Hinton St George/Over Stratton - Somerset
Circular walk: 5.87 miles
what3words address for parking:
///incensed.enough.bronzed
The what3words address takes you to the crossroads in Hinton St George, where this walk begins and ends. There is usually street parking in the vicinity of the crossroads, but please park considerately – it can get busy at the weekends and when the pub, the Lord Poulett Arms, is open. The pub is a good place for a post walk lunch, or  beer, but it gets very busy. There  is an outside garden which is lovely when the weather is good. The village also has a well-stocked, community owned  shop.
I walked this anti-clockwise walking from the crossroads in Hinton St George towards Merriott before picking up a footpath a few hundred yards along the lane that takes you past the Ark at Eggwood. There is an obvious track just over  the B road that takes you around the northern edge  of Merriott. This crosses a minor lane and the footpath then continues towards Townsend. From here the route is pretty well way-marked, especially as it picks up one of the options for the River Parrett Trail.
This eventually comes out at Lower Stratton. Turn left and follow the lane for a little while. This turns south and then there is a footpath on the right that leads to a huge orchard. It was easy to lose a clear sense of direction here, but eventually this leads into Lopen.
Skirt the church (worth a visit) and turn left on the road before turning right along Frog Street. This leads to Manor Farm where the footpath signs mysteriously disappear. However, go through the farm yard after passing Manor farm Cottage (on your right), and head towards the cattle barn ahead and slightly left. Go through the gate and keep the barn beside you on your left. A few yards beyond here a solitary orphaned post has a way-mark directing you left, down the slope and towards a gate at the far side of the field. Pass through the gate and over the footbridge to continue. The path cuts diagonally though the next field and emerges onto the lane at the field’s south-western corner. Turn left along the lane and follow this ancient, and impressive, holloway back to the crossroads.
There’d been a lot of recent rain and the paths were very muddy in places, especially at the gates between fields; boots or wellingtons were an absolute necessity.
This was a pleasant walk with some lovely views, especially the ‘outward’ part.
walking
PeterHadfield on scottexservices.com