Avon and Somerset Walks
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
Guarding the gateway to southwest England, Avon and Somerset is fantastic walking country. From its backdrop of lush rolling hills to the Somerset Levels and dramatic coastal paths, Avon and Somerset offers a little of everything. Home to the King Arthur’s legendary kingdom of Avalon and the site of Glastonbury Tor and the ley lines, Somerset is shrouded in tales of mystery and magic that will inspire children to get out and exploring. For those who like a view, the Mendip Hills and dramatic Cheddar Gorge offer plenty of uphill challenge whilst the Exmoor National Park provides wilderness walking for keen hiker. Children armed with buckets and spades will also not go disappointed with plenty of beautiful coastline waiting to be explored and the foodies amongst you can enjoy visiting the home of Cheddar cheese and scrumpy.
Below are listed a selection of suggested walks in Avon and Somerset for those hiking with babies in carriers or pushchairs. Alternatively the following links offer ideas and route suggestions to get you and the kids out in the West Country fresh air. Unfortunately there is not extensive information for buggy and pushchair walkers in the region – don’t worry, Baby Routes is on the case and will be adding new routes to the list below and in the meantime these links should provide a useful starting point.
- Strawberry Line: enjoy traffic free walking and cycling with little ones on this dedicated route following the old railway line by the same name. Details of the existing route from Yatton to Cheddar are provided by Sustrans here and projects are under way to expand the route further.
- Mendips AONB website provides high level detail of the region’s long distance routes as well as information for visitors.
- John Harris’s Walking in Somerset: provides an extensive list of walks, some of which are suitable for buggies and pushchairs.
- Martin Hesp’s West Country Walks: offers a selection of dramatic walking routes in Somerset and Exmoor. No listings for pushchair walks but inspiring stuff for those up for adventure with baby carriers or older children.
Permanent link to this article: https://babyroutes.co.uk/walking-routes/uk-ireland-walks/avon-somerset-walks/
Walk Distance: 3km / 1.9 miles
Walk Duration: 1 hr 30 at preschooler pace.
Map: OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West; OS Landranger 183 Yeovil & Frome
Suitable for: Kids in carriers, adventurous little legs, preschoolers and older kids. Some hilly sections on the first half of the route mean …
Walk Distance: 2.6km (basic loop) or 5.2 km (including detour to New Manor Farm)
Walk Duration: 1hr 15 for the basic loop at preschooler pace, with plenty of view admiring time; allow 2-3 hours if heading to New Manor Farm – you’ll want to leave plenty of time …
Walk Distance: 5.9km
Walk Duration: 1hr 30
OS Map: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath; OS Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath; maps also available from National Trust website and Bath Tourist Information Centre (by Bath Abbey)
Suitable for: Babies in backpacks/carriers, older children (a few steep hills …
Walk Distance: 4.5 km
Walk Duration: 1hr 15
OS Map: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath; OS Explorer 154 Bristol West & Portishead;
Suitable for: Babies in backpacks (a few stiles to climb); older children;
Walk features: waterfall, field walking, pretty views, historic St. Andrews Church
Walk description:
Chew Stoke …
Walk Distance: 3.7 km
Walk Duration: 1 hr at preschooler pace. Leave longer for younger walkers, for a detour to the bird hide and for exploration!
Suitable for: pushchairs (Grebe trail) and baby carriers (Grebe and Bittern trails)
Walk features: Beautiful lakeside views, fish & chips restaurant, picnic area, and toilet facilities, bird hides and wildfowl …
Walk Distance: 5.6km
Walk Duration: 1hr 30 (longer in wet, muddy weather)
OS Map: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath; OS Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath;
Suitable for: Babies in backpacks (n.b. x 2 tricky stiles); older children
Walk features: field walking, riverside walking, lake, river, dam, pub, tea shop, bank, point of historical interest, …
Walk Distance: 5 km
Walk Duration: 1hr 20 (including view time!)
OS Map: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath; OS Explorer 154 Bristol West & Portishead; Or any good Bristol street map will suffice.
Suitable for: pushchairs, babies in backpacks, little legs, scooters, all the family.
Walk features: great views, point of historic interest, playground, …
Walk Distance: 8.3 km long route
( or3.9km short route, 5.86km midlength route)
Walk Duration: 3hr long route
(or 1hr 20 short route, 2hr 10 midlength route)
OS Map: OS Landranger Minehead & Brendon Hills 181, OS Explorer Exmoor OL9)
Suitable for: Older children (short & midlength routes suitable for baby carriers & small …
Walk Distance: 1.5 km (or however far you feel like)
Walk Duration: 30 minutes (or however long you have to spare)
OS Map: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath; OS Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath – but you can just follow your feet!
Suitable …
The mysterious St. Michael’s Tower of Glastonbury Tor
Walk Distance: 4.9 km
Walk Duration: 1hr 45 (including stop at top time)
OS Map: OS Landranger Weston-super-Mare 182; OS Explorer Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West 141.
Suitable for: baby carriers, older children.
Walk features: historic monuments, folklore and legends, great …
Walk Distance: 2 km
Walk Duration: 1 hour with a slow mini walker though you can do it considerably faster at normal walking speed.
Ordnance Survey: OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West; OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath
Suitable for: Babies in carriers, good little walkers, all the family.
…
Walk Distance: 2 km
Walk Duration: 40 mins
OS Map: OS Explorer 154 Bristol West & Portishead; OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath (but splits at Clevedon so not recommended)
Suitable for: pushchairs (be prepared to push up a couple of short, steep hills & 2 short sets of steps wide enough to bump up/down), …
Walk Distance: 2.5 km one way walk , 5 km round walk
Walk Duration: 1 hr 10 ( with a very slow, dawdling toddler walking the whole way!)
OS Map: OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West; OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath
Walk Distance: 2.5 km
Walk Duration: 40 minutes
OS Map: OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West; OS Landranger 182 Weston-super-Mare;
Suitable for: All-terrain pushchairs, little legs, sturdy ‘normal’ pushchairs (on track route only), babies in backpacks, groups of buggy walkers.
Walk features: Wide gravel tracks, suitable for dog-walkers, no stiles, mixed woodland views, …
Walk Distance: 3.1 km
Walk Duration: 40 mins
OS Map:
OS Landranger 182 Weston-Super-Mare; OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West
Suitable for:
Puschairs, babies in backpacks, little legs & all the family;
Walk features:
Nature reserve, point of historic interest, great picnic spots, great …
Walk Distance: 3km (there & back again), 4.5 km (round walk)
Walk Duration: 1 hr 10 (there & back again) 2hr 30 (round walk)
OS Map: OS Explorer 141 Cheddar Gorge & Mendip Hills West ; OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath
3 comments
1 ping
There are some great walks here, which I can’t wait to try! Unfortunately I couldn’t open the page for the Stanton Drew walk – maybe there’s a ‘glitch’?! I would also recommend the little walk from Wells, behind the Bishops Palace, to Dulcote. It’s possible to do the majority with a pushchair and all with a carrier, and has beautiful, varied views. http://www.walk4life.info/walk/wells-bishops-palace-dulcote.
Author
Thanks Elizabeth for your feedback. How strange on the Stanton Drew walk. It seems to be working again now but I’ll keep an eye on it -thanks. I think I know the walk you mean behind the Bishops Palace – a lovely walk through the meadows on a paved path for much of it if I remember rightly? Unfortunately Walk4Life now charge people to subscribe (a worthy cause though) to access their walks but I will try to cover the route when I’m next in the West Country as you are spot on with it being a lovely wander and easily accessible from beautiful Wells.
https://walkswithkidsnorthsomerset.wordpress.com/author/walkswithkidsnorthsomerset/
A link to child-friendly walks around Bristol (not my website!).
[…] Another highlight was a great new short walk near Chew Valley Lake we discovered. Despite growing up in the Chew Valley, I had never been up to the top of Knowle Hill before though I have driven past it many times. On a crisp, sunny December day this diminutive little hillock gave surprisingly great views all across the Chew Valley including over a sparkling Chew Valley Lake. On a day when the lakeside paths were busy with lots of winter day trippers escaping from Bristol to walk off their Christmas dinners, it was nice to leave them all behind at the car park and head up for a change. A great little discovery and an easy hill for young children to tackle with some lovely options to extend on other Baby Routes walks. […]