Attractions and Places To See around Winscombe & Sandford - Top 20

Stunning views across the plains of Somerset. can see for absolutely miles on a clear day. Don't be fooled in to thinking it's an easy route I have made. It really isn't. Proper footwear and even poles are recommended. Bring waterproofs as back up shelter, as there are not many places out of the gorge to shelter. Download the route to device also, there is no phone coverage the further in to the gorge you go.

Nice traffic free route with lots of places to stop for refreshments along the way. Recommend the bakery at Winscombe. Sadly, the numerous bike gates along the route are a pain if you're on a mountain/hybrid bike as they are too narrow.

Black Down Hill or Beacons Batch is the highest hill in the Mendip Hills at 325m, Somerset, in south-western England. Black Down lies just a few miles eastward of the Bristol Channel at Weston-super-Mare, and provides a view over the Chew Valley. It has a trig pointed summit and is a UK designated Marilyn with a prominence of over 150m.

The Strawberry Line is a traffic-free trail between Yatton and Cheddar. The gravel path follows the route of a former railway line that once carried delicious cargos of strawberries from Cheddar. The line was well usd for nearly a century until its closure in 1965. Level and easygoing, the trail is suitable for all ages and abilities. It winds through some very pretty Somerset countryside, too.

Fabulous gravel track. As long as you're not too precious about getting grit and dirt on your bike, it's possible on any bike... smoother than most roads!

This is a challenging 5 mile (8km) route along paths. Several stiles and kissing gates, rough walking in sections and some steep climbs. It is not advisable to attempt this walk in foggy or very windy weather. Good footwear and fitness is required. Safety in Cheddar Gorge: Please do not stand under cliffs as small rocks may fall at any time. Use only footpaths signed for the gorge walk at the top and bottom of Cheddar Gorge – it is dangerous to depart from these paths. Find the Mendip Hills AONB walking route here https://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/121201-Mendip-Hills-Cheddar-Gorge.pdf

This special site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific interest for its valuable wildlife habitats and is a nationally important site for its archaeology from the late Stone Age and Bronze Age through to the Second World War. Black Down provides the largest area of open access on the Mendip Hills at over 400 ha. Black Down, like most heathlands, is formed through a combination of factors– soil type, rainfall and human activity. The underlying Old Red Sandstone rock together with high rainfall created a waterlogged and acidic soil. The removal of tree cover by our Bronze Age ancestors 2,000 years ago helped to make sure that the soil stayed damp and acid. Only certain plants can survive in this type of ground. The key species include heather or ling, bell heather, bilberry, purple moor grass and European gorse, along with mosses and lichens. Now the bracken is managed by harvesting and grazing by cattle and wild ponies to allow the heathers and grasses to flourish again. Black Down supports a wide variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.

This special site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific interest for its valuable wildlife habitats and is a nationally important site for its archaeology from the late Stone Age and Bronze Age through to the Second World War. Black Down provides the largest area of open access on the Mendip Hills at over 400 ha. Black Down, like most heathlands, is formed through a combination of factors– soil type, rainfall and human activity. The underlying Old Red Sandstone rock together with high rainfall created a waterlogged and acidic soil. The removal of tree cover by our Bronze Age ancestors 2,000 years ago helped to make sure that the soil stayed damp and acid. Only certain plants can survive in this type of ground. The key species include heather or ling, bell heather, bilberry, purple moor grass and European gorse, along with mosses and lichens. Now the bracken is managed by harvesting and grazing by cattle and wild ponies to allow the heathers and grasses to flourish again. Black Down supports a wide variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.