Stratton on the Fosse - Downside Abbey - Nitts Farm - Nettlebridge - Stratton on the Fosse

Charlie Bolton

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Stratton on the Fosse contains Downside Abbey - not to be confused with a similar sounding soap opera and is actually a school. You pass the school with views of the abbey, before heading off across fields to the woods by Blackers Hill. You go through these to more fields, passing the excellently named 'T'other side of the hill' to reach the hamlet of Neighbourne and from there to Nettlebridge. Here you enter Harridge Wood Nature Reserve with its 'stoggles' before heading along a couple of short stretches of lane and more fields to return to Stratton.

There is a very pleasant stretch of bluebells and garlic in springtime.

Please Note: a couple of comments have described the walk as 'impassable'. I have rewalked it myself and do not find it to be so (although I did rewalk it in April). But you do need to accept that it's nature and things grow; nettles and brambles grow and are at their height in August and September.

England - South West England - Somerset - Countryside

Features

Church, Mostly Flat, Wildlife, Woodland

5/2/2022 - Charlie Bolton

I have re-walked this in April 2022, and made a few amendments following the previous comment.

9/26/2021 - Richard Davis

We tried this walk on 25 September 2021. Unfortunately from waymark 6 much of the walk was impassable. We tried skipping through some of the waymark instructions by going via the lanes but several more parts of the walk were also impassable and several locals commented that the footpaths were not maintained by the Council. In the end, sadly, we had to abandon the walk.

3/21/2017 - Charlie Bolton

I amended this walk in Feb/Mar 2017 to take on board some of these comments. I have re-routed a couple of bits (one is impassable, another impossible!), and hope it is easier now....

2/19/2017 - Kevin Hilton

We did this walk on a thoroughly wet and muddy February day. In spite of that it was a really interesting and challenging hike through some fine Somerset countryside. On the down side the fallen tree at point 11, as mentioned by the previous contributor, is still there more than three years later. Further serious obstacles were encountered at points 13 (electric fence) and 21 (blocked stile and path). On the plus side, a considerable effort appears to have been made in upgrading many of the gates, stiles and signage since this walk was written. Give it a a go.

8/6/2013 - JILL SUTTON

Completed this walk early August 2013. Parts of this walk are obviously not walked often and the paths were overgrown including a large tree trunk blocking the path (point 11 as we walked by the river)Several of the stiles were in poor repair and we had to take great care when climbing over. Many of the gates were difficult to open. Just had the feeling that some of the landowners weren't keen on walkers, including 22 where there was an electric fence and the cottage boundary had been extended way from the footpath. All that said the scenery was lovely and full of variety and we were agile enough to overcome the problems which haven't put us off trying the walk again on a sunny day.

9/5/2012 - Jon Roads

We did this walk in early September. It was a lovely warm sunny day. In general the directions were very good but we did need to refer to the map on a couple of occasions, so best to print it with the walk. It was very muddy in numerous places and several of the stiles were difficult to cross with a large dog, and one at stage 21 was almost impassable due to stinging nettles. It does say it's generally flat but don't be fooled there are some steep hills en route!