Length: 5 1/2 miles Approx 2 hours 45 min
Terrain: Grassy slopes, gravel paths, some rocky terrain and a very shallow stream crossing
OS Maps Link: https://explore.osmaps.com/route/2710606/holdord-north
We have recently gone to the Quantocks twice. The first visit was with the intention of doing this little hike, but the weather was a bit off so we went to Kilve Beach instead. Kilve Beach is known for having an impressive amount of fossils. We honestly thought this would kill half an hour, we wouldn’t find one fossil, we’d sit on the beach and have a snack and then call it a day. However, we found our first fossil after about 10 minutes and then carried on for another few hours! We found SO many fossils and it was actually an amazing day out. There is something very magical about finding things on this earth, seeing and touching them for yourself, that are literally millions of years old. It makes me feel so small and so huge and connected all at the same time. The only downside of fossil hunting on the beach is a sore neck from spending hours looking down at the ground.
On a snacking side note, the Chantry Tea Garden just outside the Kilve Beach car park is a cute little place offering snacks, cakes, sandwiches and both hot and cold drinks with outdoor seating in their English garden. Vegan options available!
But back to the walk at hand…
Parking: We parked in the Holford Bowling Green car park. Parking there is free. It is not particularly big, but was also not particularly busy on the Saturday we visited. There are no facilities here, so we made sure to stop at the last motorway services before exiting the M5 (which in our case was Sedgemoor Services as we came from the North).
Before we set out, we walked north, back towards the village of Holford and ducked into the trees (and maybe over a gate) to have a look at the old Silk Mill there. Those of a certain age may remember the song Everything I Do (I Do it for You) by Bryan Adams. If you are one of those people, you may recall scenes from the original music video that featured this mill. Incidentally, it also features scenes shot on Kilve Beach. Who knew?!
So then we were really on our way. We walked back to the car park and out the other side, heading to Hodders Combe. It was a serene bit of path through the woods and alongside a river. We were lucky enough to see a couple of deer while walking in this section.
We then emerged from the woods and gently began ascending through ferns and some striking heather and gorse. Once we got to Bicknoller Post, we sat down for a snack while watching the wild horses and gazing out towards the coast. We also spent some time people watching while several other hikers and their dogs, plus a few bicyclists passed.
After this we made our way up to the top of Beacon Hill where we slapped our trig and spent a few moments taking in the beautiful views around us. Then we made the descent down the other side of the hill. There were several path options. It was all grass to begin with, but then became more interesting as we made our way down some steeper pebbled paths through giant pines and ended up alongside another river in the woods where we saw one last deer.
The final stretch of this walk is on a lane with some lovely country-side views to the north. We eventually sat down on a bench here and had some lunch while overlooking a farm and the sea. Once we were finished eating, chatting, and resting we headed back down the lane until we eventually reached the car park once more.
To sum it up:
This was a pretty easy-going walk. The heather and gorse at the beginning of the walk were just so colourful! I reckon if we had gone a few weeks earlier it would have been even more stunning. (We visited in early September). The views were pleasant, but my favourite bits of the walk were seeing the deer and the myriad of fungi about in the woods. Overall a well spent Saturday out.
Check out our video of this beautiful walk here: