickly ascend the private road on the left (Public Bridleway signpost). Go across Commonwealth War Graves and go past vegetable gardens until you reach a wooden gate with a "Public Bridleway" signpost.

(1) At the junction, follow "Bridleway Wootton Courtenay 3 1/2" and ascend the very steep path for 300 metres but don't worry, the view from the top is worth the effort!!! When the path levels, you can admire Blue Anchor Bay, Avill Valley, Croydon Hill and even South Wales Coast on clear days!

(2) Continue the path until you reach a junction when the view opens to Minehead far away. Follow again "Bridleway Wootton Courtenay 3", then go past a bench and "Grabbist Hill National Trust" signpost before you go straight up ignoring both left and right paths. Walk the plateau for two kilometres with great views to Minehead still following "Bridleway Wootton Courtenay 1 1/2" along the woods on the left.

(3) When you reach a junction with two barriers, continue straight ahead "Tivington 2". This path goes slightly up in the open meadow for almost one kilometre. At the next junction bear slightly right "Tivington 2 1/2" ignoring the path in woods on your left.

(4) After 450 metres, bear left "Bridleway to Wootton Courtenay, Macmillan Way" at the large fork. Then, ignore the left track taking the right side for 300 metres.

(5) At the next fork, bear left "Footpath to Wootton Courtenay" (yellow arrow) before you definitively leave the track going down to the well indicated yellow footpath to Wooden Courtenay.

(6) The pretty steep path finally enters an open field. Head to the gate which joins the road below. Turn right and follow the road in Wootton Courtenay for 200 metres before you go down left at the crossroads.

(7) Walk along this road for 350 metres, go past Crockford House and turn left immediately to the public footpath "Timberscombe 1 3/4". The path goes across open meadows with beautiful views of the farmland going through several stiles.

(8) Then, the path goes along a stream and uses a small footbridge (2 floorboards). Go through another stile and go slightly left in the next field before you reach a larger footbridge with handrails over River Avill.
The path finally reaches the main road (A396). Cross over the road towards the path in front of you until you join Bemberry Bank in Timbescombe village.

(9) Turn left until you join The Lion Inn and bear right in Church Street. Continue for 100 metres and turn left (East) to the public footpath next to Great House Farm. Go past Providence Methodist Church and cross the footbridge.

(10) Go up the driveway following "Public Bridleway Dunster 2 1/2" and ignore the path on the left. The driveway joins a rocky track. Go through the gate (blue arrow) next to the farm building and carry on (East).

(11) At the junction in fields, follow "Bridleway Towns Wood 1/2" and bear slightly right (East) and go (South-East) past the wood ("like a square") you can see 200 metres far from your position.

(12) At the junction in woods, follow "Dunster via whits Wood" for 500 metres (North-Esat) before you continue straight ignoring blue signs on your left. You find again blue signs and take "Bridleway Towns Wood" before you reach junction signposts.

(13) This time take the track "Bridleway Avill Farm 1" in front of you for 100 metres. When the track bends left, head to the barrier you see in front of you and descend the path leading to the road. Turn left walking this road for half a mile which leads to crossroads. At this fork, keep the road which bends left for 50 metres and take the path on the right (Public Bridleway Dunster 1 1/2). Ascend this overlooking path leading to a track. Continue the bridleway to Dunster until you join the last junction signpost.

(14) Turn left "Dunster village", descend Bonniton New Road going past a beautiful thatched house and cross Gallox Bridge. Follow Park Street until you bear right in Mill Gardens. Then, turn left in Mill Lane. You finally bear right in West Street leading to Priory Church of St George.(S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 49 m - Dunster
  2. 1 : km 0.42 - alt. 88 m - Junction
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 168 m - Open view to Minehead
  4. 3 : km 3.29 - alt. 235 m - Junction with 2 barriers
  5. 4 : km 4.51 - alt. 287 m - Junction
  6. 5 : km 4.97 - alt. 282 m - Fork
  7. 6 : km 5.44 - alt. 204 m - Steep section leading to the meadow
  8. 7 : km 6.27 - alt. 108 m - Public footpath
  9. 8 : km 7.9 - alt. 73 m - Small footbridge
  10. 9 : km 8.64 - alt. 78 m - The lion Inn
  11. 10 : km 8.91 - alt. 94 m - Driveway
  12. 11 : km 9.44 - alt. 156 m - Junction signpost
  13. 12 : km 9.93 - alt. 162 m - Junction in woods
  14. 13 : km 10.74 - alt. 120 m - Junction signpost
  15. 14 : km 12.86 - alt. 28 m - Dunster Gallox Bridge
  16. S/E : km 13.5 - alt. 49 m - Dunster

Useful Information

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 1 review

Clarity of route description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
3 / 5
Walk interest
5 / 5
Delphinium
Delphinium

Hi BigAl,
Thank you for this feedback. I am going to contact the author and see how it goes.
Enjoy your walks

BigAl
BigAl

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : 08/06/22
Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Enjoyed the walk until we reached Timberscombe.
From there we could not access any paths to take us back to Dunster. Even asked several locals about the route and they told us that there was no way to Dunster unless we headed back to Knowle Lane about half a mile back.
This we did and arrived back in Dunster safely

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