Blackdown Hills and Wellington Monument
15 people attending
10 places left
Taking advantage of the Bonus Bank Holiday Monday on the 8th May.
The Blackdown Hills is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Somerset - Devon border. The walk doesn’t head back down the steep, wooded north-facing escarpment, but heads south across a landscape of rolling ridges, and characterised by small fields, hedgerows and valley views.
We will catch a glimpse of Hemyock Castle and well kept St Mary's Church, before climbing towards Hackpen Hill. We then cross the Culm Valley and climb again to Culmstock Beacon. A small 15th century beehive shaped building constructed as a warning beacon and thought to be the only one of its kind remaining, it offers outstanding views of the surrounding Devon countryside.
The walk finishes at the Wellington Monument - an Egyptian inspired obelisk, it was designed to resemble the type of bayonet used by Wellington's armies.
Please note that as well as crossing fields, areas of woodland and quiet country lanes, several hundred metres is also along the ridge road at the start and finish.
NB If you want to go in the monument there are presently tours at 10.00 and 10.30 that last 30 minutes, with availability, which could be done prior to the walk starting at 11.15am from the car park. I will be doing the tour at 10.30am. these usually need to be booked in advance and they sell out as it is a bank holiday £5. The obelisk was under restoration for some time and has only reopened in the last 6 months
- https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/wellington-monument
This is a repeat of a walk from May 2021 that Steve led
Dogs are welcome to join us on this event but we do ask the following:
- Please appreciate the fact that not everyone is a dog owner or lover- especially when we stop to eat
- Please ensure you adhere to the Countryside Code at all times - see (Keeping Dogs Under Effective Control)
If your dog is uncontrolled and strays in open land frightening other animals or livestock, the leader is supported by the OutdoorLads board of trustees to ask you to leave the event as this is not acceptable behaviour.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
All photos taken by Outdoorlads members. Permission is granted to Outdoorlads for future use.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch with you for this walk. There is however a small SPAR shop which we pass in Hemyock.
We will endeavour to find a local pub nearby for a drink afterwards